Method of fabricating group III-V nitride compound semiconductor and method of fabricating semiconductor device

• US 6,508,879 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2000
• Issued: 01/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNEMUND, ROBERT M
• Application Number:
  US09/711,260
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 117/952, 117/101, 117/104
• US Class Current: 117/104
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/406 Gallium nitride

Abstract

A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor in which high crystallinity is achieved without lack of nitrogen, even when it is grown at a low temperature, and a method of fabricating a semiconductor device employing the method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor are provided. Along with carrier gas, a gas source including a nitrogen-including compound such as hydrazine, a substitution product of hydrazine, amine or azide as a nitrogen source is supplied to a reaction tube of a MOCVD apparatus. These nitrogen-including compounds have higher decomposition efficiencies than those of ammonia. Therefore, even though MOCVD is performed at a growth temperature below or equal to 900° C., a large amount of nitrogen which contributes growth is supplied onto the growth surface of a substrate (that is, an underlying layer). As a result, crystallinity of the group III-V nitride compound semiconductor layer is improved. Further, the amount of the supplied nitrogen source relative to the amount of the source of the group V element supplied can be made smaller.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor in which a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor including at least one selected from group III elements and at least nitrogen (N) selected from group V elements is grown using a metal organic chemical vapor deposition method, wherein

a first growth temperature is below or equal to 900°

C.;

a nitrogen-including compound having at least one of a single bond of nitrogen atoms, a double bond of nitrogen atoms and a single bond of a nitrogen atom and a carbon atom is used as the nitrogen source;

at least an active layer is grown by the nitrogen-including compound; and

an n-type cladding layer is grown at a second growth temperature greater than 900°

C. whereby the nitrogen source is ammonia.

2. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a gas including hydrazine or a substitution product of hydrazine is used as the nitrogen including compound.

3. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a gas including amine is used as the nitrogen including compound.

4. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein a gas including azide is used as the nitrogen including compound.

5. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the group III elements include indium (In).

6. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein at least a guiding layer and the active layer are grown whereby the nitrogen-including compound is the nitrogen source.

7. A method of fabricating a group III-V nitride compound semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the active layer is grown at a temperature less than approximately 900 C.