Nitride semiconductor substrate

• US 7,986,030 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2009
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Chemical Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Inventors: Meguro, Takeshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith; Zandra
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patton; Paul E
• Application Number:
  US12/379,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20100084745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 881 Days
• Field of Search: 257/E33.074, 257/618, 257/615, 257/E29.089, 257/E21.237, 257/797, 257/E23.179
• US Class Current: 257/618
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 25/02 Epitaxial-layer growth
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/403 AIII-nitrides

Abstract

A nitride semiconductor substrate has a first surface forming a principal surface of the substrate. A first edge is formed by beveling at least a portion of an edge of the first surface of the substrate. A scattering region is formed in at least a portion of the first edge. The scattering region scatters more external incident light than the first surface.

Claims

1. A nitride semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a first surface forming a principal surface of the substrate;

a first edge formed by beveling at least a portion of an edge of the first surface of the substrate; and

a scattering region formed in at least a portion of the first edge, the scattering region scattering more external incident light than the first surface,

wherein a boundary is formed between the first surface and the scattering region due to a difference between a surface roughness of the first surface and a surface roughness of the scattering region.

2. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

In_xAl_yGa_zN(0≦

x<

1, 0≦

y<

1, 0<

z≦

1, x+y+z=1),

wherein the surface roughness of the first surface is not less than 0.1 nm and not more than 5 nm, and the surface roughness of the scattering region is not less than 0.1 μ

m and not more than 10 μ

m.

3. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 2, further comprising:

a second surface forming an opposite principal surface of the substrate to the first surface;

a second edge formed by beveling an edge of the second surface of the substrate; and

a second boundary between the second edge and the second surface, the second boundary being positioned in an area directly below the scattering region when viewed from the first surface side.

4. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 3, further comprising:

an orientation flat formed therein.

5. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 4, further comprising:

an index flat formed therein.

6. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 5, wherein the scattering region is formed at least in a portion of the orientation flat.

7. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 5, wherein the scattering region is formed at least in a portion of the index flat.

8. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 3, wherein the scattering region has a transmittance of not more than 88% to not less than 400 nm and not more than 780 nm wavelength visible light.

9. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein the scattering region has a transmittance of not more than 88% to not less than 400 nm and not more than 780 nm wavelength visible light.

10. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 2, wherein the scattering region has a transmittance of not more than 88% to not less than 400 nm and not more than 780 nm wavelength visible light.

11. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein the first edge is formed by C-beveling an entire edge of the first surface.

12. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 3, wherein the second edge is formed by C-beveling an entire edge of the second surface.

13. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein an edge angle of the first edge is formed within a range of not less than 10 degrees and not more than 80 degrees.

14. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein a beveling width of the first edge is not less than 0.1 mm.

15. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 6, wherein the scattering region is formed only in a portion of the orientation flat.

16. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein an outermost peripheral portion of the first edge is rounded.

17. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 3, wherein an outermost peripheral portion of the second edge is rounded.

18. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the surface roughness of the first surface and the surface roughness of the scattering region is 95 nm or more.

19. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second surface forming an opposite principal surface of the substrate to the first surface;

a second edge formed by beveling an edge of the second surface of the substrate; and

a second boundary between the second edge and the second surface,

wherein the first boundary is positioned inward relative to the second boundary.

20. The nitride semiconductor substrate according to claim 1, further comprising:

a second surface forming an opposite principal surface of the substrate to the first surface;

a second edge formed by beveling an edge of the second surface of the substrate; and

a second boundary between the second edge and the second surface,

wherein a beveling width from an end of the semiconductor substrate to the first boundary is greater than a beveling width from the end of the semiconductor substrate to the second boundary.