A structural body that includes a film that has a phase-separated nanostructure where a separate columnar shape phase is dispersed in a matrix phase that are phase-separated in a state of thermal equilibrium. The matrix phase is formed from any one of a p-type semiconductor material and an n-type semiconductor material, and the separate columnar shape phase is formed from the other semiconductor material. The film is formed on a substrate such that the separate columnar shaped phase and the matrix phase have three-dimensional junction planes.

A film structure comprises a substrate and a buffer film formed on the substrate. The substrate is a 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, or the substrate is a SOI substrate including a base substance made of the 36° to 48° rotated Y-cut Si substrate, an insulating layer on the base substance, and a SOI layer made of a Si film on the insulating layer, and a mirror index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the SOI layer is equal to a mirror index of a crystal plane of an upper surface of the base substance. The buffer film includes ZrO.sub.2 epitaxially grown on the substrate.

A piezoelectric member that achieves a high sound speed includes a silicon-containing substrate and a piezoelectric layer. The piezoelectric layer is disposed on the silicon-containing substrate. At least a surface layer of the piezoelectric layer on a side opposite to the silicon-containing substrate is made of B.sub.xAl.sub.1-xN (0<x≦0.2).

Quality of a silicon carbide single crystal is improved. A crucible having first and second sides is prepared. A solid source material for growing silicon carbide with a sublimation method is arranged on the first side. A seed crystal made of silicon carbide is arranged on the second side. The crucible is arranged in a heat insulating container. The heat insulating container has an opening facing the second side. The crucible is heated such that the solid source material sublimes. A temperature on the second side is measured through the opening in the heat insulating container. The opening has a tapered inner surface narrowed toward the outside of the heat insulating container.

A method is disclosed for producing a high quality bulk single crystal of silicon carbide in a seeded growth system by reducing the separation between a silicon carbide seed crystal and a seed holder until the conductive heat transfer between the seed crystal and the seed holder dominates the radiative heat transfer between the seed crystal and the seed holder over substantially the entire seed crystal surface that is adjacent the seed holder.

A method for growth and fabrication of semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N thin films, heterostructures, and devices, comprising identifying desired material properties for a particular device application, selecting a semipolar growth orientation based on the desired material properties, selecting a suitable substrate for growth of the selected semipolar growth orientation, growing a planar semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N template or nucleation layer on the substrate, and growing the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N thin films, heterostructures or devices on the planar semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N template or nucleation layer. The method results in a large area of the semipolar (Ga,Al,In,B)N thin films, heterostructures, and devices being parallel to the substrate surface.

In one instance, the invention provides a bulk crystal of group III nitride having a thickness of more than 1 mm without cracking above the sides of a seed crystal. This bulk group III nitride crystal is expressed as Ga.sub.x1Al.sub.y1In.sub.1-x1-y1N (0≦x1≦1, 0≦x1+y1≦1) and the seed crystal is expressed as Ga.sub.x2Al.sub.y2In.sub.1-x2-y2N (0≦x2≦1, 0≦x2+y2≦1). The bulk crystal of group III nitride can be grown in supercritical ammonia or a melt of group III metal using at least one seed crystal having basal planes of c-orientation and sidewalls of m-orientation. By exposing only c-planes and m-planes in this instance, cracks originating from the sides of the seed crystal are avoided.

A group 13 element source, a flux comprising at least one of an alkali metal and an alkaline earth metal, and an additive being liquid at an ambient temperature are placed in a crystal growing vessel. The crystal growing vessel is heated and pressurized under a nitrogen atom-containing gas atmosphere to form a melt containing the group 13 element source, the flux and the additive. Evaporation of the additive is prevented until the flux is melted. The crystal of the nitride of the group 13 element is then grown in the melt.

A substrate mounting member according to the present invention is a member for mounting a SiC substrate for epitaxial growth, which includes a wafer plate including a SiC polycrystal, and a supporting plate configured to be placed on the wafer plate, include no SiC polycrystal and have a surface serving as a SiC substrate placing surface, the surface being on the side opposite to a surface in contact with the wafer plate, and in which a thickness h [mm] of the supporting plate satisfies an expression h.sup.4≦3pa.sup.4(1−v.sup.2){(5+v)/(1+v)}16E when a force applied to a unit area of the supporting plate by a self-weight of the supporting plate and by the SiC substrate is represented as p [N/mm.sup.2], a radius of the supporting plate as a [mm], a Poisson's ratio as v and a Young's modulus as E [MPa].

A method of forming an epitaxial layer on a substrate such as a sapphire wafer that does not readily absorb thermal radiation. The method includes coating a first side surface of the substrate with an energy-absorbing opaque material. The opaque material forms a thermally absorptive coating on the substrate. The coated substrate may be heated to remove contaminants from the thermally absorptive coating. The coated substrate is positioned in a vacuum deposition chamber and heated by directing radiative energy onto the thermally absorptive coating. An epitaxial layer such as GaN or SiGe is formed on a second side surface of the substrate opposite the thermally absorptive coating.