A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device includes a template layer disposed over a substrate and having a trench therein, a buffer structure disposed over a bottom surface of the trench and comprising a metal oxide, a single crystal semiconductor structure disposed within the trench and over the buffer structure and a gate structure disposed over a channel region of the single crystal semiconductor structure.

The apparatus for producing a gallium oxide crystal relating to the invention contains a vertical Bridgman furnace containing: a base body; a cylindrical furnace body having heat resistance disposed above the base body; a lid member occluding the furnace body; a heater disposed inside the furnace body; a crucible shaft provided vertically movably through the base body; and a crucible disposed on the crucible shaft, heated with the heater, the crucible is a crucible containing a Pt-based alloy, the furnace body has an inner wall that is formed as a heat-resistant wall containing plural ring shaped heat-resistant members each having a prescribed height accumulated on each other, and the ring shaped heat-resistant members each contain plural divided pieces that are joined to each other to the ring shape.

In a method for manufacturing a group 13 nitride crystal, a seed crystal made of a group 13 nitride crystal is arranged in a mixed melt containing an alkali metal and a group 13 element, and nitrogen is supplied to the mixed melt to grow the group 13 nitride crystal on a principal plane of the seed crystal. The seed crystal is manufactured by vapor phase epitaxy. At least a part of contact members coming into contact with the mixed melt in a reaction vessel accommodating the mixed melt is made of Al.sub.2O.sub.3. An interface layer having a photoluminescence emission peak whose wavelength is longer than the wavelength of a photoluminescence emission peak of the grown group 13 nitride crystal is formed between the seed crystal and the grown group nitride crystal.

A method of growing an AlGaN semiconductor material utilizes an excess of Ga above the stoichiometric amount typically used. The excess Ga results in the formation of band structure potential fluctuations that improve the efficiency of radiative recombination and increase light generation of optoelectronic devices, in particular ultraviolet light emitting diodes, made using the method. Several improvements in UV LED design and performance are also provided for use together with the excess Ga growth method. Devices made with the method can be used for water purification, surface sterilization, communications, and data storage and retrieval.

In a first step, protrusions (42) are formed on a surface of an SiC substrate (40), and the SiC substrate (40) is etched. In a second step, the protrusions (42) of the SiC substrate (40) are epitaxially grown through MSE process, and an epitaxial layer (43a) containing threading screw dislocation, which has been largely grown in the vertical (c-axis) direction as a result of MSE process, is at least partially removed. In a third step, MSE process is performed again on the SiC substrate (40) after the second step, to cause epitaxial layers (43) containing no threading screw dislocation to be grown in the horizontal (a-axis) direction to be connected at the molecular level, so that one monocrystalline 4HSiC semiconductor wafer (45) having a large area is generated throughout an Si-face or a C-face of the SiC substrate (40).

A crystal substrate 1 includes an underlying layer 2 and a thick film 3. The underlying layer 2 is composed of a crystal of a nitride of a group 13 element and includes a first main face 2a and a second main face 2b. The thick film 3 is composed of a crystal of a nitride of a group 13 element and provided over the first main face of the underlying layer. The underlying layer 2 includes a low carrier concentration region 5 and a high carrier concentration region 4 both extending between the first main face 2a and the second main face 2b. The low carrier concentration region 5 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.17/cm.sup.3 or lower and a defect density of 10.sup.7/cm.sup.2 or lower. The high carrier concentration region 4 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.19/cm.sup.3 or higher and a defect density of 10.sup.8/cm.sup.2 or higher. The thick film 3 has a carrier concentration of 10.sup.18/cm.sup.3 or higher and 10.sup.19/cm.sup.3 or lower and a defect density of 10.sup.7/cm.sup.2 or lower.

There is provided a semiconductor substrate including: a sapphire substrate; an intermediate layer formed of gallium nitride with random crystal directions and provided on the sapphire substrate; and at least one or more semiconductor layers each of which is formed of a gallium nitride single crystal and that are provided on the intermediate layer.

There is provided a new and improved method for producing a gallium nitride stacked body that can produce a single-crystal layer with few crystal defects, the method including: an intermediate layer formation step of forming an intermediate layer (12) of gallium nitride with random crystal orientations on a substrate (11); and a single-crystal layer formation step of forming a single-crystal layer (13) of gallium nitride on the intermediate layer (12) by a liquid phase epitaxial growth method. Also the intermediate layer (12) may be formed by a liquid phase epitaxial growth method.

To reduce ungrown region or abnormal grain growth region in growing a Group III nitride semiconductor through a flux method. A seed substrate has a structure in which a Group III nitride semiconductor layer is formed on a ground substrate as a base, and a mask is formed on the Group III nitride semiconductor layer. The mask has a plurality of dotted windows in an equilateral triangular lattice pattern. A Group III nitride semiconductor is grown through flux method on the seed substrate. Carbon is placed on a lid of a crucible holing the seed substrate and a molten mixture so that carbon is not contact with the molten mixture at the start of crystal growth. Thereby, carbon is gradually added to the molten mixture as time passes. Thus, ungrown region or abnormal grain growth region is reduced in the Group III nitride semiconductor crystal grown on the seed substrate.

A method for manufacturing a group III nitride semiconductor crystal substrate includes providing, as a seed crystal substrate, a group III nitride single crystal grown by a liquid phase growth method, and homoepitaxially growing a group III nitride single crystal by a vapor phase growth method on a principal surface of the seed crystal substrate. The principal surface of the seed crystal substrate is a +c-plane, and the seed crystal substrate has an atomic oxygen concentration of not more than 110.sup.17 cm.sup.3 in a crystal near the principal surface over an entire in-plane region thereof.