A method of forming an oxide film is provided. The method may include: supplying mist of a solution including a material of the oxide film dissolved therein to a surface of a substrate together with a carrier gas having an oxygen concentration equal to or less than 21 vol % so as to epitaxially grow the oxide film on the surface of the substrate; and bringing the oxide film into contact with a fluid comprising oxygen atoms after the epitaxial growth of the oxide film.

A method of forming an oxide film is provided. The method may include: supplying mist of a solution including a material of the oxide film dissolved therein to a surface of a substrate together with a carrier gas having an oxygen concentration equal to or less than 21 vol % so as to epitaxially grow the oxide film on the surface of the substrate; and bringing the oxide film into contact with a fluid comprising oxygen atoms after the epitaxial growth of the oxide film.

A method of forming an oxide film is provided. The method may include: supplying mist of a solution including a material of the oxide film dissolved therein to a surface of a substrate while heating the substrate at a first temperature so as to epitaxially grow the oxide film on the surface; and bringing the oxide film into contact with a fluid comprising oxygen atoms while heating the oxide film at a second temperature higher than the first temperature after the epitaxial growth of the oxide film.

A method of forming an oxide film is provided. The method may include: supplying mist of a solution including a material of the oxide film dissolved therein to a surface of a substrate while heating the substrate at a first temperature so as to epitaxially grow the oxide film on the surface; and bringing the oxide film into contact with a fluid comprising oxygen atoms while heating the oxide film at a second temperature higher than the first temperature after the epitaxial growth of the oxide film.

A film formation apparatus is configured to epitaxially grow a film on a surface of a substrate, and the film formation apparatus may include: a stage configured to allow the substrate to be mounted thereon; a heater configured to heat the substrate; a mist supply source configured to supply mist of a solution that comprises a solvent and a material of the film dissolved in the solvent; a heated-gas supply source configured to supply heated gas that comprises gas constituted of a same material as a material of the solvent and has a higher temperature than the mist; and a delivery device configured to deliver the mist and the heated gas to the surface of the substrate.

Techniques for processing materials in supercritical fluids including processing in a capsule disposed within a high-pressure apparatus enclosure are disclosed. The disclosed techniques are useful for growing crystals of GaN, AlN, InN, and their alloys, including InGaN, AlGaN, and AlInGaN for the manufacture of bulk or patterned substrates, which in turn can be used to make optoelectronic devices, lasers, light emitting diodes, solar cells, photoelectrochemical water splitting and hydrogen generation devices, photodetectors, integrated circuits, and transistors.

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.

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.

Electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) processes and devices are provided that can form precipitated epitaxial crystalline films or layers on a substrate. The precipitated films may comprise a semiconductor, such as germanium, silicon, or carbon. Dissolution into, saturation within, and precipitation of the semiconductor from a liquid metal electrode (e.g., Hg pool) near an interface region with a substrate yields a polycrystalline semiconductor material deposited as an epitaxial film. Reactor cells for use in an electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) device are also provided that include porous membranes to facilitate formation of the precipitated epitaxial crystalline films.

Electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) processes and devices are provided that can form precipitated epitaxial crystalline films or layers on a substrate. The precipitated films may comprise a semiconductor, such as germanium, silicon, or carbon. Dissolution into, saturation within, and precipitation of the semiconductor from a liquid metal electrode (e.g., Hg pool) near an interface region with a substrate yields a polycrystalline semiconductor material deposited as an epitaxial film. Reactor cells for use in an electrochemical liquid phase epitaxy (ec-LPE) device are also provided that include porous membranes to facilitate formation of the precipitated epitaxial crystalline films.