Nitride compound semiconductor element and production method therefor

Abstract

A nitride compound semiconductor element according to the present invention is a nitride compound semiconductor element including a substrate 1 having an upper face and a lower face and a semiconductor multilayer structure 40 supported by the upper face of the substrate 1, such that the substrate 1 and the semiconductor multilayer structure 40 have at least two cleavage planes. At least one cleavage inducing member 3 which is in contact with either one of the two cleavage planes is provided, and a size of the cleavage inducing member 3 along a direction parallel to the cleavage plane is smaller than a size of the upper face of the substrate 1 along the direction parallel to the cleavage plane.

1 . A nitride compound semiconductor element including a substrate having an upper face and a lower face and a semiconductor multilayer structure supported by the upper face of the substrate, such that the substrate and the semiconductor multilayer structure have at least two cleavage planes, comprising:
 at least one cleavage inducing member in contact with one of the at least two cleavage planes,   wherein a length of the at least one cleavage inducing member along a direction parallel to the one of the at least two cleavage planes is smaller than a length of the upper face of the substrate along the direction parallel to the one of the at least two cleavage planes,   wherein the cleavage inducing member is composed of a mask layer formed on the upper face of the substrate or in the semiconductor multilayer structure or composed of a gap which is formed in the semiconductor multilayer structure, and   wherein the cleavage inducing member has a size smaller than a 180 μm×50 μm rectangle.   
     
     
         2 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the upper face of the substrate has a rectangular shape, and the cleavage inducing member is positioned in at least one of four corners of the upper face of the substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the semiconductor multilayer structure has a laser resonator structure in which the two cleavage planes function as resonator end faces; and   a length of the at least one cleavage inducing member along a resonator length direction is half or less of the resonator length.   
     
     
         4 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein,
 two or more cleavage inducing members are comprised, and arranged along a resonator length direction; and   an interval between adjoining cleavage inducing members along the resonator length direction is  80 % or more of the resonator length.   
     
     
         5 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein a trench is formed on the upper face of the substrate;
 and the mask layer is positioned above the trench.   
     
     
         6 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the mask layer is composed of a material which suppresses crystal growth of semiconductor layers composing the semiconductor multilayer structure. 
     
     
         7 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the mask layer is formed of at least one material selected from the group consisting of: an oxide or nitride of silicon, aluminum, titanium, niobium, zirconia, or tantalum; gold; platinum; aluminum; nickel; palladium; and titanium. 
     
     
         8 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one cleavage inducing member is located on both sides of a laser optical waveguide portion in the semiconductor multilayer structure. 
     
     
         9 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor multilayer structure includes:
 an n-type nitride compound semiconductor layer and a p-type nitride compound semiconductor layer; and an active layer interposed between the n-type nitride compound semiconductor layer and the p-type nitride compound semiconductor layer.   
     
     
         10 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a nitride compound semiconductor. 
     
     
         11 . The nitride compound semiconductor element of  claim 6 , wherein a pair of electrodes are formed on the upper face and the lower face of the substrate. 
     
     
         12 . A production method for a nitride compound semiconductor element including a substrate having an upper face and a lower face and a semiconductor multilayer structure supported by the upper face of the substrate, comprising:
 a step of providing a wafer to be split into the substrate;   a step of growing semiconductor layers composing the semiconductor multilayer structure on the wafer; and   a step of performing cleavage of the wafer and the semiconductor multilayer structure to form a cleavage plane of the semiconductor multilayer structure,   further comprising a step of arranging a plurality of cleavage inducing members at positions where the cleavage plane is to be formed,   wherein the cleavage inducing member is composed of a mask layer formed on the upper face of the substrate or in the semiconductor multilayer structure or composed of a gap which is formed in the semiconductor multilayer structure, and   wherein the cleavage inducing member has a size smaller than a 180 μm×50 μm rectangle.   
     
     
         13 . The production method of  claim 12 , wherein the step of arranging the cleavage inducing members includes:
 a step of depositing an insulative film; and   a step of patterning the insulative film to form a plurality of mask layers being arranged along a line and defining positions at which the resonator end faces are to be formed.