Method for growing a nitride compound semiconductor

Abstract

A new and improved method for growing a p-type nitride III-V compound semiconductor is provided which can produce a p-type nitride compound semiconductors having a high carrier concentration, without the need for annealing to activate impurities after growth. In a preferred embodiment, a p-type nitride compound semiconductor, such as p-type GaN, is grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition methods using a nitrogen source material which does not release hydrogen during release of nitrogen and the semiconductor is grown in an inactive gas. The nitrogen source materials may be selected from nitrogen compounds that contain hydrogen radicals groups and alkyl radicals groups and/or phenyl radicals groups provided that the total amount of hydrogen radicals groups is less than or equal to the sum total of alkyl radicals groups and phenyl radicals groups present in the nitrogen compound used as the nitrogen source material.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A method for growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor comprising the step of growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor in vapor phase by using a nitrogen source material which does not release hydrogen during release of nitrogen and which prevents hydrogen from being caught in the grown crystal and inactivating dopants, impurities and/or carriers, and a Group III element source material, said nitrogen source material being supplied in an amount of hundreds of times the amount of the Group III element source material, said nitrogen source material comprising an amine compound selected from the group consisting of secondary amines of the formula HNR 1 R 2  and tertiary amines of the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 N, wherein R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are each independently methyl, ethyl or phenyl. 
     
     
       2. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the nitride compound semiconductor is a p-type semiconductor. 
     
     
       3. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said Group III element source material comprises at least one Group III element selected from the group consisting of Al, Ga and In. 
     
     
       4. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein in said growing step, said III-V nitride compound semiconductor is grown in vapor phase by metal organic chemical vapor deposition methods. 
     
     
       5. A method for growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor comprising the step of growing III-V compound semiconductor in vapor phase by using a nitrogen source material which does not release hydrogen during release of nitrogen and which prevents hydrogen from being caught in the grown crystal and inactivating dopants, impurities and/or carriers, and a Group III element source material, said nitrogen source material being supplied in an amount of hundreds of times the amount of the Group III element source material, said nitrogen source material being selected from the group consisting of: 
       (A) an amine compound selected from the group consisting of secondary amines of the formula HNR 1 R 2  and tertiary amines of the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 N, wherein R 1 , R 2  and R 3  are each independently methyl, ethyl or phenyl;  
       (B) an azo compound;  
       (C) a hydrazine compound selected from the group consisting of: 1,1-dephenyl hydrazine, 1-methyl-1-phenyl hydrazine, 1-ethyl-1-phenyl hydrazine, 1-phenyl-2-methyl hydrazine, 1-phenyl-2-ethyl hydrazine, 1,2-diphenyl-1-methyl hydrazine, 1,2-dephenyl-1-ehtyl hydrazine, 1,2-diphenyl-2-methyl hydrazine, 1,2-dipheny-2-ethyl hydrazine, 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-dimethyl hydrazine and 1,2-diphenyl-1,2-diethyl hydrazine; and  
       (D) an azide compound.  
     
     
       6. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the III-V nitride compound semiconductor in vapor phase is grown in an inactive gas. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen source material includes at least one alkyl radical group or phenyl radical group and, optionally, at least one hydrogen radical group, wherein the number of the hydrogen radicals groups is less than or equal to the total number of the alkyl radicals groups and the phenyl radicals groups. 
     
     
       8. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen source material is trimethylamine. 
     
     
       9. A method as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen source material is supplied in an amount greater than one hundred and less than a thousand times the amount of the Group III element source material. 
     
     
       10. A method for growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor comprising the step of growing a III-V nitride compound semiconductor in a vapor phase by using: 
       a nitrogen source material that does not release hydrogen during release of nitrogen and which prevents hydrogen from being caught in the grown crystal and inactivating dopants, impurities, and/or carriers, said nitrogen source material comprising an amine compound selected from the group consisting of secondary amines of the formula HNR 1 R 2  and tertiary amines of the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 N, wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3  are each independently methyl, ethyl or phenyl,  
       a Group III element source material, said nitrogen source material being supplied in an amount of hundreds of times the amount of the Group III element source material, and  
       a Group II element source gas material comprising at least one Group II element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, zinc, and cadmium.