Method of fabricating nonpolar gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer, nonpolar semiconductor device, and method of fabricating the same

1. A method of fabricating a nonpolar gallium nitride layer using metal organic chemical vapor deposition, the method comprising:

disposing a gallium nitride substrate with an m-plane growth surface within a chamber;

raising a substrate temperature to a GaN growth temperature by heating the substrate; and

growing a gallium nitride layer on the gallium nitride substrate by supplying a Ga source gas, an N source gas, and an ambient gas into the chamber at the growth temperature,

wherein the supplied ambient gas contains N 2 and does not contain H 2 .

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein N 2 gas alone is supplied into the chamber as the ambient gas.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Ga source gas is TMG or TEG, and the N source gas is NH 3 .

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the GaN growth temperature is equal to or higher than 950° C. and lower than 1,050° C.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the GaN growth temperature is 1,000° C.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N source gas and the ambient gas are supplied even when the substrate temperature is being raised to the GaN growth temperature.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the Ga source gas is supplied only at the GaN growth temperature.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising maintaining the gallium nitride substrate for 3 to 10 minutes after the gallium nitride substrate reaches the GaN growth temperature and before the Ga source gas is supplied.

9. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device by forming a nonpolar gallium nitride layer using metal organic chemical vapor deposition, the method comprising:

disposing a gallium nitride substrate with an m-plane growth surface within a chamber;

raising a substrate temperature to a GaN growth temperature by heating the substrate; and

growing a gallium nitride layer on the gallium nitride substrate by supplying a Ga source gas, an N source gas, and an ambient gas into the chamber at the growth temperature,

wherein the supplied ambient gas contains N 2 and does not contain H 2 .

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the N source gas and the ambient gas are supplied even when the substrate temperature is being raised to the GaN growth temperature.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor device is a light emitting diode.

12. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming an intermediate-temperature buffer layer on a gallium nitride substrate in a range of 700 to 800° C.; and

growing a gallium nitride-based first semiconductor layer on the intermediate-temperature buffer layer at a growth temperature higher than a formation temperature of the intermediate-temperature buffer layer wherein a supplied ambient gas contains N 2 and does not contain H 2 .

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the gallium nitride substrate has an m-plane growth surface, and the intermediate-temperature buffer layer is formed on the m-plane growth surface.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the intermediate-temperature buffer layer is formed of GaN.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the growing of the first semiconductor layer comprises:

stopping a supply of a gallium source after the intermediate-temperature buffer layer is formed;

raising a temperature of the gallium nitride substrate to a growth temperature of the first semiconductor layer;

maintaining the gallium nitride substrate at the growth temperature of the first semiconductor layer for 3 to 10 minutes; and

resuming the supply of the gallium source to grow a gallium nitride-based layer on the intermediate-temperature buffer layer.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

growing an active layer on the first semiconductor layer; and

growing a gallium nitride-based second semiconductor layer on the active layer.