IP Library Granted Patent US 11,732,380
Granted Patent B2
US 11,732,380 · App. 16/410,224 · Granted Aug 22, 2023

Nitride crystal substrate and method for manufacturing the same

Inventors: Fumimasa Horikiri (Ibaraki, JP); Takeshi Kimura (Ibaraki, JP)
Assignee: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
C30B29/38C30B25/18C30B33/00
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,732,380
App. No.
16/410,224
Granted
Aug 22, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is provided a nitride crystal substrate having a main surface and formed of group-III nitride crystal, wherein N IR /N Elec , satisfies formula (1) below, which is a ratio of a carrier concentration N IR at a center of the main surface relative to a carrier concentration N Elec : 0.5≤N IR /N Elec ≤1.5 . . . (1) where N IR is the carrier concentration on the main surface side of the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a reflectance of the main surface measured by a reflection type Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and N Elec is the carrier concentration in the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a specific resistance of the nitride crystal substrate and a mobility of the nitride crystal substrate measured by an eddy current method.

Claims (61)

1. A nitride crystal substrate having a main surface and formed of group-III nitride crystal,

wherein N IR /N Elec satisfies formula (1) below, which is a ratio of a carrier concentration N IR at a center of the main surface to a carrier concentration N Elec :

0.5≤ N IR /N Elec ≤1.5  (1)

where N IR is the carrier concentration on the main surface side of the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a reflectance of the main surface measured by a reflection type Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and

N Elec is the carrier concentration averaged across an entire thickness direction of the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a specific resistance of the nitride crystal substrate and a mobility of the nitride crystal substrate measured by an eddy current method.

2. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 ,

wherein the ratio N IR /N Elec satisfies formula (1′):

0.8≤ N IR /N Elec ≤1.2  (1′).

3. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 comprising:

a center side region that is a center side of the main surface of the nitride crystal substrate and has a first carrier concentration N IR1 which is an extreme value of the carrier concentration N IR obtained by the reflection-type Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and

an outer peripheral side region that surrounds the center side region at a radial position of 20 mm or less from the center of the main surface of the nitride crystal substrate and has a second carrier concentration N IR2 which is an extreme value opposite to the first carrier concentration N IR1 ,

wherein a maximum in-plane carrier concentration difference obtained by the following formula is 18% or less:

| N IR1 −N IR2 |/Max( N IR1 ,N IR2 )×100

where Max(N IR1 ,N IR2 ) is the larger of the first carrier concentration N IR1 and the second carrier concentration N IR2 .

4. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 ,

wherein μ IR /μ Elec , satisfies formula (2) below, which is a ratio of a mobility μ IR at the center of the main surface relative to a mobility μ Elec :

0.6≤μ IR /μ Elec ≤1.4  (2)

where μ IR is the mobility on the main surface side of the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a reflectance of the main surface measured by the reflection-type Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and

μ Elec is the mobility averaged across an entire thickness direction of the nitride crystal substrate measured by the eddy current method.

5. A nitride crystal substrate having a main surface and formed of group-III nitride crystal,

wherein μ IR /μ Elec , satisfies formula (2) below, which is a ratio of a mobility μ IR at the center of the main surface relative to a mobility μ Elec :

0.6≤μ IR /μ Elec ≤1.4  (2)

where μ IR is the mobility on the main surface side of the nitride crystal substrate obtained a reflectance of the main surface measured by the reflection-type Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and

μ Elec is the mobility averaged across an entire thickness direction of the nitride crystal substrate measured by the eddy current method.

6. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 4 ,

wherein the ratio μ IR /μ Elec satisfies formula (2′):

0.7≤μ IR /μ Elec ≤1.1  (2′)

7. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 ,

wherein the dislocation density in the main surface of the nitride crystal substrate is 5×10 6 /cm 2 or less.

8. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 containing at least one of silicon and germanium,

wherein the concentration of oxygen in the nitride crystal substrate is equal to or less than 1/10 of the total concentration of silicon and germanium in the nitride crystal substrate.

9. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 containing at least one of silicon and germanium,

wherein the concentration of the impurity other than the n-type impurity in the nitride crystal substrate is equal to or less than 1/10 of the total concentration of silicon and germanium in the nitride crystal substrate.

10. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 ,

wherein the nitride crystal substrate contains the n-type impurity, and

an absorption coefficient α in the wavelength range of at least 1 μm or more and 3.3 μm or less is approximated by formula (3) according to the least-squares method, and

an error of the measured absorption coefficient relative to the absorption coefficient α obtained from formula (3) is within ±0.1a at the wavelength of 2 μm:

α= N e Kλ a   (3)

(in the formula,

λ (μm) is a wavelength,

α (cm −1 ) is the absorption coefficient of the nitride crystal substrate at 27° C.,

N e (cm −3 ) is a free-electron concentration in the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a specific resistance of the crystal substrate and a mobility measured by an eddy current method, and

K and a are constant; where 1.5×10 −19 ≤K≤6.0×10 −19 , a=3).

11. A nitride crystal substrate having a main surface and formed of group-III nitride crystal,

wherein N IR /N Elec satisfies formula (1) below, which is a ratio of a carrier concentration N IR at a center of the main surface to a carrier concentration N Elec :

0.5≤ N IR /N Elec ≤1.5  (1)

where N IR is the carrier concentration on the main surface side of the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a reflectance of the main surface measured by a reflection type Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and

N Elec is the carrier concentration in the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a specific resistance of the nitride crystal substrate and a mobility of the nitride crystal substrate measured by an eddy current method,

wherein the nitride crystal substrate contains the n-type impurity, and

an absorption coefficient α in the wavelength range of at least 1 μm or more and 3.3 μm or less is approximated by formula (3) according to the least-squares method, and

an error of the measured absorption coefficient relative to the absorption coefficient α obtained from formula (3) is within ±0.1a at the wavelength of 2 μm:

α= N e Kλ a   (3)

(in the formula,

(μm) is a wavelength,

α (cm −1 ) is the absorption coefficient of the nitride crystal substrate at 27° C.,

N e (cm −3 ) is a free-electron concentration in the nitride crystal substrate obtained based on a specific resistance of the crystal substrate and a mobility measured by an eddy current method, and

K and a are constant; where 1.5×10 −19 ≤K≤6.0×10 −19 , a=3).

12. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 1 ,

where N IR is obtained by fitting an intensity reflectance obtained from theoretical formula to an intensity reflectance of the main surface measured by the reflection type Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

13. The nitride crystal substrate according to claim 5 ,

where μ IR is obtained by fitting an intensity reflectance obtained from theoretical formula to an intensity reflectance of the main surface measured by the reflection type Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Assignments (2)
MERGER Recorded Dec 16, 2022
From: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED
To: SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY LIMITED
Reel/Frame 062142/0384 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2019
From: HORIKIRI, FUMIMASA; KIMURA, TAKESHI
To: SCIOCS COMPANY LIMITED; SUMITOMO CHEMICAL COMPANY, LIMITED
Reel/Frame 049158/0444 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP JP2018-094775 · May 16, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200040482A1 · Feb 6, 2020