Group III nitride crystal and method for producing the same

1. A group III nitride crystal characterized by the following properties:

having a main plane with a crystal-geometrically equivalent plane orientation selected from the group consisting of {20-21}, {20-2-1}, {22-41}, and {22-4-1};

an oxygen-atom concentration of between 1×10 16 cm −3 and 4×10 19 cm −3 inclusive;

a silicon-atom concentration of between 6×10 14 cm −3 and 5×10 18 cm −3 inclusive;

a hydrogen-atom concentration of between 6×10 16 cm −3 and 1×10 18 cm −3 inclusive;

a carbon-atom concentration of between 1×10 16 cm −3 and 1×10 18 cm −3 inclusive; and

a planar defect density of between 0.3 and 51 defects/cm in a cross-section through the crystal perpendicular to either the <1-210>direction or to the <10-10>direction.

2. The group Ill nitride crystal according to claim 1 , wherein the main plane has an area of 10 cm 2 or more.

3. A method for producing the group III nitride crystal of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

cutting a plurality of Group III nitride crystal substrates having a main plane from a Group III nitride bulk crystal, the main plane having a plane orientation with an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to a crystal-geometrically equivalent plane orientation selected from the group consisting of {20-21}, {20-2-1}, {22-41}, and {22-4-1};

transversely arranging the substrates adjacent to each other such that the main planes of the substrates are parallel to each other and each [0001] direction of the substrates coincides with each other; and

growing on the main planes of the substrates a Group III nitride crystal having said oxygen-, silicon-, hydrogen- and carbon-atom concentrations.

4. The method for producing a group Ill nitride crystal according to claim 3 , wherein the average roughness Ra of each contact surface of the substrates adjacent to each other is 50 nm or less.

5. The method for producing a group III nitride crystal according to claim 3 , wherein the method for growing the group III nitride crystal is a hydride vapor phase epitaxy method.

6. The method for producing a group III nitride crystal according to claim 3 , wherein in the step of growing a group III nitride crystal the group III nitride crystal is grown while the crystal growth face is kept flat.

7. The method for producing a group III nitride crystal according to claim 6 , wherein

in the step of growing a group III nitride crystal on the main planes of the substrates,

when the plane orientation of the main planes has an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to {20-21}, the group III nitride crystal has a growth rate below 80 μm/h,

when the plane orientation of the main planes has an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to {20-2-1}, the group III nitride crystal has a growth rate below 90 μm/h,

when the plane orientation of the main planes has an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to {22-41}, the group III nitride crystal has a growth rate below 60 μm/h, and

when the plane orientation of the main planes has an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to {22-4-1}, the group III nitride crystal has a growth rate below 80 μm/h.

8. The method for producing a group III nitride crystal according to claim 3 , further comprising the steps of:

preparing an additional group III nitride crystal substrate having a main plane from the group III nitride crystal, the main plane having a plane orientation with an off-angle of five degrees or less with respect to a crystal-geometrically equivalent plane orientation selected from the group consisting of {20-21}, {20-2-1}, {22-41}, and {22-4-1}; and

growing an additional group III nitride crystal on the main plane of the additional group III nitride crystal substrate.