GROUP III NITRIDE SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL ELEMENT AND EPITAXIAL SUBSTRATE

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a group III nitride semiconductor optical element including a p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer reduced in resistance. SOLUTION: A principal plane 13a of a support 13 is at an angle ALPHA which is at least 40° and not more than 140° relative to a reference plane Sc, and the reference plane Sc is orthogonal to a reference axis Cx extending in a c-axis direction of the group III nitride semiconductor. The principal plane 13a is either semi-polar or non-polar. An n-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 15 is disposed on the principal plane 13a of the support 13. The n-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 15, an active layer 19 and the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 17 are arrayed in a direction of a normal axis Nx. Magnesium is added to the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 17 as a p-type dopant, and the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 17 contains carbon as a p-type dopant. The carbon concentration of the p-type GaN-based semiconductor layer 17 is at least 2×1016cm-3and not more than 1×1019cm-3. COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT