Method of preparing a compound semiconductor crystal doped with carbon

摘要

There is provided a method of preparing a compound semiconductor crystal, allowing the compound semiconductor crystal to be doped with carbon in high reproducibility. The method includes the steps of sealing a semiconductor raw material and a boron oxide based substance in a gas-impermeable airtight vessel and increasing a temperature of said airtight vessel to melt said raw material and said boron oxide based substance in said airtight vessel and thereby form a melted material from said raw material; and decreasing said temperature of said airtight vessel to solidify said melted material and thereby grow said compound semiconductor crystal containing a resultant content of said carbon, selecting a partial pressure of a carbon oxide gas, and making said carbon oxide gas coexistent with said melted material, so that said resultant content of said carbon is dependent on said selected partial pressure of said carbon oxide gas. With this method, a compound semiconductor crystal with a carbon concentration of 0.1 X 10<15>cm<-3> to 20 X 10<15>cm<-3> is also prepared in high reproducibility.