NITRIDE-BASED COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT, CRYSTAL GROWTH OF THE NITRIDE-BASED COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR, AND MANUFACTURE OF THE ELEMENT

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a nitride-based compound semiconductor element, in which lattice misalignment at an interface with a substrate is relaxed. SOLUTION: This semiconductor element includes a substrate 11, a BN-based compound semiconductor buffer layer 24 on the substrate 11, and nitride-based compound semiconductor crystalline layers 34, 25 and 36 on the buffer layer 24. The substrate 11 may be made of sapphire or silicon carbide (SiC). The difference in lattice constants between those of BN and sapphire is small, and the difference in lattice constants between those of BN-based compound semiconductor and sapphire is also small. Accordingly, the BN-based compound semiconductor buffer layer 24 acts to relax lattice misalignment between the substrate 11 and semiconductor crystalline layers 34, 35 and 36. As a result, the crystallization of the semiconductor crystalline layers 34, 35 and 36 can be improved and thus light emission and electrical characteristics of the semiconductor element can be improved. The element is also high in its reliability and has long operational life.