Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film and deposition method thereof, and semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film which can be deposited on any given substrate to have uniform film quality and excellent crystalline, and a deposition method thereof. A semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof. A poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound thin film is deposited on a substrate by sputtering at a deposition rate of 15 to 200 nm/hour using a Group III nitride compound target in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising 10 mole % or more nitrogen. Then, the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film deposited on the substrate is irradiated with an excimer pulsed laser with an energy density of about 200 mJ/cm 2 , in an atmosphere of gas with an oxygen content of 2 mole % or less. Thereby, lattice defects such as grain boundaries or dislocations which occur in the thin film are removed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film, for depositing a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), 
 wherein a poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited on a substrate by sputtering using a target comprised of a Group III nitride compound in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising at least nitrogen.    
     
     
         2 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited at a deposition rate ranging from 15 nm/hour to 200 nm/hour, both inclusive.  
     
     
         3 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising 10 mole % or more nitrogen (N).  
     
     
         4 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the target is comprised of a Group III nitride compound comprising at least one element from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and boron (B).  
     
     
         5 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film, the method comprising steps of: 
 depositing, on a substrate, a poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N); and    removing a lattice defect which occurs in the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film, by irradiating the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film deposited on the substrate with a pulsed laser.    
     
     
         6 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein irradiation with a pulsed laser is performed in an atmosphere of gas with an oxygen (O) content of 2 mole % or less.  
     
     
         7 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited by sputtering in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising at least nitrogen.  
     
     
         8 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the Group III element is at least one element from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and boron (B).  
     
     
         9 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film, the method comprising steps of: 
 depositing, on a substrate, a single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N); and    removing a lattice defect which occurs in the single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film, by irradiating the single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film deposited on the substrate with a pulsed laser.    
     
     
         10 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein irradiation with a pulsed laser is performed in an atmosphere of gas with a nitrogen content of 95 mole % or more.  
     
     
         11 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited by epitaxial growth.  
     
     
         12 . A deposition method of a Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein the Group III element is at least one element from the group consisting of aluminum (Al), gallium (Ga), indium (In) and boron (B).  
     
     
         13 . A Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), 
 wherein the Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film is deposited by sputtering using a target comprised of a Group III nitride compound in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising at least nitrogen, and has a poly-crystalline structure.    
     
     
         14 . A Group III nitride compound semiconductor thin film as claimed in  claim 13 , with an oxygen content of 2 mole % or less.  
     
     
         15 . A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), 
 wherein a poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer is deposited on a substrate by sputtering using a target comprised of a Group III nitride compound in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising at least nitrogen.    
     
     
         16 . A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), the method comprising steps of: 
 depositing, on a substrate, a poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen; and    removing a lattice defect which occurs in the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer, by irradiating the poly-crystalline Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer deposited on the substrate with a pulsed laser.    
     
     
         17 . A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device comprising a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), the method comprising steps of: 
 depositing, on a substrate, a single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen; and    removing a lattice defect which occurs in the single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer, by irradiating the single-crystal Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer deposited on the substrate with a pulsed laser.    
     
     
         18 . A semiconductor device comprising a Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer comprising at least one Group III element and nitrogen (N), 
 wherein the Group III nitride compound semiconductor layer is deposited by sputtering using a target comprised of a Group III nitride compound in a plazma atmosphere of gas comprising at least nitrogen, and has a poly-crystalline structure.