Semiconductor device including non-stoichiometric silicon carbide layer and method of fabrication thereof

Abstract

A semiconductor device includes a substrate formed of a single crystal. a silicon carbide layer disposed on a surface of the single crystal substrate and an intermediate layer disposed on a surface of the silicon carbide layer and formed of a Group III nitride semiconductor, wherein the silicon carbide layer is formed of a cubic crystal stoichiometrically containing silicon copiously and the surface thereof has a (3×3) reconstruction structure. The semiconductor device is fabricated by a method including a first step of blowing a hydrocarbon gas on the surface of the substrate, thereby inducing adsorption of hydrocarbon thereon, a second step of heating the substrate having adsorbed the hydrocarbon to a temperature exceeding a temperature used for the adsorption of the hydrocarbon while irradiating the surface of the substrate with electrons and consequently giving rise to a silicon carbide layer formed of a cubic crystal stoichiometrically containing silicon copiously and provided with a surface having a (3×3) reconstruction structure and a third step of supplying a gaseous raw material containing nitrogen and a gaseous raw material containing a Group III element to the surface of the silicon carbide layer and consequently giving rise to the intermediate layer formed of the Group III nitride semiconductor.