Abstract: During epitaxial growth of an n?-type drift layer having a uniform nitrogen concentration, vanadium is doped in addition to the nitrogen, whereby an n?-type lifetime reduced layer is selectively formed in the n?-type drift layer. The n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed at a depth that is more than 5 ?m from a pn junction surface between a p-type anode layer and the n?-type drift layer in a direction toward a cathode side, and the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed separated from the pn junction surface. Further, the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed in a range from the pn junction surface to a depth that is ? times a thickness of the n?-type drift layer. A vanadium concentration of the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is 1/100 to ? of a nitrogen concentration of the n?-type lifetime reduced layer.

Abstract: An n?-type epitaxial layer is grown on a front surface of the silicon carbide substrate by a CVD method in a mixed gas atmosphere containing a source gas, a carrier gas, a doping gas, an additive gas, and a gas containing vanadium. The doping gas is nitrogen gas; and the gas containing vanadium is vanadium tetrachloride gas. In the mixed gas atmosphere, the vanadium bonds with the nitrogen, producing vanadium nitride, whereby the nitrogen concentration in the mixed gas atmosphere substantially decreases. As a result, the nitrogen taken in by the n?-type epitaxial layer decreases and the n?-type epitaxial layer including nitrogen and vanadium as dopants is grown having a low impurity concentration.

Abstract: On a front surface of an n+-type starting substrate containing silicon carbide, a pin diode is configured having silicon carbide layers constituting an n+-type buffer layer, an n?-type drift layer, and a p+-type anode layer sequentially formed by epitaxial growth. The n+-type buffer layer is formed by so-called co-doping of nitrogen and vanadium, which forms a recombination center, together with an n-type impurity. The n+-type buffer layer includes a first part disposed at a side of a second interface of the buffer layer with the substrate and a second part disposed at side of a first interface of the buffer layer with the drift layer. The vanadium concentration in the second part is lower than that in the first part. The vanadium concentration in the second part is at most one tenth of the maximum value Vmax of the vanadium concentration in the n+-type buffer layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a SiC epitaxial wafer according to the present embodiment includes: an epitaxial growth step of growing the epitaxial layer on the SiC single crystal substrate by feeding an Si-based raw material gas, a C-based raw material gas, and a gas including a Cl element to a surface of a SiC single crystal substrate, in which the epitaxial growth step is performed under growth conditions that a film deposition pressure is 30 torr or less, a Cl/Si ratio is in a range of 8 to 12, a C/Si ratio is in a range of 0.8 to 1.2, and a growth rate is 50 ?m/h or more from an initial growth stage.

Abstract: A film forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention includes: a film forming chamber configured to form a film on a substrate; a susceptor configured to place the substrate thereon; a rotating part configured to rotate the susceptor; a heater configured to heat the substrate; and a gas supplier configured to supply process gases into the film forming chamber, wherein the susceptor includes: a ring-shaped outer circumferential susceptor supported by the rotating part; a holder provided at an inner circumferential portion of the outer circumferential susceptor, the holder configured to hold the substrate; a ring-shaped plate provided over the outer circumferential susceptor; and a cover member configured to cover a top surface and an outer circumferential surface of the plate and an outer circumferential surface of the outer circumferential susceptor.

Abstract: The SiC-IGBT includes a p-type collector layer, an n?-type voltage-blocking-layer provided on the collector layer, p-type base regions provided on the n?-type voltage-blocking-layer, n+-type emitter regions provided in an upper portion of the p-type base region, a gate insulating film provided in an upper portion of the voltage-blocking-layer, and a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film. The p-type buffer layer has thickness of five micrometers or more and 20 micrometers or less and is doped with Al at impurity concentration of 5×1017 cm?3 or more and 5×1018 cm?3 or less and doped with B at impurity concentration of 2×1016 cm?3 or more and less than 5×1017 cm?3.

Abstract: During epitaxial growth of an n?-type drift layer having a uniform nitrogen concentration, vanadium is doped in addition to the nitrogen, whereby an n?-type lifetime reduced layer is selectively formed in the n?-type drift layer. The n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed at a depth that is more than 5 ?m from a pn junction surface between a p-type anode layer and the n?-type drift layer in a direction toward a cathode side, and the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed separated from the pn junction surface. Further, the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is disposed in a range from the pn junction surface to a depth that is ? times a thickness of the n?-type drift layer. A vanadium concentration of the n?-type lifetime reduced layer is 1/100 to ? of a nitrogen concentration of the n?-type lifetime reduced layer.

Abstract: This SiC epitaxial wafer includes: a SiC single crystal substrate of which a main surface has an off-angle of 0.4° to 5° with respect to (0001) plane; and an epitaxial layer provided on the SiC single crystal substrate, wherein the epitaxial layer has a basal plane dislocation density of 0.1 pieces/cm2 or less that is a density of basal plane dislocations extending from the SiC single crystal substrate to an outer surface and an intrinsic 3C triangular defect density of 0.1 pieces/cm2 or less.

Abstract: A silicon carbide semiconductor substrate, including a silicon carbide substrate of a first conductivity type, a buffer layer of the first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type. The silicon carbide substrate has a central part and a peripheral part surrounding the central part, and is doped with a first impurity that determines the first conductivity type. The buffer layer is provided on a front surface of the central part of the silicon carbide substrate, and is doped with the first impurity, of which a concentration is at least 1.0×1018/cm3, and a second impurity different from the first impurity. The epitaxial layer is provided on a front surface of the peripheral part of the silicon carbide substrate, and is doped with the first impurity, of which a concentration is lower than the concentration of the first impurity in the buffer layer.

Abstract: On a front surface of an n+-type starting substrate containing silicon carbide, a pin diode is configured having silicon carbide layers constituting an n+-type buffer layer, an n?-type drift layer, and a p+-type anode layer sequentially formed by epitaxial growth. The n+-type buffer layer is formed by so-called co-doping of nitrogen and vanadium, which forms a recombination center, together with an n-type impurity. The n+-type buffer layer includes a first part disposed at a side of a second interface of the buffer layer with the substrate and a second part disposed at side of a first interface of the buffer layer with the drift layer. The vanadium concentration in the second part is lower than that in the first part. The vanadium concentration in the second part is at most one tenth of the maximum value Vmax of the vanadium concentration in the n+-type buffer layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an epitaxial wafer comprising a silicon carbide substrate and a silicon carbide voltage-blocking-layer, the method includes: epitaxially growing a buffer layer on the substrate, doping a main dopant for determining a conductivity type of the buffer layer and doping an auxiliary dopant for capturing minority carriers in the buffer layer at a doping concentration less than the doping concentration of the main dopant, so that the buffer layer enhances capturing and extinction of the minority carriers, the minority carriers flowing in a direction from the voltage-blocking-layer to the substrate, so that the buffer layer has a lower resistivity than the voltage-blocking-layer, and so that the buffer layer includes silicon carbide as a main component; and epitaxially growing the voltage-blocking-layer on the buffer layer.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a SiC epitaxial wafer according to one aspect of the present invention includes separately introducing, into a reaction space for SiC epitaxial growth, a basic N-based gas composed of molecules containing an N atom within the molecular structure but having neither a double bond nor a triple bond between nitrogen atoms, and a Cl-based gas composed of molecules containing a Cl atom within the molecular structure, and mixing the N-based gas and the Cl-based gas at a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point or sublimation temperature of a solid product generated by mixing the N-based gas and the Cl-based gas.

Abstract: An n?-type epitaxial layer is grown on a front surface of the silicon carbide substrate by a CVD method in a mixed gas atmosphere containing a source gas, a carrier gas, a doping gas, an additive gas, and a gas containing vanadium. The doping gas is nitrogen gas; and the gas containing vanadium is vanadium tetrachloride gas. In the mixed gas atmosphere, the vanadium bonds with the nitrogen, producing vanadium nitride, whereby the nitrogen concentration in the mixed gas atmosphere substantially decreases. As a result, the nitrogen taken in by the n?-type epitaxial layer decreases and the n?-type epitaxial layer including nitrogen and vanadium as dopants is grown having a low impurity concentration.

Abstract: A silicon carbide single crystal includes: threading dislocations each of which having a dislocation line extending through a C-plane, and a Burgers vector including at least a component in a C-axis direction. In addition, a density of the threading dislocations having angles, each of which is formed by an orientation of the Burgers vector and an orientation of the dislocation line, larger than 0° and within 40° is set to 300 dislocations/cm2 or less. Furthermore, a density of the threading dislocations having the angles larger than 40° is set to 30 dislocations/cm2 or less.

Abstract: A supply part includes a first partition, a second partition under the first partition, a third partition under the second partition, a first flow path between the first partition and the second partition allowing a first gas to be introduced therein, a second flow path between the second partition and the third partition allowing a second gas to be introduced therein, a first piping extending from the second partition to reach below the third partition and being communicated with the first flow path, a second piping extending from the third partition to reach below the third partition and being communicated with the second flow path, and a convex portion provided on an outer circumferential surface of the first piping or an inner circumferential surface of the second piping protruding from one of the outer circumferential surface and the inner circumferential surface toward the other one.

Abstract: A silicon carbide semiconductor substrate, including a silicon carbide substrate of a first conductivity type, a buffer layer of the first conductivity type and an epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type. The silicon carbide substrate has a central part and a peripheral part surrounding the central part, and is doped with a first impurity that determines the first conductivity type. The buffer layer is provided on a front surface of the central part of the silicon carbide substrate, and is doped with the first impurity, of which a concentration is at least 1.0×1018/cm3, and a second impurity different from the first impurity. The epitaxial layer is provided on a front surface of the peripheral part of the silicon carbide substrate, and is doped with the first impurity, of which a concentration is lower than the concentration of the first impurity in the buffer layer.

Abstract: The SiC-IGBT includes a p-type collector layer, an n?-type voltage-blocking-layer provided on the collector layer, p-type base regions provided on the n?-type voltage-blocking-layer, n+-type emitter regions provided in an upper portion of the p-type base region, a gate insulating film provided in an upper portion of the voltage-blocking-layer, and a gate electrode provided on the gate insulating film. The p-type buffer layer has thickness of five micrometers or more and 20 micrometers or less and is doped with Al at impurity concentration of 5×1017 cm?3 or more and 5×1018 cm?3 or less and doped with B at impurity concentration of 2×1016 cm?3 or more and less than 5×1017 cm?3.

Abstract: A silicon carbide single crystal includes: threading dislocations each of which having a dislocation line extending through a C-plane, and a Burgers vector including at least a component in a C-axis direction. In addition, a density of the threading dislocations having angles, each of which is formed by an orientation of the Burgers vector and an orientation of the dislocation line, larger than 0° and within 40° is set to 300 dislocations/cm2 or less. Furthermore, a density of the threading dislocations having the angles larger than 40° is set to 30 dislocations/cm2 or less.

Abstract: In a silicon carbide semiconductor film forming apparatus, first to third gasses are introduced into first to third separation chambers through first to third inlets, respectively. The first and second gasses are silicon raw material including gas and carbon raw material including gas, and the third gas does not include silicon and carbon. The first and second gasses are independently supplied to growth space through first and second supply paths extending from the first and second separation chambers, respectively. The third gas is introduced through a third supply path from the third separation chamber between the first and second gasses.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a film-forming apparatus and a film-forming method that can prolong the lifetime of heaters used under high temperature conditions in an epitaxial growth technique. An inert gas discharge portion supplies an inert gas into the space containing the heater, gas is then discharged through the gas discharge portion without influence on the semiconductor substrate during film formation. It is therefore possible to prevent the reaction gas entering into the space containing the high-temperature heaters. This makes it possible to prevent a reaction between hydrogen gas contained in the reaction gas and SiC constituting the heaters. Therefore, it is possible to prevent carbon used as a base material of the heaters from being exposed due to the decomposition of SiC and then reacting with hydrogen gas. This makes it possible to prolong the lifetime of the heaters.