Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nitride semiconductor device includes a stacked body and a functional layer. The stacked body includes an AlGaN layer of AlxGa1-xN (0<x?1), a first Si-containing layer, a first GaN layer, a second Si-containing layer, and a second GaN layer. The first Si-containing layer contacts an upper surface of the AlGaN layer. The first Si-containing layer contains Si at a concentration not less than 7×1019/cm3 and not more than 4×1020/cm3. The first GaN layer is provided on the first Si-containing layer. The first GaN layer includes a protrusion having an oblique surface tilted with respect to the upper surface. The second Si-containing layer is provided on the first GaN layer. The second Si-containing layer contains Si. The second GaN layer is provided on the second Si-containing layer. The functional layer is provided on the stacked body. The functional layer includes a nitride semiconductor.

Abstract: A method for growing nitride semiconductor crystals contains: growing a first semiconductor layer containing InxGa1-xN (0<x?1) on a substrate at a first growth temperature, using a first carrier gas containing an inert gas; growing a second semiconductor layer containing InyGa1-yN (0?y<1, y<x) on the first semiconductor layer at a second growth temperature higher than the first growth temperature, using a second carrier gas containing the inert gas and H2 gas, an amount of the H2 gas being smaller than an amount of the inert gas; and growing a third semiconductor layer containing InzGa1-zN (0?z<1, z<x) on the second semiconductor layer at the second growth temperature, using a third carrier gas containing the inert gas and H2 gas, an amount of the H2 gas in the third carrier gas being a smaller than the amount of H2 gas in the second carrier gas.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light emitting portion. The light emitting portion is provided between the semiconductor layers and includes barrier layers and well layers alternately stacked. An n-side end well layer which is closest to the n-type semiconductor layer contains InwnGa1-wnN and has a layer thickness twn. An n-side end barrier layer which is closest to the n-type semiconductor layer contains InbnGa1-bnN and has a layer thickness tbn. A p-side end well layer which is closest to the p-type semiconductor layer contains InwpGa1-wpN and has a layer thickness twp. A p-side end barrier layer which is closest to the p-type semiconductor contains InbpGa1-bpN and has a layer thickness tbp. A value of (wp×twp+bp×tbp)/(twp+tbp) is higher than (wn×twn+bn×tbn)/(twn+tbn) and is not higher than 5 times (wn×twn+bn×tbn)/(twn+tbn).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nitride semiconductor element includes a foundation layer, a functional layer and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the foundation layer and the functional layer. The stacked body includes a first stacked intermediate layer including a first GaN intermediate layer, a first high Al composition layer of Alx1Ga1-x1N (0<x1?1) and a first low Al composition layer. A compressive strain is applied to the first low Al composition layer. Unstrained GaN has a first lattice spacing. The Alx1Ga1-x1N (0<x1?1) when unstrained has a second lattice spacing. The first high Al composition layer has a third lattice spacing. An Al composition ratio of the first low Al composition layer is not more than a ratio of a difference between the first and third lattice spacings to a difference between the first and second lattice spacings.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a crystal growth method is disclosed for growing a crystal of a nitride semiconductor on a major surface of a substrate. The major surface is provided with asperities. The method can include depositing a buffer layer on the major surface at a rate of not more than 0.1 micrometers per hour. The buffer layer includes GaxAl1-xN (0.1?x<0.5) and has a thickness of not smaller than 20 nanometers and not larger than 50 nanometers. In addition, the method can include growing the crystal including a nitride semiconductor on the buffer layer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate in the depositing the buffer layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vapor deposition method is disclosed for forming a nitride semiconductor layer on a substrate by supplying a group III source-material gas and a group V source-material gas. The method can deposit a first semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor having a compositional proportion of Al in group III elements of not less than 10 atomic percent by supplying the group III source-material gas from a first outlet and by supplying the group V source-material gas from a second outlet. The method can deposit a second semiconductor layer including a nitride semiconductor having a compositional proportion of Al in group III elements of less than 10 atomic percent by mixing the group III and group V source-material gases and supplying the mixed group III and group V source-material gases from at least one of the first outlet and the second outlet.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, a light emitting portion, a first layer, a second layer, and an intermediate layer. The semiconductor layers include nitride semiconductor. The light emitting portion is provided between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes a quantum well layer. The first layer is provided between the light emitting portion and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes AlX1Ga1-x1N having first Al composition ratio x1. The second layer is provided between the first layer and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes Alx2Ga1-x2N having second Al composition ratio x2 higher than the first Al composition ratio x1. The intermediate layer is provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion and has a thickness not smaller than 3 nanometers and not larger than 8 nanometers and includes Inz1Ga1-z1N (0?z1<1).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, a light emitting part, and a p-side electrode. The light emitting part is provided between the n-type and the p-type semiconductor layers, and includes a plurality of barrier layers and a plurality of well layers. The p-side electrode contacts the p-type semiconductor layer. The p-type semiconductor layer includes first, second, third, and fourth p-type layers. The first p-type layer contacts the p-side electrode. The second p-type layer contacts the light emitting part. The third p-type layer is provided between the first p-type layer and the second p-type layer. The fourth p-type layer is provided between the second p-type layer and the third p-type layer. The second p-type layer contains Al and contains a p-type impurity in a lower concentration lower than that in the first concentration.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor wafer includes a substrate, an AlN buffer layer, a foundation layer, a first high Ga composition layer, a high Al composition layer, a low Al composition layer, an intermediate unit and a second high Ga composition layer. The first layer is provided on the foundation layer. The high Al composition layer is provided on the first layer. The low Al composition layer is provided on the high Al composition layer. The intermediate unit is provided on the low Al composition layer. The second layer is provided on the intermediate unit. The first layer has a first tensile strain and the second layer has a second tensile strain larger than the first tensile strain. Alternatively, the first layer has a first compressive strain and the second layer has a second compressive strain smaller than the first compressive strain.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor wafer includes a silicon substrate, a stacked multilayer unit, a silicon-containing unit, and an upper layer unit. The silicon substrate has a major surface. The stacked multilayer unit is provided on the major surface. The stacked multilayer unit includes N number of buffer layers. The buffer layers include an i-th buffer layer, and an (i+1)-th buffer layer provided on the i-th buffer layer. The i-th buffer layer has an i-th lattice length Wi in a first direction parallel to the major surface. The (i+1)-th buffer layer has an (i+1)-th lattice length W(i+1) in the first direction. A relation that (W(i+1)?Wi)/Wi?0.008 is satisfied for all the buffer layers. The silicon-containing unit is provided on the stacked multilayer unit. The upper layer unit is provided on the silicon-containing unit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nitride semiconductor element includes a foundation layer, a functional layer and a stacked body. The stacked body is provided between the foundation layer and the functional layer. The stacked body includes a first stacked intermediate layer including a first GaN intermediate layer, a first high Al composition layer of Alx1Ga1-x1N (0<x1?1) and a first low Al composition layer. A compressive strain is applied to the first low Al composition layer. Unstrained GaN has a first lattice spacing. The Alx1Ga1-x1N (0<x1?1) when unstrained has a second lattice spacing. The first high Al composition layer has a third lattice spacing. An Al composition ratio of the first low Al composition layer is not more than a ratio of a difference between the first and third lattice spacings to a difference between the first and second lattice spacings.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type layer, a p-type layer, and a light emitting unit provided between the n-type layer and the p-type layer and including barrier layers and well layers. At least one of the barrier layers includes first and second portion layers. The first portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The second portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the first portion layer. At least one of the well layers includes third and fourth portion layers. The third portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The fourth portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the third portion layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a functional layer of a nitride semiconductor. The functional layer is provided on a nitride semiconductor layer including a first stacked multilayer structure provided on a substrate. The first stacked multilayer structure includes a first lower layer, a first intermediate layer, and a first upper layer. The first lower layer contains Si with a first concentration and has a first thickness. The first intermediate layer is provided on the first lower layer to be in contact with the first lower layer, contains Si with a second concentration lower than the first concentration, and has a second thickness thicker than the first thickness. The first upper layer is provided on the first intermediate layer to be in contact with the first intermediate layer, contains Si with a third concentration lower than the second concentration, and has a third thickness.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type layer, a p-type layer, and a light emitting unit provided between the n-type layer and the p-type layer and including barrier layers and well layers. At least one of the barrier layers includes first and second portion layers. The first portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The second portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the first portion layer. At least one of the well layers includes third and fourth portion layers. The third portion layer is disposed on a side of the n-type layer. The fourth portion layer is disposed on a side of the p-type layer, and contains n-type impurity with a concentration higher than that in the third portion layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light emitting portion. The light emitting portion is provided between the semiconductor layers and includes barrier layers and well layers alternately stacked. An n-side end well layer which is closest to the n-type semiconductor layer contains InwnGa1-wnN and has a layer thickness twn. An n-side end barrier layer which is closest to the n-type semiconductor layer contains InbnGa1-bnN and has a layer thickness tbn. A p-side end well layer which is closest to the p-type semiconductor layer contains InwpGa1-wpN and has a layer thickness twp. A p-side end barrier layer which is closest to the p-type semiconductor contains InbpGa1-bpN and has a layer thickness tbp. A value of (wp×twp+bp×tbp)/(twp+tbp) is higher than (wn×twn+bn×tbn)/(twn+tbn) and is not higher than 5 times (wn×twn+bn×tbn)/(twn+tbn).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a nitride semiconductor wafer includes: a silicon substrate; a buffer section provided on the silicon substrate; and a functional layer provided on the buffer section and contains nitride semiconductor. The buffer section includes first to n-th buffer layers (n being an integer of 4 or more) containing nitride semiconductor. An i-th buffer layer (i being an integer of 1 or more and less than n) of the first to n-th buffer layers has a lattice length Wi in a first direction parallel to a major surface of the first buffer layer. An (i+1)-th buffer layer provided on the i-th buffer layer has a lattice length W(i+1) in the first direction. In the first to n-th buffer layers the i-th buffer layer and the (i+1)-th buffer layer satisfy relation of (W(i+1)?Wi)/Wi?0.008.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a crystal growth method is disclosed for growing a crystal of a nitride semiconductor on a major surface of a substrate. The major surface is provided with asperities. The method can include depositing a buffer layer on the major surface at a rate of not more than 0.1 micrometers per hour. The buffer layer includes GaxAl1-xN (0.1?x<0.5) and has a thickness of not smaller than 20 nanometers and not larger than 50 nanometers. In addition, the method can include growing the crystal including a nitride semiconductor on the buffer layer at a temperature higher than a temperature of the substrate in the depositing the buffer layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light-emitting device includes: a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer containing a nitride semiconductor crystal and having a tensile stress in a (0001) surface; a second conductivity type second semiconductor layer containing a nitride semiconductor crystal and having a tensile stress in the (0001) surface; a light emitting layer provided between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, containing a nitride semiconductor crystal, and having an average lattice constant larger than the lattice constant of the first semiconductor layer; and a first stress application layer provided on a side opposite to the light emitting layer of the first semiconductor layer and applying a compressive stress to the first semiconductor layer.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, a light emitting portion, a first layer, a second layer, and an intermediate layer. The semiconductor layers include nitride semiconductor. The light emitting portion is provided between the n-type semiconductor layer and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes a quantum well layer. The first layer is provided between the light emitting portion and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes Alx1Ga1-x1N having first Al composition ratio x1. The second layer is provided between the first layer and the p-type semiconductor layer and includes Alx2Ga1-x2N having second Al composition ratio x2 higher than the first Al composition ratio x1. The intermediate layer is provided between the first layer and the light emitting portion and has a thickness not smaller than 3 nanometers and not larger than 8 nanometers and includes Inz1Ga1-z1N (0?z1<1).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes an n-type semiconductor layer, a p-type semiconductor layer, and a light emitting part provided therebetween. The light emitting part includes a plurality of light emitting layers. Each of the light emitting layers includes a well layer region and a non-well layer region which is juxtaposed with the well layer region in a plane perpendicular to a first direction from the n-type semiconductor layer towards the p-type semiconductor layer. Each of the well layer regions has a common An In composition ratio. Each of the well layer regions includes a portion having a width in a direction perpendicular to the first direction of 50 nanometers or more.