Vapor phase growth method by controlling the heat output in the gas introduction region

A vapor phase growth method for growing a semiconductor single crystal thin film on a front surface of a semiconductor single crystal substrate (1) while introducing gas into a reaction chamber (11), has a step of performing heating output power control in a gas introduction region (R1) according to a temperature detected in a region other than the gas introduction region (R1) in the reaction chamber (11).

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a vapor phase growth method and a vapor phase growth apparatus in which a semiconductor single crystal thin film grows on a front surface of a semiconductor single crystal substrate while introducing gas into a reaction chamber.

BACKGROUND ART

As shown inFIG. 5, for example, in a single wafer processing type vapor phase growth apparatus100of a prior art, a semiconductor single crystal substrate (hereinafter, sometimes referred simply as a substrate)1is mounted on a susceptor112arranged in a reaction chamber, the substrate1is rotated almost horizontally with the susceptor112, gas is introduced into the reaction chamber102from one side (for example, the left side inFIG. 5) along a direction of an arrow A and is exhausted to other side opposite to the introduction side along a direction of an arrow B, the substrate1is heated to a desired temperature setting by using a heating apparatus (not shown) installed outside of the reaction chamber102, and a semiconductor single crystal thin film (hereinafter, sometimes referred simply as a thin film) is grown by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of the substrate1.

Because conditions such as temperature (especially the temperature of the substrate1), temperature distribution (especially the temperature distribution within the surface of the substrate1) and the like influence properties of the thin film during the vapor phase growth, proper control of these conditions are essential.

Control of the temperature and the temperature distribution is performed, for example, by feeding back detected temperatures of a substrate1(for example, heated by halogen lamps) by thermocouples to a heat output of the heating apparatus and by heating the substrate1so as to make the detected temperatures of the substrate1approach to setting temperatures.

The thermocouples are respectively located in a plurality of regions of the reaction chamber such as a central region of the substrate, a side surface region, a gas introduction region and a gas exhaust region and the like. Temperature of each region is detected by the corresponding thermocouple, and the temperatures of the regions are independently controlled according to the detected temperatures by using, for example, the halogen lamps.

The thermocouples are installed in a heat retaining plate115arranged so as to surround the susceptor112. In detail, thermocouples101a,101b,101cand101dare installed in the heat retaining plate115so as to place, for example, one thermocouple101dat the position corresponding to the center of the substrate1and place three thermocouples101a(the side surface region of the reaction chamber),101b(the gas exhaust region) and101c(the gas introduction region) at the peripheral positions of the substrate1, and temperature at each position is detected.

Temperature change with the passage of time, which is detected by the thermocouple located at each of the positions of the reaction chamber102(the center of the substrate, the gas introduction region and the gas exhaust region), is shown inFIG. 6. As shown inFIG. 6, the temperature detected in a gas introduction region R100(shaded area inFIG. 5) by the thermocouple101cis higher than the temperatures detected in both the center of the substrate1and the gas exhaust region by the thermocouple101dand the thermocouple101brespectively.

The gas introduction region R100in the reaction chamber102is cooled down due to the gas introduced at almost room temperature. Therefore, assuming that the output power for heating is uniformly set in the whole area in the reaction chamber102, the periphery temperature of the substrate at the gas introduction region becomes low as compared with temperatures in the other area of the substrate1. As a result, slip dislocation undesirably and easily occurs.

Accordingly, to prevent the slip dislocation occurring due to the reason described above, temperature setting in the gas introduction region R100is relatively heightened. Therefore, as described above, temperature detected in the gas introduction region R100becomes higher than those detected at the center of the substrate and the gas exhaust region.

Incidence of the slip dislocation depends on temperature setting difference between two points on a surface of a substrate1(unit of ° C.), that is, an offset level of the temperature setting. Therefore, it is preferable to set the offset level so as to lower the incidence of the slip dislocation as possible.

On the other hand, resistivity distribution in a growing thin film changes in accordance with the offset level of the temperature setting.FIG. 4is a graph showing a correlation between the offset level of the temperature setting (X-axis) and the resistivity distribution (Y-axis; resistivity difference between the center and a periphery of the substrate) of the thin film.

This graph is obtained by changing the offset level of the temperature setting at the gas exhaust region against that at the center of the substrate and by growing a silicon single crystal thin film having a thickness of about 7 μm and a resistivity of about 10 Ω·cm by a vapor phase growth method at a temperature of 1110° C. on a front surface of a p+-type silicon single crystal substrate to which boron is added at high concentration.

The X-axis indicates differences between setting temperatures of heating for the center of the substrate and setting temperatures of heating for the gas exhaust region, during thin film formation. Temperature at the center of the substrate is detected by the thermocouple101d, and temperature in the gas exhaust region is detected by the thermocouple101b. The Y-axis indicates a value (unit of Ω·cm) obtained by subtracting an average of resistivity values at four peripheral positions from a resistivity value at the center of the thin film in a grown silicon single crystal thin film. As the value of the Y-axis approaches to zero, uniformity of in-plane resistivity distribution is heightened.

A range of the offset level in which no slip dislocation occurred in the growth conditions described above is shown inFIG. 4as a range H100. That is, when the offset level is within a range of −60° C. to −70° C., slip dislocation scarcely occurs. However, slip dislocation easily occurs in out of this range H100.

According toFIG. 4, to make in-plane resistivity distribution be substantially 0 (zero), setting the offset level to be −95° C., that is, setting the temperature at the gas exhaust region lower than the temperature at the center of the substrate by 95° C. is required. However, when the temperature setting difference between the gas exhaust region and the center of the substrate is so large as described above, the offset level becomes out of the range H100, and slip dislocation occurs easily.

Contrarily, to make slip dislocation scarcely occur, because the least offset value is −70° C. (within the range H100), when a silicon single crystal thin film with resistivity of about 10 Ω·cm is grown by a vapor phase growth method, lowest resistivity difference between the center and a periphery in the thin film can be at most 0.7 Ω·cm or so.

Each detected temperature denotes a temperature detected by a thermocouple and is slightly different from actual temperature of the substrate1.

In order to solve the above problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a vapor phase growth method and a vapor phase growth apparatus which can improve in-plane resistivity distribution while suppressing occurrence of slip dislocation.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

When an inside of a reaction chamber is heated while supplying atmosphere gas into the reaction chamber or while supplying a source gas into the reaction chamber, a gas introduction region in the reaction chamber is easily cooled down by the gas introduced at almost room temperature. Therefore, it is required to lower temperature distribution in a substrate by heating the gas introduction region of the reaction chamber stronger than the center and a side surface region of the substrate and a gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber.

However, during the heating, when temperatures are detected at each of the center and the side surface region of the substrate, the gas introduction region and the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber, and heat control is performed for each region according to the detected temperature independently, because a degree of heating for each region changes occasionally, an offset value sometimes instantly deviates from a preset offset value.

That is, for example, even though an offset of +30° C. is set for the gas introduction region, where the temperature is easily changed, against the center of the substrate, that is, even though the setting temperature at the gas introduction region is set to be higher than the setting temperature at the center of the substrate by 30° C., because heating for the gas introduction region is controlled independently from heating for the center of the substrate, the temperature difference is sometimes instantly lowered to about −10° C. and is contrarily heightened to about +50° C.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a vapor phase growth method for growing a semiconductor single crystal thin film on a front surface of a semiconductor single crystal substrate while introducing gas into a reaction chamber, comprises a step of performing heating output power control in a gas introduction region according to a temperature detected in a region other than the gas introduction region in the reaction chamber. The vapor phase growth method of the present invention is especially effective when the vapor phase growth is performed by using a single wafer processing type vapor phase growth apparatus.

Preferably, heating output power control in the gas introduction region is performed according to a temperature detected at a gas exhaust region or a position corresponding to a center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate in the reaction chamber.

Preferably, a temperature setting of the gas exhaust region against a center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate is set so as to minimize resistivity distribution of the semiconductor single crystal thin film within a range corresponding to no occurrence of slip dislocation.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, a vapor phase growth apparatus comprises a reaction chamber configured to be able to introduce gas for growing a semiconductor single crystal thin film by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of a semiconductor single crystal substrate arranged therein; a heating apparatus for heating an inside of the reaction chamber; a detector for detecting a temperature of a region other than a gas introduction region in the reaction chamber; and a heating output power control apparatus for controlling the heating apparatus according to the temperature detected by the detector to perform heating output power control of the gas introduction region.

In the vapor phase growth method and apparatus according to the present invention, heating output power control of the gas introduction region, where the temperature is easily changed, is performed according to a temperature detected in a temperature stable region (hereinafter, referred as a standard region) other than the gas introduction region in the reaction chamber, for example, a temperature detected at the gas exhaust region or at a position corresponding to the center of the substrate. Accordingly, the heating can be performed while keeping a heating output power ratio between the standard region and the gas introduction region to a constant level.

Particularly, because temperature distribution within the surface of the substrate can be suppressed during heating up, slip dislocation scarcely occurs, and offset temperature range corresponding to no occurrence of slip dislocation becomes wider. In other words, temperature range possible to perform temperature adjustment for improvement of in-plane resistivity distribution becomes wider while satisfying conditions for being able to suppress occurrence of slip dislocation. Accordingly, in the vapor phase growth method and the apparatus according to the present invention, the in-plane resistivity distribution can be improved while suppressing occurrence of slip dislocation.

In the vapor phase growth method according to the present invention, preferably, heating output power control in the reaction chamber is performed according to temperatures detected only at two positions corresponding to the center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate in the reaction chamber and the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber. Heating output power control is, for example, performed according to temperatures detected by thermocouples.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, a vapor phase growth apparatus comprises a reaction chamber configured to be able to introduce gas for growing a semiconductor single crystal thin film by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of a semiconductor single crystal substrate arranged therein; a heating apparatus for heating an inside of the reaction chamber; a first detector for detecting a temperature of a gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber; a second detector for detecting a temperature of a position corresponding to a center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate in the reaction chamber; and a heating output power control apparatus for controlling the heating apparatus according to the temperatures detected by the first and second detectors to perform heating output power control in the reaction chamber. Each detector is, for example, a thermocouple.

In this case, because heating output power control in the reaction chamber is performed according to the temperatures detected only at two positions corresponding to the center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate in the reaction chamber and the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber, a period of time required to determine conditions for a vapor phase growth can be shortened as compared with the case in that heating output power control is performed according to temperatures detected at three positions or more. Accordingly, productivity can be extremely improved.

Further, because detectors such as thermocouples, for example, arranged only at two positions corresponding to the center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate in the reaction chamber and the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber are required (only two detectors are required), cost of configuring the vapor phase growth apparatus and cost of maintaining the vapor phase growth apparatus can be lowered as compared with that for a case where three detectors or more are required. Moreover, a down time of the vapor phase growth apparatus required for replacing consumed detectors can be shortened, and a time for temperature profiling required when the detector is replaced can be shortened as compared with a case where three detectors or more are required. Time for the temperature profiling is lengthened as the number of detectors is increased.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

A vapor phase growth apparatus10shown inFIG. 1is a single wafer processing type apparatus for growing a thin film such as a silicon epitaxial layer or the like by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of a substrate1(a semiconductor single crystal substrate such as a silicon single crystal substrate or the like)(shown inFIG. 2and the like). The apparatus10comprises a reaction chamber11, a susceptor12arranged in the reaction chamber11for holding the substrate1on an upper surface thereof, a driving apparatus (not shown) for rotating the susceptor12during vapor phase growth, halogen lamps13(a heating apparatus) acting as a heating apparatus to heat the inside of the reaction chamber11, a heating output power control apparatus15(refer toFIG. 8) for controlling heating output power of the halogen lamps13, and thermocouples14(shown inFIG. 2and the like) for detecting temperatures in the reaction chamber11.

Gas is introduced into the reaction chamber11, for example, along a direction of an arrow A and is exhausted along a direction of an arrow B. In short, gas flows from the left side to the right side inFIG. 1.

In this vapor phase growth apparatus10, a thin film can be grown by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of the substrate1by arranging the susceptor12holding the substrate1in the reaction chamber11, heating the substrate1and the susceptor12in the reaction chamber11with the halogen lamps13under control of the heating output power control apparatus15while rotating the susceptor12and introducing gas into the reaction chamber11.

For example, as shown inFIG. 2, multiple halogen lamps13(for example, nine lamps) are arranged on an upper side of the reaction chamber11along the gas flow, and other halogen lamps13(for example, eight lamps) are arranged on a lower side of the reaction chamber11perpendicularly to a direction of the gas flow. In addition, the halogen lamps13are also arranged at the center (corresponding to the center of the substrate1) of the reaction chamber11.

To distinguish the halogen lamps13from one another, reference numerals distinguishing as halogen lamps13a,13b,13c,13dand13ecorresponding to regions of the halogen lamps13respectively are arranged.

In the reaction chamber11, thermocouples14are arranged in a region of the center of the substrate1, a region placed on a gas exhaust side of the substrate1, a region (a gas introduction region R1; a shaded area inFIG. 2) placed on a gas introduction side and a region placed on a side surface side of the reaction chamber11, respectively. To distinguish the thermocouples14from one another, reference numerals distinguishing as a thermocouple14a(a detector; particularly a second detector), thermocouple14b(a detector; particularly a first detector), a thermocouple14cand a thermocouple14dare arranged.

In the vapor phase growth apparatus10of the present invention, heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13aand13barranged near to the center of the substrate1are controlled according to temperature detected by the thermocouple14acorresponding to the center of the substrate1. A heating output power ratio of the halogen lamp13ato the halogen lamp13bis set to a predetermined value in advance.

Heating output power levels of the other halogen lamps13(shown by shading), that is, the halogen lamp13c(the gas introduction region), the halogen lamp13d(the side surface side of the reaction chamber11) and the halogen lamp13e(the gas exhaust region) are controlled according to temperature detected by the thermocouple14bplaced at the gas exhaust region. The heating output power ratio among the halogen lamps13c,13dand13eis set to a predetermined value in advance in the same manner.

A method of determining the heating output power ratio among the halogen lamps13, that is, a method of determining a ratio of amounts of heating at the regions will be described.

Initially, a substrate1is placed in a reaction chamber11. Without rotating the substrate1, within a temperature range of kinetic control (lower than a temperature of original vapor phase growth), vapor phase growth of a thin film on a front surface of the substrate1is performed plural times while changing balance of heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13a,13b,13c,13dand13e. A balance of the heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13, which provides the best thin film thickness distribution, is set as a temporary heating output power ratio. Good thin film thickness distribution within the temperature range of kinetic control means good temperature distribution. Growth rate of a thin film on a substrate1becomes larger as reaction temperature is heightened within a certain temperature range (for example, approximately 800° C. to 950° C. in case of a silicon single crystal thin film). The temperature range of kinetic control denotes this temperature range.

Next, a substrate1is placed in the reaction chamber11, and vapor phase growth of a thin film on a front surface of the substrate1without rotating the substrate1at original temperature of the vapor phase growth (temperature range of diffusion control; for example, approximately 1100° C. when a silicon single crystal thin film is grown by using trichlorosilane gas) is performed several times while keeping the heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13aand13bto constant values and while equally changing the output power levels of the halogen lamps13c,13d, and13ein synchronization with change of temperature setting of the halogen lamp13ewithin a range of −50° C. to +50° C., for example, at a fixed heating output power ratio among the halogen lamps13c,13d, and13e. And then optimal conditions for suppressing occurrence of slip dislocation as possible and making in-plane resistivity distribution in the substrate1become better are determined. A heating output power ratio of the halogen lamp13ato the halogen lamp13b(hereinafter, a first heating output power ratio; the first heating output power ratio is the same as the temporary heating output power ratio described above) and a heating output power ratio among the halogen lamps13c,13dand13e(hereinafter, a second heating output power ratio) on these optimal conditions are respectively used as heating output power ratios set to the predetermined values.

Inside of the reaction chamber11is divided into two major regions denoting the center of substrate1and a periphery of the substrate1. The halogen lamps13aand13bare arranged at the center of substrate1, and the halogen lamps13c,13dand13eare arranged at the periphery of the substrate1. Heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13c,13dand13eat the periphery of the substrate1are controlled according to the temperature detected by the thermocouple14barranged at the gas exhaust region, where atmosphere gas temperature is comparably stable, and by the above described second heating output power ratio. Heating output power levels of the halogen lamps13aand13bat the center of the substrate1are controlled according to a temperature detected by the thermocouple14aarranged at the position corresponding to the center of the substrate1and by the first heating output power ratio.

In short, heating output power control at the gas introduction region R1to the reaction chamber11is performed according to the temperature detected by the thermocouple14bof the gas exhaust region which is arranged at a region other than the gas introduction region R1(hereinafter, referred as a standard region).

Accordingly, because the heating can be performed while keeping the heating output power ratio of the standard region to the gas introduction region R1to a constant level, change in temperature difference, which tends to happen often especially during heat up process, between the above-described regions can be suppressed.

FIG. 3shows temperature change with the passage of time at various positions (the center of the substrate1, the gas introduction region and the gas exhaust region) in the reaction chamber11when a vapor phase growth using the vapor phase growth apparatus10of the present invention is performed just after the heating control method being changed from the prior art control method, which controls temperatures independently by temperature setting for each position, to a control method based on the heating output power ratio according to the present invention. The heating output power ratio used for the regions in the reaction chamber11is a set that is used for a heat treatment of approximately 1150° C. performed before the vapor phase growth. Temperature in the “INTRODUCTION REGION” shown inFIG. 3is equivalent to the temperature of the gas introduction region R1. A period of time T10inFIG. 3indicates a period of time for a vapor phase growth.

By comparingFIG. 3withFIG. 6, in the vapor phase growth apparatus10of the present invention, because heating output power for the gas introduction region R1is low as compared with that in case of using the prior art vapor phase growth apparatus100, temperature of the gas introduction region R1during vapor phase growth can approach to temperature of the center of the substrate1(inFIG. 6, a period of time for vapor phase growth is indicated by a period of time T100). That is, temperature distribution in the substrate1can be lessened.

FIG. 4is a graph showing a correlation between the offset level (X-axis) and the resistivity distribution (Y-axis; resistivity difference between the center of the substrate1and the periphery of the substrate1).

After a heating output power ratio for each halogen lamp is decided according to the above-described procedure, this graph is obtained, by using the vapor phase growth apparatus10of the present invention, by changing heating output power levels at the gas introduction region, the side surface region of the reaction chamber11and the gas exhaust region against the center of the substrate1, and growing a silicon single crystal thin film with a thickness of approximately 7 μm and a resistivity of approximately 10 Ω·cm at 1110° C. by a vapor phase growth method on a front surface of a p+-type silicon single crystal substrate to which boron is added at high concentration. Change of the heating output power levels at the gas introduction region, the side surface region of the reaction chamber11and the gas exhaust region are performed together by changing temperature setting of the gas exhaust region while keeping the heating output power ratio for each other.

The X-axis indicates differences between temperature settings of heating for the center of the substrate1and temperature settings of heating for the gas exhaust region. Temperature at the center the center of the substrate1is detected by the thermocouple14a, and temperature of the gas exhaust region is detected by the thermocouple14b.

InFIG. 4, H1indicates a range of an offset level (offset of temperature setting of the gas exhaust region against the center of the substrate1) where no slip dislocation occurs in case of the vapor phase growth by the conditions described above.

As realized by the range H1, when the offset level is within a range of −60° C. to −95° C., slip dislocation scarcely occurs.

Accordingly, when a vapor phase growth is performed by using the vapor phase growth apparatus10, slip dislocation scarcely occurs because the offset level can be maintained within the range H1even though in-plane resistivity distribution is substantially made to 0 (zero) by setting the offset to −95° C., that is, temperature setting of the gas exhaust region is set to be lower than setting temperature of the center of the substrate1by −95° C. As described above, temperature of the gas exhaust region against the center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate1is controlled so as to minimize resistivity distribution of the semiconductor single crystal thin film within a range of no occurrence of slip dislocation.

As described above, in this embodiment, resistivity difference between the center and the periphery of the substrate1can be substantially made to zero by adjusting the temperature offset within a condition where occurrence of slip dislocation can be suppressed (in the prior art, the resistivity difference can be reduced only to 0.7Ω·cm).

Further, because heating output power in the reaction chamber11is controlled according to the temperatures detected at two points, that is, the position corresponding to the center of the substrate1in the reaction chamber11and the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber11, heating output power control can become easier as compared with control performed according to temperatures detected in three points or more (for example four points).

In the above-described embodiment, an example that the vapor phase growth apparatus10is provided with the thermocouple14cof the gas introduction region in the reaction chamber11and the thermocouple14dof the side surface side in the reaction chamber11is explained. However, both of the thermocouples14cand14dare not required for heating output power control in the reaction chamber11. Accordingly, as shown inFIG. 7as an example, further preferably, these thermocouples14cand14dare omitted, and it can be limited to only two thermocouples, the thermocouple14bof the gas exhaust region (the first detector) and the thermocouple14a(the second detector) of the position corresponding to the center of the substrate1. The example shown inFIG. 7differs from that shown inFIG. 2only in that the thermocouples14cand14dare omitted. Therefore, the same reference numerals as those shown inFIG. 2are added to the constituent elements shown inFIG. 7which are the same as those shown inFIG. 2, and description of those constituent elements is omitted.

In case of the example shown inFIG. 7, because only two thermocouples14aand14bare sufficient for thermocouples (detectors), cost of configuring the vapor phase growth apparatus10can be reduced as compared with that requires three thermocouples or more, and maintenance cost of the vapor phase growth apparatus10can be considerably reduced. That is, because the detectors such as the thermocouples and the like are expendable supplies, the detector(s) are required to be changed to new one(s) many times. Therefore, maintenance cost of the vapor phase growth apparatus10provided with only two thermocouples can be reduced as compared with that provided with three thermocouples or more (for example, maintenance cost is half of that provided with four thermocouples, and a down time of the vapor phase growth apparatus10required for change of the thermocouple(s) to new one(s) is shortened (for example, a period of time is 30% of that in case of four thermocouples)).

Further, because characteristics of thermocouples differ from one another, temperature correction is required each time one thermocouple is changed to a new one. A time period required for the temperature correction becomes shortened as the number of thermocouples is decreased. Further, when a vapor phase growth condition is changed and determined (referred as “determination of condition”), a time period required for the determination of condition can be shortened as the number of detected temperatures to be considered is decreased. That is, in case of two thermocouples, because a time period required for the temperature profiling and a time period required for the determination of condition are shortened as compared with those in case of three thermocouples, productivity can be improved.

In this embodiment, as an example, heating output power control for the periphery of the substrate1such as the gas introduction region in the reaction chamber11and the like is performed according to the temperature detected by the thermocouple14bof the gas exhaust region in the reaction chamber11. However, a position for detecting temperature can be another region in the reaction chamber11if the region is not the gas introduction region R1(for example, a position corresponding to the center of the substrate1).

Further, arrangement of the halogen lamps13as the heating apparatus is an example, and another type of arrangement is applicable. Moreover, division of the regions is not limited to this embodiment, and another type of division is applicable.

Further more, each detected temperature denotes temperature detected by a thermocouple and differs from actual temperature on the substrate1. Therefore, value used in this specification is only an aim.

As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, in the vapor phase growth method for growing a single crystal thin film by a vapor phase growth method on the front surface of the semiconductor single crystal substrate1, while introducing gas into the reaction chamber11, heating output power control in the gas introduction region R1is performed according to a temperature detected in a region other than the gas introduction region R1in the reaction chamber11. More specifically, heating output power control in the gas introduction region R1is performed according to temperature, for example, detected at the gas exhaust region or a position corresponding to the center of the semiconductor single crystal substrate1.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

In the vapor phase growth method and apparatus according to the present invention, because heating output power control at a gas introduction region is performed according to a temperature detected at a standard region other than the gas introduction region in a reaction chamber, the heating can be performed while keeping a heating output power ratio of the standard region to the gas introduction region to a constant level. As a result, resistivity distribution can be reduced as compared with the prior art while suppressing occurrence of slip dislocation. Accordingly, the vapor phase growth method and apparatus according to the present invention is especially appropriate to a case of vapor phase growth performed while using a single wafer processing type vapor phase growth apparatus.