Patent ID: 8038794

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a group III-nitride crystal, the method comprising steps of: preparing a seed crystal which has a main lateral surface and vertical side surfaces; growing a first group III-nitride crystal on the main lateral surface and the vertical side surfaces of said seed crystal by liquid phase method; and growing a second group III-nitride crystal on said first group III-nitride crystal by either a hydride vapor phase epitaxy method, a flux method or a high nitrogen pressure solution method with said first group III-nitride crystal in contact with a crucible, wherein in said step of growing the first group III-nitride crystal on the main lateral surface and the vertical side surfaces of said seed crystal, rate of crystal growth in a direction parallel to the main lateral surface of said seed crystal is higher than rate of crystal growth in a direction vertical to the main lateral surface of said seed crystal and wherein in said step of growing the second group III-nitride crystal on said first group III-nitride crystal, rate of crystal growth in the direction parallel to the main lateral surface of said seed crystal is lower than rate of crystal growth in the direction vertical to the main lateral surface of said seed crystal.