Patent ID: 7682953

Claim:
A method of forming a p-type compound semiconductor layer, the method comprising the steps of: increasing a temperature of a substrate loaded into a reaction chamber to a first temperature; supplying a source gas of a Group III element, a source gas of a p-type impurity and a source gas of nitrogen containing hydrogen into the reaction chamber so as to grow the p-type compound semiconductor layer; after the growth of the p-type compound semiconductor layer is completed, stopping the supply of the source gas of the Group III element and the source gas of the p-type impurity and lowering the temperature of the substrate to a second temperature; stopping the supply of the source gas of nitrogen containing hydrogen at the second temperature; lowering the temperature of the substrate to a room temperature by supplying argon gas; and before the step of stopping the supply of the source gas of nitrogen containing hydrogen at the second temperature, growing an ITO tunnel layer by supplying the source gas of the Group III element, a source gas of an n- or p-type impurity and the source gas of nitrogen containing hydrogen.