Patent ID: 6984536

Claim:
A method for producing a gallium nitride group compound semiconductor by using an organometallic compound vapor phase epitaxy, comprising: setting a mixing ratio of a silicon-containing gas to at least one other raw material gas during said vapor phase epitaxy at a desired value in a range over which a conductivity of the gallium nitride group compound semiconductor increases substantially proportionally with said mixing ratio so as to obtain a desired conductivity (1/resistivity) of said gallium nitride group compound semiconductor; forming a first n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer with a electron concentration by feeding said silicon-containing gas and said at least one other raw material gas at said mixing ratio; forming a second n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer with a lower electron concentration than the concentration of the first semiconductor layer and having a resistivity which is greater than a resistivity of said first n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer, without feeding said silicon-containing gas; and etching said second n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer to expose a surface of said first n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer, an n-electrode being formed on said exposed surface of said first n-conduction type of gallium nitride group compound semiconductor layer.