GaN crystal having few dislocations is grown by using together ELO-mask and defect-seeding-mask means. ELO masks make it so that GaN crystal does not grow directly, but grows laterally; defect-seeding masks make it so that closed defect-gathering regions in which defects are concentrated are grown.
Any of the materials SiN, SiON or SiO2 is utilized for the ELO mask, while any of the materials Pt, Ni or Ti is utilized for the defect-seeding masks. With a sapphire, GaAs, spinel, Si, InP, SiC, etc. single-crystal substrate, or one in which a GaN buffer layer is coated onto a single-crystal substrate of these, as an under-substrate, the ELO mask and defect-seeding masks are provided complementarily and GaN is vapor-phase deposited.