A GaN-based thin film (thick film) is grown using a
metal buffer layer grown on a substrate. (a) A
metal buffer layer (210) made of, for example, Cr or Cu is vapor-deposited on a
sapphire substrate (120). (b) A substrate obtained by vapor-depositing the
metal buffer layer (210) on the
sapphire substrate (120) is nitrided in an
ammonia gas ambient, thereby forming a metal
nitride layer (212). (c) A GaN buffer layer (222) is grown on the nitrided metal buffer
layers (210, 212). (d) Finally, a GaN single-
crystal layer (220) is grown. This GaN single-
crystal layer (220) can be grown to have various thicknesses depending on the objects. A freestanding substrate can be fabricated by selective chemical
etching of the substrate fabricated by the above steps. It is also possible to use the substrate fabricated by the above steps as a GaN template substrate for fabricating a GaN-based
light emitting diode or
laser diode.