Process of forming barrier layers

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A BARRIER LAYER WITHIN A BODY OF A CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL WHICH COMPRISES HEATING AT A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 700* TO 1300*C., SAID SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF A NON-METAL GAS CAPABLE OF REACTING WITH THE SURFACE OF THE SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN THE SAID TEMPERATURE RANGE, THEREBY PERMEATING SAID NON-METAL GAS IN THE INTERSTICES AT THE SURFACE OF SAID CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL TO FORM ON THE SURFACE THEREOF AN INTERSTITIAL BARRIER ADAPTED TO AFFORD A CONTROLLED DIFFUSION THERETHROUGH OF AN ELEMENT CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE CONDUCTIVITY OF THE SAID SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, THE DIFFUSION OF THE SAID ELEMENT THROUGH THE BARRIER BEING SLOWER THAN THROUGH THE SAID SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL, DEPOSITING SAID ELEMENT CAPABLE OF CHANGING THE CONDUCTIVITY OF SAID SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL UPON SAID INTERSTITIAL ALLOY BARRIER SURFACE, AND HEATING THE COMBINATION TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 750* TO 1300*C. TO CAUSE SAID ELEMENT ALONE TO DIFFUSE INTO THE CRYSTALLINE LATTICE OF THE SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL THROUGH SAID INTERSTRITIAL ALLOY BARRIER, THE SAID BARRIER BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM ANY MELTING DURING THE PROCESS THEREBY AVOIDING THE PRESENCE OF A LOW MELTING ALLOY OF THE ELEMENT AND THE SEMICONDUCTIVE MATERIAL BETWEEN THE LATTER AND THE BARRIER.