Process for preparing p-n junctions in semiconductors

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A SEMICONDUCTOR TRANSITION REGION WITHIN A BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING, (1) DISPOSING A MEMBER COMPRISED OF A SOLID DOPING MATERIAL UPON A SURFACE OF A BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING A FIRST TYPE OF SEMICONDUCTIVITY, SAID DOPING MATERIAL BEING COMPRISED OF AT LEAST ONE MATERIAL CAPABLE OF ESTABLISHING A ZONE OF A SECOND TYPE SEMICONDUCTIVITY WITHIN THE BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, (2) HEATING SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AND DOPING MATERIAL TO A FIRST ELEVATED TEMPERATURE IN A NON-OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE SUFFICIENT TO MELT THE DOPING MATERIAL AND DISSOLVE A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE UNDERLYING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, (3) HEATING SAID MOLTEN DOPING MATERIAL AND BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO A SECOND ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, WHICH IS HIGHER THAN SAID FIRST ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, IN AN OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE, (4) MAINTAINING SAID SECOND ELEVATED TEMPERATURE, WHEREBY THE MOLTEN DOPING MATERIAL DISSOLVES AN ADDITIONAL PORTION OF THE BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL WITHOUT FURTHER APPRECIABLE LATERIAL SPREADING, AND (5) COOLING THE MOLTEN DOPING MATERIAL WITH THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL DISSOLVED THEREIN WHILE MAINTAINING THE OXIDIZING ATMOSPHERE, WHEREBY THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL DISSOLVED WITHIN THE MOLTEN DOPING MATERIAL RECRYSTALLIZES WITH SOME DOPING MATERIAL PRESENT THEREIN AND THEREBY FORMS A ZONE OF SECOND TYPE SEMICONDUCTIVITY AND A SEMICONDUCTOR TRANSITION REGION BETWEEN SAID ZONE OF SECOND TYPE SEMICONDUCTIVITY AND SAID BODY OF SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING A FIRST TYPE OF SEMICONDUCTIVITY.