Method of forming junctions

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF DIFFUSING A CONDUCTIVITY-TYPE DETERMINING IMPURITY INTO A GROUP III-V COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO FORM A P-N JUNCTION THEREIN WITH AN IMPURITY SURFACE CONCENTRATION IN SAID MATERIAL WHICH IS LESS THAN THE SOLID SOLUBILITY LIMIT OF THE IMPURITY IN SAID SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A DIFFUSION SOURCE CONTAINING SAID IMPURITY, SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO EFFECT DIFFUSION OF SAID IMPURITY INTO SAID SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING A LIQUID SOLUTION OF SAID IMPURITY AS THE SOLUTE AND A SOLVENT MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, AND INDIUM, THE AMOUNT OF SAID SOLUTE IMPURITY IN THE SOLUTION BEING DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID IMPURITY OVER SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND SAID SOLUTE IMPURITY AMOUNT BEING SUCH AS TO PROVIDE THE PREDETERMINED PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID IMPURITY WHICH IS REQUIRED TO PRODUCE THE PARTICULAR DESIRED SURFACE CONCENTRATION OF SAID IMPURITY IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AT SAID DIFFUSION TEMPERATURE; SAID PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE FURTHER NOT EXCEEDING THAT VAPOR PRESSURE AT WHICH THE SURFACE CONCENTRATION OF THE IMPURITY DIFFUSED INTO THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL WOULD EQUAL THE SOLUBILITY LIMIT OF SAID IMPURITY IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL; PLACING SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND COMPOUND SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL WITHIN A DIFFUSION CHAMBER; HEATING BOTH SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO SAID DIFFUSION TEMPERATURE, AND MAINTAINING SAID TEMPERATURE FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DIFFUSION OF SAID IMPURITY INTO SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO FORM A P-N JUNCTION WITH SAID DESIRED IMPURITY SURFACE CONCENTRATION IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF DIFFUSING A CONDUCTIVITY-TYPE DETERMINING IMPURITY INTO A GROUP III-V COMPOUND SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO FORM A P-N JUNCTION THEREIN WITH AN IMPURITY SURFACE CONCENTRATION IN SAID MATERIAL WHICH IS LESS THAN THE SOLID SOLUBILITY LIMIT OF THE IMPURITY IN SAID SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A DIFFUSION SOURCE CONTAINING SAID IMPURITY, SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE WHEN HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TO EFFECT DIFFUSION OF SAID IMPURITY INTO SAID SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING A LIQUID SOLUTION OF SAID IMPURITY AS THE SOLUTE AND A SOLVENT MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALUMINUM, GALLIUM, AND INDIUM, THE AMOUNT OF SAID SOLUTE IMPURITY IN THE SOLUTION BEING DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL TO THE PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID IMPURITY OVER SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND SAID SOLUTE IMPURITY AMOUNT BEING SUCH AS TO PROVIDE THE PREDETERMINED PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE OF SAID IMPURITY WHICH IS REQUIRED TO PRODUCE THE PARTICULAR DESIRED SURFACE CONCENTRATION OF SAID IMPURITY IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AT SAID DIFFUSION TEMPERATURE; SAID PARTIAL VAPOR PRESSURE FURTHER NOT EXCEEDING THAT VAPOR PRESSURE AT WHICH THE SURFACE CONCENTRATION OF THE IMPURITY DIFFUSED INTO THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL WOULD EQUAL THE SOLUBILITY LIMIT OF SAID IMPURITY IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL; PLACING SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND COMPOUND SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL WITHIN A DIFFUSION CHAMBER; HEATING BOTH SAID DIFFUSION SOURCE AND SEMINCONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO SAID DIFFUSION TEMPERATURE, AND MAINTAINING SAID TEMPERATURE FOR A TIME SUFFICIENT TO CAUSE DIFFUSION OF SAID IMPURITY INTO SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL TO FORM A P-N JUNCTION WITH SAID DESIRED IMPURITY SURFACE CONCENTRATION IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL.