Epitaxial growth through a silicon dioxide mask in a vacuum vapor deposition process

Claim 1

AN IMPROVED PROCESS OF MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FORMING UPON AT LEAST ONE SURFACE OF A MONOCRYSTALLINE SILICON WAFER A SUFFICIENT COATING OF SILICON DIOXIDE TO LEAVE A COATING OF SILICON DIOXIDE ON THE SURFACE AT THE END OF THE SUBSEQUENT EVAPORATION STEP, FORMING AT LEAST ONE OPENING IN SAID SILICON DIOXIDE TO EXPOSE A LIMITED AREA OF THE SURFACE OF SAID SILICON SO AS TO DEFINE A MASK UPON SUCH WAFER SURFACE, HEATING SAID SILICON WAFER IN A HIGH VACUUM TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 1050*C. TO THE MELTING TEMPERATURE OF SILICON, AND EVAPORATING SILICON ADJACENT SAID WAFER, WHEREBY EPITAXIAL GROWTH OCCURS UPON SAID EXPOSED WAFER SURFACE IN THE MASK OPENING AND FURTHERMORE WHEREBY A PORTION OF SAID SILICON DIOXIDE COATING IS SIMULTANEOUSLY REDUCED TO VOLATILE SILICON MONOXIDE, THEREBY PREVENTING THE DEPOSITION OF A SILICON FILM ON THE MASK WHILE LEAVING A FINAL THINNER COATING OF SILICON DIOXIDE ON THE SURFACE AT THE END OF THE EVAPORATION STEP.