Method of forming pn junction in semiconductor material

Claim 1

A METHOD OF FORMING A PN-TYPE JUNCTION IN SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING: HEATING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL CONTAINING A DOPING IMPURITY THEREIN ABOVE ITS MELTING TEMPERATURE UNTIL IT BECOMES AT LEAST PARTIALLY LIQUID, ADDING TO THIS LIQUID PORTION A DOPING IMPURITY OF A TYPE OPPOSITE TO THAT ALREADY CONTAINED THEREIN WHILE CONTINUING TO APPLY SAID HEAT SO THAT THE DOPING IMPURITIES ARE MELTED AND IONIZED, APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID LIQUID PORTION INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID HEATING SO THAT IONS OF THE DOPING IMPURITY OPPOSITE IN TYPE TO THAT ORIGINALLY CONTAINED IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MIGRATE AWAY FROM THE SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, AND COOLING SAID LIQUID PORTION BELOW ITS MELTING TEMPERATURE WHILE CONTINUING TO APPLY SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL SO THAT A PN-TYPE JUNCTION OF CONTROLLED THICKNESS IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AND SAID PORTION AFTER SAID PORTION RECRYSTALIZES INTO THE FORM OF A DOPED SINGLE CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING CURRENT CARRIERS OF A TYPE OPPOSITE THAT CONTROLLED IN SAID SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF FORMING A PN-TYPE JUNCTION IN SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL COMPRISING: HEATING SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL CONTAINING A DOPING IMPURITY THEREIN ABOVE ITS MELTING TEMPERATURE UNTIL IT BECOMES AT LEAST PARTIALLY LIQUID, ADDING TO THIS LIQUID PORTION A DOPING IMPURITY OF A TYPE OPPOSITE TO THAT ALREADY CONTAINED THEREIN WHILE CONTINUING TO APPLY SAID HEAT SO THAT THE DOPING IMPURITIES ARE MELTED AND IONIZED, APPLYING AN ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL ACROSS SAID LIQUID PORTION INDEPENDENTLY OF SAID HEATING SO THAT IONS OF THE DOPING IMPURITY OPPOSITE IN TYPE TO THAT ORIGINALLY CONTAINED IN SAID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL MIGRATE AWAY FROM THE SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL, AND COOLING SAID LIQUID PORTION BELOW ITS MELTING TEMPERATURE WHILE CONTINUING TO APPLY SAID ELECTRICAL POTENTIAL SO THAT A PN-TYPE JUNCTION OF CONTROLLED THICKNESS IS FORMED BETWEEN SAID SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AND SAID PORTION AFTER SAID PORTION RECRYSTALIZES INTO THE FORM OF A DOPED SINGLE CRYSTALLINE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL HAVING CURRENT CARRIERS OF A TYPE OPPOSITE THAT CONTROLLED IN SAID SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL.