US3988770A
Expired / Lapsed
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Deep finger diodes
Assignee: General Electric Co
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Filing: 1975-03-17
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Granted: 1976-10-26
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Expires: 1995-03-17
Abstract
Abstract Deep finger diodes in a body of semiconductor material are fabricated by a thermal gradient zone melting process. A liquid wire or droplet is migrated into the body through one surface to a depth less than the thickness of the body. The migration of the liquid wire or droplet is reversed to remove the wire or droplet from the body leaving a recrystallized material of the body having solid solubility of a material therein.
Inventors
- 👤 Thomas R. Anthony
- 👤 Harvey E. Cline
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 21:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W10/00; H10W10/30; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/124; H10D62/40; H10D62/405; H10D84/00; H10D84/201; H10D84/204; H10D84/221; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/50; H10W10/01; H10W10/031
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
313 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a body of semiconductor material having a selected resistivity, a selected first type conductivity and two major opposed surfaces comprising respectively top and bottom surfaces of the body; at least one of the major opposed surfaces having a preferred planar crystal orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (111), (110) and (100); the body having a vertical axis which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of preferred planar orientation and substantially parallel with a first preferred crystal axis of the material of the body; at least one first region consisting of recrystallized material of the body disposed in the body, each first region extending from one of the major surfaces into the body less than the thickness of the body, and having an end surface coextensive with the one major surface of the body from which it extends; each first region having a vertical axis substantially aligned with the vertical axis of the body and the first preferred crystal axis of the material of the body; the recrystallized material of each first region is formed in situ by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and has a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration, the metal being distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region and comprising a dopant impurity material to impart a second selected resistivity and a second and opposite type conductivity thereto, and a first P-N junction formed by the contiguous surfaces of the material of each first region and the material of the body.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
313 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a body of semiconductor material having a selected resistivity, a selected first type conductivity and two major opposed surfaces comprising respectively top and bottom surfaces of the body; at least one of the major opposed surfaces having a preferred planar crystal orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (111), (110) and (100); the body having a vertical axis which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of preferred planar orientation and substantially parallel with a first preferred crystal axis of the material of the body; at least one first region consisting of recrystallized material of the body disposed in the body, each first region extending from one of the major surfaces into the body less than the thickness of the body, and having an end surface coextensive with the one major surface of the body from which it extends; each first region having a vertical axis substantially aligned with the vertical axis of the body and the first preferred crystal axis of the material of the body; the recrystallized material of each first region is formed in situ by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and has a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt therein determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration, the metal being distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region and comprising a dopant impurity material to impart a second selected resistivity and a second and opposite type conductivity thereto, and a first P-N junction formed by the contiguous surfaces of the material of each first region and the material of the body.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
38 words
The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the at least one of the opposed major surfaces has a preferred planar crystal orientation of (100), and the first preferred crystal axis of the first region is < 100 >.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
286 words
The semiconductor device of claim 1, and including at least one second region consisting of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body disposed in the body and formed in situ therein by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and has a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration and the metal is distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region and comprises a dopant impurity material therein to impart thereto the same type conductivity as the at least one first recrystallized region of semiconductor material, each second region encompassing at least one of the first regions and spaced therefrom by a selected portion of the body, each second region extending entirely between, and terminating in, the two opposed major surfaces of the body, each second region having opposed end surfaces, each end surface being coextensive with a respective one of the major opposed surfaces, each second region having a preferred vertical axis substantially aligned with the first crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body, a plurality of second P-N junctions, each second P-N junction being formed by the contiguous surfaces of each second region of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body and the material of the body, and wherein the encompassed first region and selected portion of the body associated therewith being electrically isolated from the remainder of the body by the at least one second region.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
93 words
The semiconductor device of claim 4 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (100), the first preferred crystal axis is < 100 >, each of the at least one first and one second region is a planar region, and each of the at least one first and one second regions is oriented in a preferred wire direction within the body which is aligned substantially parallel with a second preferred crystal axis of the material of the body which is one selected from the group consisting of < 011 > and < 011 <.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
The semiconductor device of claim 4 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (110), the first preferred crystal axis is < 110 >, each of the at least one first and one second regions is a planar region, and each of the at least one first and one second regions is oriented in a preferred wire direction within the body which is aligned substantially parallel with a second preferred crystal axis of the material of the body which is one selected from the group consisting of < 110 > and < 110 >.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
105 words
The semiconductor device of claim 4 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (111), the first preferred crystal axis is < 111 >, each of the at least one first and one second regions is a planar region, and each of the at least one first and one second regions is oriented in a preferred wire direction within the body which is aligned substantially parallel with a second preferred crystal axis of the material of the body which is one selected from the group consisting of < 011 >, < 101 >, < 110 >, < 112 >, < 211 > and < 121 >.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The semiconductor device of claim 4, including a first electrical contact affixed to each first region, and a second electrical contact affixed to each portion of the body associated with a first region and electrically isolated from the remainder of the body by the second region.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (111) and the first preferred crystal axis is < 111 >.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
27 words
The semiconductor device of claim 9 wherein the material of the body is one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon carbide, germanium and gallium arsenide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 10 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
43 words
The semiconductor device of claim 1 wherein each first region is a planar region which is so oriented within the body in a preferred wire direction which is aligned substantially parallel with a second preferred crystal axis of the material of the body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
43 words
The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (100), the first preferred crystal axis is < 100 >, and the second preferred crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of <011 > and < 011 >.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
27 words
The semiconductor device of claim 13 wherein the material of the body is one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon carbide, germanium, and gallium arsenide.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 14 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (110), the first preferred crystal axis is < 110 >, and the second preferred crystal axis is < 110 >.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
27 words
The semiconductor device of claim 16 wherein the material of the body is one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon carbide, gemanium, and gallium arsenide.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 17 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
56 words
The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation of at last one of the opposed major surfaces is (111), the first preferred crystal axis is < 111 >, and the second preferred crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of < 011 >, < 101 > and < 110 >.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The semiconductor device of claim 19 wherein the material of the body is one selected from the group consisting of silicon, silicon carbide, germanium and gallium arsenide.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 20 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
The semiconductor device of claim 12 wherein the preferred planar crystal orientation is (111), the first preferred crystal axis is < 111 >, and the second preferred crystal axis is one selected from the group consisting of < 112 >, < 211 >, < 121 >, < 110 >, < 011 > and < 101 >.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The semiconductor device of claim 22 wherein the material of the body is silicon, silicon carbide, germanium and gallium arsenide.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
24 words
The semiconductor device of claim 23 wherein the material of the body is silicon of N-type conductivity, and the dopant impurity material is aluminum.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
301 words
A semiconductor device comprising a body of semiconductor material having a first selected level of resistivity, a first selected type conductivity and two major opposed surfaces comprising respectively top and bottom surfaces of the body; at least one of the major opposed surfaces having a preferred planar crystal orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (111), (110) and (100); the body having a first preferred crystal axis for the material thereof and a vertical axis which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of preferred planar orientation; at least one first region of recrystallized material disposed in the body, each first region extending from one of the major surfaces into the body less than the thickness of the body, and having an end surface coextensive with the one major surface of the body from which it extends; each first region having a second selected level of resistivity and a second selected type conductivity; each first region having a vertical axis substantially aligned with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body; the material of each first region being recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ in the body by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and has a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration, the metal being distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region and comprising a dopant impurity material therein to impart the selected level of resistivity and second type conductivity thereto.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
301 words
A semiconductor device comprising a body of semiconductor material having a first selected level of resistivity, a first selected type conductivity and two major opposed surfaces comprising respectively top and bottom surfaces of the body; at least one of the major opposed surfaces having a preferred planar crystal orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (111), (110) and (100); the body having a first preferred crystal axis for the material thereof and a vertical axis which is substantially perpendicular to the surface of preferred planar orientation; at least one first region of recrystallized material disposed in the body, each first region extending from one of the major surfaces into the body less than the thickness of the body, and having an end surface coextensive with the one major surface of the body from which it extends; each first region having a second selected level of resistivity and a second selected type conductivity; each first region having a vertical axis substantially aligned with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body; the material of each first region being recrystallized semiconductor material of the body formed in situ in the body by the migration of a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material of the body by thermal gradient zone melting at a predetermined elevated temperature along a thermal gradient substantially parallel with the first preferred crystal axis and the vertical axis of the body and has a predetermined level of concentration of the metal of the melt as determined by the solid solubility limit of that metal in that semiconductor material at that predetermined elevated temperature of migration, the metal being distributed substantially uniformly throughout the entire region and comprising a dopant impurity material therein to impart the selected level of resistivity and second type conductivity thereto.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
37 words
The semiconductor device of claim 25 wherein the first and second conductivity types are each N-type, and the solid solubility material in the recrystallized silicon of the body of the at least one first region is antimony.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1979-10-26 | 1980-04-26 | 1980-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1983-10-26 | 1984-04-26 | 1984-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1987-10-26 | 1988-04-26 | 1988-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |