Process for thermal gradient zone melting utilizing a beveled wafer edge

Claim 1

In an improved method for processing semiconductor wafers by thermal gradient zone melting comprising the steps of a. providing a radiant heat source having a lateral dimension L; b. selecting a body of single crystal semiconductor material so that the body has a first type conductivity, a selected level of resistivity, an outer side peripheral surface, two major opposed substantially parallel surfaces which are the top and bottom surfaces thereof, and at least one major surface having a preferred planar crystal structure orientation which is one selected from the group consisting of (100), (110) and (111), and a vertical axis of the body being substantially aligned at a predetermined angle with a first axis of the crystal structure; c. the surface having the preferred planar crystal structure orientation to accommodate one or more physical configurations of a layer of metal thereon; d. depositing a layer of metal on the selected surface of the body of semiconductor material; e. disposing the body a predetermined distance d from the radiant heat source; f. heating the body and the metal deposited to a temperature sufficient to form a melt of metal-rich material on the surface of the body; g. establishing a temperature gradient along substantially the vertical axis of the body and the first axis of the crystal structure, and h. migrating the metal-rich melt through the body along the first axis of the crystal structure to divide the body into a plurality of regions of first type conductivity and to form at least one array of regions of recrystallized material of the body having solid solubility of the vapor deposited metal therein, the metal including at least one dopant impurity material therein to impart a second and opposite type conductivity and a selected level of resistivity thereto, the improvement consisting of beveling the outer side peripheral surface at a predetermined included angle α with the bottom surface of the body, in order that the radiant heat impinging on the beveled side peripheral surface is equal to the radiant heat emitted by the beveled side peripheral surface of the body.