Promotion of surface film stability during initiation of thermal migration

Claim 2

In the method of moving a melt of metal-rich semiconductor material through a solid body of semiconductor material by thermal gradient zone melting processing comprising the steps of a. selecting a body of single crystal semiconductor material so that the body has a first type conductivity, a selected resistivity, 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), the vertical axis of the body being substantially aligned with a first axis of the crystal structure; b. depositing a layer of metal having the preferred planar crystal structure orientation of one or more physical configurations on the selected surface of the body of semiconductor material; c. heating the body and the metal deposit to a temperature sufficient to form a melt of metal-rich material on the surface of the body;

Claim 3

d. establishing a unidirectional temperature gradient along substantially the vertical axis of the body and the first axis of the crystal structure; and e. migrating the metal-rich melt though the body along the unidirectional temperature gradient 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 impurity material therein to impart at least one predetermined electrical characteristic thereto; the improvement in the method of processing which includes incorporating a wetting agent in the deposited layer of metal to enhance the wettability of the deposited layer with respect to a layer of the oxide of the semiconductor material on the surface of the body on which the metal is deposited and to promote initiation of thermal migration of a melt of the metal of the layer through the body by thermal gradient zone melting processing.

Claim 4

d. establishing a unidirectional temperature gradient along substantially the vertical axis of the body and the first axis of the crystal structure; and e. migrating the metal-rich melt though the body along the unidirectional temperature gradient 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 impurity material therein to impart at least one predetermined electrical characteristic thereto; the improvement in the method of processing which includes incorporating a wetting agent in the deposited layer of metal to enhance the wettability of the deposited layer with respect to a layer of the oxide of the semiconductor material on the surface of the body on which the metal is deposited and to promote initiation of thermal migration of a melt of the metal of the layer through the body by thermal gradient zone melting processing.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1 wherein the depositing of the metal layer includes (aa) depositing a first layer of wetting agent material directly onto the surface of the body and any layer of oxide of the semiconductor material present thereat, and (ab) depositing on the first layer of wetting agent material a second layer of the material to effect the desired electrical characteristics in the body.

Claim 6

The method of either claim 1 or 2 wherein the layer of metal is vapor deposited.

Claim 7

The method of claim 3 wherein the layer of metal is substantially free of oxygen.

Claim 8

The method of either claim 1 or 2 wherein the semiconductor material is silicon, and the wetting agent is a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, lithium, magnesium and calcium.

Claim 9

The method of claim 5 wherein the layer of metal to be migrated includes a material which is one selected from the group consisting of tin, gold and silver.

Claim 10

The method of either claim 1 or 2 wherein the semiconductor material is silicon, and the wetting agent is aluminum.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor material is silicon, the metal layer is vapor deposited and substantially free of oxygen, the wetting agent is a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, titanium, lithium, magnesium, and calcium, and the amount of wetting agent present is equivalent to that required to make a layer of the same equivalent thickness as the thickness of the semiconductor oxide layer upon which it is deposited.

Claim 12

The method of claim 8 wherein the equivalent thickness of the amount of wetting agent present is no greater than twice the thickness of the silicon oxide present.