Process for producing semiconductor devices

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, THE STEPS COMPRISING EVAPORATING A THIN LAYER OF A THICKNESS OF SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN 0.001 INCH OF A DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL UPON ONE SURFACE OF A SOLID SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER, THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER HAVING THE OPPOSITE TYPE OF SEMICONDUCTIVITY, HEATING THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER AND THE APPLIED LAYER OF DOPING MATERIAL TO A FIRST TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE FUSION TEMPERATURE OF THE DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL TO FUSE THE LAYER OF DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL AND TO DIFFUSE THE DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL INTO THE ADJACENT SURFACE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER TO CONVERT THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AT THE SURFACE TO THE OPPOSITE TYPE OF CONDUCTIVITY AND THEREBY PROVIDING A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR P-N JUNCTION, APPLYING TO THE FUSED LAYER OF DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL A FIRST ALLOY MEMBER COMPRISING BOTH THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AND THE DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL IN SUCH PROPORTIONS THAT THE LIQUIDUS TEMPERATURE THEREOF IS NOT LESS THAN SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE, HEATING THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER AND THE APPLIED FIRST ALLOY MEMBER TO FUSE THE CONTACTING SURFACE OF THE ALLOY MEMBER WITHOUT MELTING EITHER THE BODY OF THE ALLOY MEMBER OR ANY SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF THE PREVIOUSLY EVAPORATED LAYER OF IMPURITY MATERIAL WHILE MAINTAINING A TEMPERATURE BELOW SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE TO UNITE THE FIRST ALLOY MEMBER BY METALLURGICAL BONDING TO THE LAYER OF IMPURITY MATERIAL BY FUSION AT THE CONTACTING SURFACES ONLY, THE FUSED ALLOY MEMBER BEING DISPOSED ENTIRELY WITHIN THE SURFACE OF THE EVAPORATED LAYER OF THE DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL, THE FUSED ALLOY MEMBER PROVIDING FOR AN EMITTER CONTACT, APPLYING TO ANOTHER SURFACE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER A SECOND ALLOY MEMBER COMPRISING BOTH THE SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIAL AND THE DOPING IMPURITY MATERIAL IN SUCH PROPORTIONS THAT THE LIQUIDUS TEMPERATURE THEREOF IS BELOW SAID FIRST TEMPERATURE, HEATING THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER AND SAID SECOND ALLOY MEMBER TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE ITS LIQUIDUS TEMPERATURE, BUT NOT EXCEEDING THE SECOND TEMPERATURE TO FUSE THE SECOND ALLOY MEMBER TO THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER SURFACE AND TO DIFFUSE INTO SAID LAST SURFACE TO CONVERT THE SEMICONDUCTIVITY OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR AT SAID LAST SURFACE TO THE OPPOSITE TYPE TO PRODUCE A SECOND P-N JUNCTION, THE SECOND ALLOY MEMBER PROVIDING FOR A COLLECTOR CONTACT, AND FUSING A BASE CONTACT TO ANOTHER SURFACE OF THE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMBER AT A TEMPERATURE NOT EXCEEDING THE SECOND TEMPERATURE.