Method for growing low defect, high purity crystalline layers utilizing lateral overgrowth of a patterned mask

US4612072A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration · US

Inventors

• Andrew Morrison · Altadena, US
• Taher Daud · La Cañada Flintridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 28, 1985
• Grant date: Sep 16, 1986
• Expiry date: Feb 28, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10S148/15
• WIPO field: Semiconductors
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

The purity and perfection of a semiconductor is improved by depositing a patterned mask (12) of a material impervious to impurities of the semiconductor on a surface (14) of a blank (10). When a layer (40) of semiconductor is grown on the mask, the semiconductor will first grow from the surface portions exposed by the openings (16) in the mask (12) and will bridge the connecting portions of the mask to form a continuous layer (40) having improved purity, since only the portions (42) overlying the openings (16) are exposed to defects and impurities. The process can be reiterated and the mask translated to further improve the quality of grown layers.