Minority carrier isolation barriers for semiconductor devices

摘要

A minority carrier isolation barrier in a body of semiconductor material is formed by the migration of a suitable metal-rich liquid zone of an impurity material through the semiconductor body. A thermal gradient zone melting process is practiced to produce a region of recrystallized semiconductor material of the body having solid solubility of an impurity therein to impart a level of minority carrier lifetime thereto which is different from that level of minority carrier lifetime of the body.