Abstract: The use of a photoconducting material having specific characteristics in conjunction with a heat sensitive optical recording medium also having specific characteristics yields desirable properties. Specifically, through the use of this combination an optical recording medium that has a relatively low applied power threshold for writing and yet a relatively long-term stability is obtained. The photoconductor material should have an unilluminated resistivity of at least 10.sup.6 Ohm-cm and should undergo a resistivity descrease of at least 10.sup.5 upon illumination to yield this desired attribute.

Abstract: Supported intermetallic compounds are produced by a two-step process. In the first step, a supported metal is formed, for example, by solvating a metallic salt such as nickel nitrate and applying it to a support medium. The treated support body is then heated in the presence of a reducing agent to produce elemental metal. The supported metal is then treated with a reactive organometallic or metal hydride compound to yield a supported intermetallic compound. For example, supported elemental nickel is treated with hexamethyldisilane to produce supported nickel silicide.

Abstract: Dielectrically isolated single crystal silicon of high quality is produced by an extremely convenient process. This process involves the fusing of two silicon bodies where at least one of these bodies has a region of silicon oxide. The bodies are contacted so that the silicon oxide is at an interface between the two bodies. The bodies are then heated to an elevated temperature while applying a nominal electrical potential across the interface. This combination of applied potential and temperature permanently fuses the two bodies without producing any significant damage to the crystal quality of these bodies.

Abstract: A highly selective--greater than 100 to 1--etch for silicon, tantalum, tantalum silicide and tantalum nitride is achieved by using polyatomic halogen fluorides. The selectivity is achievable without employing plasmas or wet etching.

Abstract: Dielectrically isolated semiconductor devices are producible through a relatively convenient fabrication procedure. In this fabrication procedure, a substrate having regions of single crystal silicon and regions of silicon oxide is employed. Such substrate is expeditiously produced by methods which leave the surface of the single crystal regions below those of the silicon oxide regions. Silicon is deposited by CVD onto the structure with its regions of silicon dioxide and single crystal silicon. Initially, the conditions of the CVD procedure are controlled so that epitaxial silicon grows on the regions of single crystal silicon but essentially no growth is induced on the silicon oxide regions. When the growth of the single crystal regions has proceeded sufficiently to produce a substantially planar structure, advantageously the deposition conditions are adjusted so that silicon is also deposited on the surface of the silicon oxide.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for fabricating a device is disclosed, which method involves a new reactive ion etching technique. Both a high etch rate and, for example, a high etch selectivity are simultaneously achieved with the inventive reactive ion etching technique by discharging an electrode of the reactive ion etching apparatus in response to a preselected criterion, e.g., a magnitude of a DC bias at said electrode which equals, or exceeds, a preselected value.

Abstract: Structures useful for dielectrically isolated high voltage devices are produced utilizing a melting technique. In this technique a cavity is produced in a silicon wafer, the surface of the cavity is, for example, oxidized to form a dielectric material, and silicon is deposited onto the dielectric material so that it extends to a region where it is in contact with single crystal silicon, e.g., a portion of the wafer. The entire region of polycrystalline silicon is then melted. Upon termination of the melting energy, the polycrystalline silicon is converted into a thick region of dielectrically isolated single crystal silicon. This thick region is useful for the formation of high voltage devices.

Abstract: Extremely high-purity and defect-free layers of III-V semiconductor materials are produced by a specific MBE process. This process as applied to GaAs includes protecting the deposition substrate with a passivating surface, removing this surface in situ, treating the bared substrate heated to a temperature below its incongruent melting point with an arsenic-containing gas, and initiating the MBE growth in an environment containing an excess of arsenic over gallium.

Abstract: The pyrolysis of aromatic compounds with fused rings in the aromatic system which form free radicals on the peri position, for example, by eliminating a stable inorganic gas produces desirable products. These products include electrically conductive inert films. Further, with the addition of suitable inorganic compounds to the reactant, superconducting materials are obtainable. The addition of sulfur to the pyrolysis reactant also is possible and allows production of compounds useful as donors for the production of organic electrically conducting compositions.

Abstract: A method for lithographically fabricating devices is disclosed. In accordance with the method, a sacrificial coating material (SCM), e.g., a resist, mixed with a fluorescent material is deposited onto a substrate and then etched. SCM etching is monitored by subjecting the fluorescent material within the SCM to fluorescence-inducing energy, and detecting the resulting fluorescence. Because the fluorescent material is etched away as the SCM is etched, fluorescence intensity decreases as SCM thickness is reduced. Thus, SCM etch end point is accurately determined because etch end point corresponds to the point in time when the detected fluorescence ceases.

Abstract: Excellent resolution in the lithographic fabrication of electronic devices is achieved with a specific bilevel resist. This bilevel resist includes an underlying layer formed with a conventional material such as a novolac resin baked at 200.degree. C. for 30 minutes and an overlying layer including a silicon containing material such as a silicon derivative of poly(methyl methacrylate). This bilevel resist has the attributes of a trilevel resist and requires significantly less processing.

Abstract: Well-oriented device quality silicon is formed on a dielectric material through a specific melting procedure. In this procedure, a body including polycrystalline or amorphous silicon overlying a dielectric is heated to a temperature close to the melting point of silicon. A narrow region of the amorphous or polycrystalline silicon whose length is substantially longer than its width is then melted using an energy source such as a laser. This long, narrow region is propagated through the amorphous or polycrystalline silicon to produce the desired device quality material.

Abstract: A method for fabricating a device which includes a tantalum silicide structure, and which is essentially free of conductive etch residues, is disclosed. The method includes the steps of depositing tantalum and silicon onto a substrate, patterning the tantalum and silicon, and then sintering the patterned tantalum and silicon to form a patterned layer of tantalum silicide.

Abstract: The use of vanadium on the tetrahedral site of a garnet material together with a suitable charge compensating ion, such as Ca.sup.2+, results in advantageous materials. In particular, very high Curie temperatures, e.g., up to 524 degrees C., in films capable of supporting 1 .mu.m-sized bubble domains, are observed. Additionally, the change of collapse field with temperatures for magnetic bubble domains in the garnet material is linear and closely parallels over a wide temperature range the change of bubble controlling static field of permanent magnets typically employed in magnetic bubble devices. A substantially constant bubble size is maintainable over a wide temperature range. The desired garnet compositions are produced advantageously from a melt containing a suitable ratio of vanadium to calcium.

Abstract: Phosgene iminium chloride has been used as a reagent in a variety of reactions to produce compounds useful in the preparation of organic conductors, inorganic complexes, and heterocyclic compounds. This reagent undergoes expedient reactions with either H.sub.2 Se or H.sub.2 S. Of particular interest is a synthetic process beginning with the production of dichalcogen carbamate by the reaction of phosgene iminium chloride with, for example, H.sub.2 Se followed by subsequent processing steps to produce tetramethyl tetraselenafulvalene.

Abstract: Dielectrically isolated regions of single crystal silicon are produced through the use of a specific melting process. In this process, a substrate having regions of single crystal silicon contacting regions of non-single crystal silicon that overlie a dielectric material are treated. In particular, the entire region(s) of non-single crystal silicon is melted utilizing primarily radiant energy. Cooling is then initiated and the molten silicon is converted into a region of single crystal material. Isolation is completed by removing the appropriate regions of single crystal silicon.

Abstract: Solid state electronic devices are optically monitored during fabrication to detect hot spots which are indicative of faulty operation. The surface temperatures of such a device are measured by applying a fluorescent material to the device, and subsequently monitoring the temperature dependent fluorescence of the material, which is reflective of the temperature of the underlying device. Devices are accepted, rejected, or further processed in response to the monitored fluorescence.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for measuring etch depth during the etching of a device pattern into a nontransparent substrate, is disclosed. The method makes use of the finding that the device patterns etched into substrates produce diffraction patterns when illuminated. Thus, according to the method, a beam of light is directed onto a region of a substrate, into which region a portion of a device pattern is being etched. The light reflected from this region forms a diffraction pattern and, according to the inventive method, the intensity of a diffraction order is detected and recorded as a function of time during the etching procedure. The intensity of the diffraction order varies with time. The etch rate of the substrate is inversely proportional to the period of the oscillations in the recorded intensity-time curve.

Abstract: A method for enhancing linewidth control during the patterning of a substrate with a resist is disclosed. Resists used in the invention have chemically separated structures characterized by two types of regions of different chemical composition, which different types of regions are interspersed among each other. Because the resists used in the present invention have chemically separated structures, anisotropic wet development of these resists is achievable with an appropriate bicomponent wet developer. Consequently, after exposure, the image formed in a thin, upper layer of the resist is transferred with vertical walls through the thickness of the resist.

Abstract: Materials that change crystal structure upon radiation with a beam of electrons have been found. These materials, such as perylene dianhydride, naphthalene dianhydride, and perylene tetracarboxylic diimide based compounds undergo a transformation from one crystalline structure to another upon exposure to energetic electrons. This transformation causes a change in optical, electrical, and solubility properties. In this manner, these materials are useful as resists for delineating patterns, as optical storage media, and/or in processes for producing patterns of conductive materials such as employed in semiconductor technology.