Abstract: A solid state renewable energy supply is provided by the oxidation of a passivating oxide forming solid state material in the presence of oxygen under the control of a passivating oxide preventing agent forming thereby an oxide reaction product, heat and hydrogen. The oxide reaction product is then electrolytically or thermo chemically reduced to recover the solid state material. Aluminum is hydrolized in the presence of gallium producing aluminum oxide, heat and hydrogen. The aluminum oxide is in turn electrolyzed back to aluminum.

Abstract: The disclosure provides for the use of a group II-VI compound semiconductor as a surface passivator to control recombination of charge carriers at the surface of a group III-V compound semiconductor by a localized heating step. It is theorized for practice of the invention that the control of the recombination of the charge carriers is achieved by chemical reaction of the II-VI compound with excess group V element. In particular the disclosure provides for the use of a capping layer of laser annealed ZnS as a passivating layer on a GaAs device.

Abstract: A high brightness, essentially monoenergetic electron source is constructed in solid state material by providing a semiconductor body with an electron confinement barrier over most of the surface, the barrier having a relatively small opening exposing the semiconductor body, in the relatively small opening a material is placed in contact with the semiconductor body that has a work function that is lower than the energy of excited electrons in the semiconductor. In this structure electrons from hole-electron pairs generated in the semiconductor are repelled and recombination is inhibited by the barrier except in the relatively small opening where they are injected into the surrounding environment through the lower work function material. The hole-electron pair generation may be by irradiation or by electrical injection. The electron source is useful for such applications as high brightness sources, digital communications, cathode ray tube electron sources and scanning electron microscopes.

Abstract: Semiconductor devices are fabricated that have precise uniform thickness regions formed by a self-limiting process in which light generated hole-electron pairs are used as a source of current in electrochemical erosion. A self-aligned MESFET semiconductor structure is provided with the gate positioned in an etched undercut of the source and drain region and enhancement and depletion mode FET devices may be made on the same substrate.

Abstract: Energy conversion capable of receiving input energy in thermal or radiant form at a variable rate and releasing energy in thermal, radiant or electrical form independent of rate is accomplished by providing a buffer member of a material that has three criteria, a melting temperature above 1300.degree. K., a thermal conductance greater than 0.1 in calories per square centimeter per centimeter per degree per second and a latent heat of fusion of the order of 1 kilocalorie per mole. The converter can absorb energy of multiple types, store it and then release it in a form compatible with the prospective use. Sunlight of daylight duration and varying intensity is converted to steady 24 hour a day electrical output.

Abstract: Practice of the disclosure reduces thermal decomposition and retains stoichiometry during annealing of a multiple element intermetallic semiconductor material by heating it in an environment with an excess of the most volatile constituent. In particular, practice of the disclosure is obtained by annealing a GaAs wafer with a surface into which Si has been implanted while the surface is in proximity to InAs.

Abstract: A solar cell is disclosed with V-grooves which are series connected, but electrically isolated, indirect bandgap solar cells which are responsive to different light frequencies on both sides of a semi-insulating optically transparent substrate. The device has a very high conversion efficiency of approximately 40% and high open-circuit voltage and low series resistance. An exemplary structure in accordance with this disclosure has a series of silicon V-groove cells on one side and another series of GaAlAs V-groove cells on the other side. The cells are of generally trapezoidal cross-section. The difference between the characteristics of the Si cell and the GaAlAs cell is matched by control of the number of V-grooves.

Abstract: Surface recombination in solar cells that is produced by band bending at the surface of the semiconductor which is in turn caused by defect states which pin the Fermi level at the surface, may be improved by applying a surface layer which may be a plasma oxide that has been hydrogen annealed and this layer may also be useful as an antireflecting coating.

Abstract: Enhanced efficiency can be achieved in the construction of semiconductor optical energy conversion devices such as solar cells by providing a translucent frequency shifting supporting member with appropriate doping such as Al.sub.2 O.sub.3 :Cr.sup.+3 (Ruby) that is capable of shifting the wavelength of incident light energy in the direction of greatest efficiency of the semiconductor device. The efficiency can be further enhanced by providing a crystal perfection accommodation region between the active region of the device and the light frequency shifting substrate.

Abstract: A technique for fabricating a semiconductor heterostructure by growth of a ternary semiconductor on a binary semiconductor substrate from a melt of the ternary semiconductor containing less than saturation of at least one common ingredient of both the binary and ternary semiconductors wherein in a single temperature step the binary semiconductor substrate is etched, a p-n junction with specific device characteristics is produced in the binary semiconductor substrate by diffusion of a dopant from the melt and a region of the ternary semiconductor of precise conductivity type and thickness is grown by virtue of a change in the melt characteristics when the etched binary semiconductor enters the melt.

Abstract: A process for producing light emitting diodes is disclosed. In the process a primer layer of GaP is pyrolytically deposited on a Si substrate with the resulting epitaxial film thickness being sufficient to form complete coalescence of the epitaxial nuclei, but thin enough to avoid cracks in the epitaxial layer due to stress induced by thermal expansion. The thickness is generally between 1-2.mu. . A second layer of GaP is then deposited using the standard halide transport process with thicknesses of 10-20.mu. with the graded addition of AsH.sub.3, until the particularly desired design composition of GaAsP is obtained. A constant layer of GaAsP is grown on the graded layer.