Abstract: Effluent process gases, particularly those employed in the production and processing of solid state electronic components, are cracked to form products having a condensed phase, which may be separated from the flowing process gas. A plasma trap comprises a high frequency coil for producing a plasma therein. The walls of the trap may be cooled and the trap may employ a removable wall on which the cracked product collects. Particular gases that may be treated are arsine, phosphine, disilane, silane, germane, organometallics and gases containing beryllium and boron.

Abstract: Accurate metered amounts of Pnictide.sub.4 species are delivered via an argon carrier gas into an evacuated sputtering deposition chamber. The pnictide is maintained at a high temperature in a tall column by means of a constant temperature oil bath. An inert gas, such as argon, is passed through the column of Pnictide and the Pnictide.sub.4 enriched carrier gas delivered to the vacuum chamber. Films of pnictide, polypnictide, and other pnictide compounds may be deposited for semiconductor, thin film transistors, and other applications including insulation and passivation, particularly on III-V semiconductors. The local order of the deposited films may be controlled by varying the amount of energy delivered to the surface of the substrate, which is a function of its temperature, the RF power used, and the amount of excess P.sub.4 supplied. The pnictides used in the invention may include phosphorus, arsenic and antimony. Phosphorous and KP.sub.15, and KP.sub.x wherein x ranges from 15 to infinity are discussed.

Abstract: Thin film field effect transistors utilize MP.sub.x as the active switched semiconductor where M is at least one alkali metal, P is at least one pnictide, and x ranges from 15 to infinity. Phosphorus is preferred as the dominant pnictide and potassium is preferred as the dominant alkali metal. The local order of the semiconductors may vary from an all parallel pentagonal tube-like structure to a layer-like puckered sheet structure. The all parallel pentagonal tube structure is preferred. Metal insulated semiconductor (MISFETS) and metal semiconductor (MESFETS) field effect transistors are disclosed. The semiconductor is preferably doped with up to approximately 1/2% nickel, iron, or chromium, to reduce the density of defect levels in the bandgap without increasing the conductivity. The semiconductors may be doped with 1/2-1% of the same metals to increase conductivity so as to provide normally ON devices.

Abstract: Pnictide thin films, particularly phosphorus, grown on III-V semiconductors, particularly InP, GaP, and GaAs, are amorphous and have a novel layer-like, puckered sheet-like local order. The thin films are typically 400 Angstroms thick and grown preferably by molecular beam deposition, although other processes such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, chemical vapor deposition, and deposition from a liquid melt may be used. The layers are grown on the <100> <110>, and <111> surfaces of the III-V crystals. The pnictide layer reduces the density of surface states, and allows the depletion layer to be modulated, the surface barrier reduced, the electron concentration at the surface increased, and there is a decrease in the surface recombination velocity and an increase in the photoluminescence intensity.

Abstract: Thin film field effect transistors utilize MP.sub.x as the active switched semiconductor where M is at least one alkali metal, P is at least one pnictide, and x ranges from 15 to infinity. Phosphorus is preferred as the dominant pnictide and potassium is preferred as the dominant alkali metal. The local order of the semiconductors may vary from an all parallel pentagonal tube-like structure to a layer-like puckered sheet structure. The all parallel pentagonal tube structure is preferred. Metal insulated semiconductor (MISFETS) and metal semiconductor (MESFETS) field effect transistors are disclosed. The semiconductor is preferably doped with up to approximately 1/2% nickel, iron, or chromium, to reduce the density of defect levels in the bandgap without increasing the conductivity. The semiconductors may be doped with 1/2-1% of the same metals to increase conductivity so as to provide normally ON devices.

Abstract: Amorphous and polycrystalline films of KP.sub.15 are formed by RF diode sputtering targets of KP.sub.15 and excess phosphorus in an argon phase. Substrate temperatures up to 280.degree.-300.degree. C. provide amorphous films. Higher temperatures provide microcrystalline or polycrystalline films. These films have high resistance and may be used as the insulator in MIS devices employing III-V semiconductors. Co-sputtering with nickel increases the conductivity of the films from approximately 10.sup.-10 (ohm-cm).sup.-1 to 10.sup.-2 (ohm-cm).sup.-1 ; only reduces the optical gap by 0.2 eV; and reduces the activation energy from 0.8 eV to 0.2 eV; the nickel content varying from 5-15%. Substrates include glass, silicon, tantalum, stainless steel, gallium phosphide and gallium arsenide, and glass metallized with metals such as titanium, nickel and aluminum.