Abstract: A field effect transistor having a gate on the bottom of a groove in a body of semiconductor material with the source and drain being on a surface at opposite sides of the groove is made by first forming a recess in the surface of the semiconductor body. A metal layer is then coated on the surface of the semiconductor body and on the surfaces of the recess. A layer of a photoresist is then coated over the metal layer. The photoresist is then exposed to a beam of light whose rays extend along a path which is at a very small angle with respect to the surface of the semiconductor body to fully expose a narrow portion of the photoresist layer at one edge of the recess. The fully exposed portion of the photoresist layer is removed to expose a narrow area of the metal layer along the edge of the recess. The exposed portion of the metal layer is then removed and a groove is formed in the portion of the surface of the semiconductor material exposed by removing a portion of the material layer.

Abstract: A semiconductor device package comprises a plurality of walls extending from a base member which has a pellet mounting surface associated therewith. The walls form an enclosure and each one of the walls has a lid receiving surface associated therewith. All of the lid receiving surfaces lie in a single geometric plane which intersects the geometric plane of the pellet mounting surface at an included angle of less than about 90.degree.. External leads protrude into the enclosures through one of the walls. A lid can be affixed to the lid receiving surfaces to hermetically seal the enclosure. The package is particularly useful when made to conform to the dimensions of the well known TO-220 package.

Abstract: A method of optically measuring the concentration of carriers in a doped region of a semiconductor wafer includes the step of selectively introducing conductivity modifiers into both the wafer and a test substrate simultaneously to form respectively the doped region in the wafer and a diffraction grating pattern in the substrate including periodically-spaced doped strips. The diffraction grating pattern is exposed to a beam of monochromatic light, and the intensity of one of the diffracted beams is measured, whereby the magnitude thereof is a measure of the carrier concentration in the doped region.

Abstract: A semiconductor wafer is cleansed of loose foreign surface matter and chemical impurities near the surface in an apparatus which passes superheated steam over the wafer. Condensate is permitted to form and drip off the wafer. After rising above 100.degree. C. the wafer becomes dry, and is removed from the apparatus and then permitted to cool.

Abstract: An apparatus for simultaneously processing a plurality of substrates comprises at least one novel chamber wherein at least one processing step is performed. Each chamber contains a plurality of spindles each having a substrate receiving surface upon which a substrate may be placed. Each of the spindles is at a different height from the floor of the chamber. Preferably the spindles are aligned in a single row according to height. Further, the chamber is provided with means for dispensing processing materials thereinto. The apparatus further comprises means for delivering a plurality of substrates to and from the processing chamber.

Abstract: A laser diode formed of a rectangular parallelopiped body of single crystalline semiconductor material includes regions of opposite conductivity type indium phosphide extending to opposite surfaces of the body. Within the body is a PN junction at which light can be generated. A stripe of a conductive material is on the surface of the body to which the P type region extends and forms an ohmic contact with the P type region. The stripe is spaced from the side surfaces of the body and extends to the end surfaces of the body. A film of germanium is on the portions of the surface of the P type region which is not covered by the conductive stripe. The germanium film serves to conduct heat from the body and forms a blocking junction with the P type region so as to confine the current through the body, across the light generating PN junction, away from the side surfaces of the body.

Abstract: A complementary MOS inverter includes transistors each of which has a dual gate structure with the threshold voltage of the channel nearest the drain of each transistor arranged to be lower than that of the channel nearest the source of each transistor. This arrangement provides the cascode characteristics of dual gate structure, i.e., high breakdown voltage, high voltage gain, low drain output conductance, and relatively fast frequency response, but allows all four gate electrodes of the transistors to be connected in common, thus enabling relatively simple layout.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material of an injection laser device, capable of operating at a power level up to a few milliwatts per micrometer of emitting width, has two opposed facet surfaces. On at least one of the facet surfaces is a protection layer of an insulating material having an optical thickness equal to approximately one-half the vacuum wavelength of the optical radiation emitted by the device.

Abstract: An improved process of forming planar silicon-on-sapphire MOS integrated circuit devices by a local oxidation process in which portions of a silicon layer on a sapphire substrate are thermally oxidized throughout the thickness of the layer to provide interdevice dielectric isolation and a substantially planar topology includes a step of ion implanting phosphorus, boron, or a combination thereof into the silicon prior to the thermal oxidation step. The implanted impurities have a stabilizing effect on the devices thereafter built in the remaining silicon.

Abstract: A semiconductor structure from which various types of active semiconductor devices can be formed is made of a semiconductor island on a transparent substrate, having thereon an electrically insulating layer of a protective material, such as silicon dioxide, which extends onto and covers the sides of the semiconductor island. The protective layer can either cover only the sides of the semiconductor island or extend over the top edge of the island. The protective layer is made by etching through a photoresist mask made of a negatively reacting photoresist which is formed by exposure to irradiation from beneath the uncovered surface of the substrate, whereby the thickness of the silicon island and the flux density of the irradiation are selected so that for a particular duration, the irradiation is completely attenuated by the semiconductor island.

Abstract: A contact on a surface of a semiconductor device includes a post projecting from the surface of the device and a head on the post. The post has a transverse cross-sectional shape of at least three arms projecting radially from a common center point. The head has a cross-sectional area larger than the transverse cross-sectional area of the post. The post is on the surface of a body of semiconductor material and extends through a layer of an inorganic insulating material, such as an oxide or nitride, on the surface of the body. The post is of a height such that the head is spaced from the inorganic insulating material layer. A layer of an organic insulating material, such as a polyimide or silicone resin, may be provided on the inorganic insulating material layer and around the post to provide additional support for the head.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device having a passivating overcoat of insulating material disposed thereover comprises treating the overcoat with a silane solution prior to encapsulating the device.

Abstract: Insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs) having closed gate geometries and controlled avalanche characteristics are described. The shape of the closed geometry gate is altered from the rectangular shape used heretofore in order to thereby alter the shape of the drain of the transistor and to control its avalanche characteristics.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes circuit elements having relatively different performance characteristics in which buried regions having different chemical elements are used to autodope an epitaxial layer to different degrees.

Abstract: A body of semiconductor material having a layer of an oxide on a surface thereof is subjected to a negative corona discharge in air to deposit a negative charge on the outer surface of the oxide. This results in an immobile positive charge at the interface between the oxide layer and the semiconductor body. The amount of this positive charge, which can be measured by standard MOS capacitance measurements, indicates the radiation hardness of the device.

Abstract: An electroluminescent semiconductor element is mounted in a housing with an optical fiber extending from the semiconductor element through an opening in the housing and projecting slightly beyond the housing. A plastic material completely surrounds the projecting portion of the optical fiber except for the adjacent end surface of the fiber. The plastic material secures the fiber to the housing, rigidly supports the projecting end portion of the fiber, and seals the opening in the housing through which the fiber extends. The end surface of the fiber is polished to permit emission of light emanating from the semiconductor element.

Abstract: A floating gate semiconductor device is described wherein the floating gate member does not extend completely across the channel region and thus avoids alignment with the edges of the source and drain regions. The lateral displacement of the edge of the floating gate from the drain region permits stored charge on the drain to be undisturbed in the event avalanche breakdown occurs at the channel-drain junction.

Abstract: A furnace boat has a plurality of wells therein. A first slide movably extends through the boat along and across the bottom of the wells. The first slide carries a substrate on which layers of semiconductor material are to be deposited. A second slide movable extends through the boat and across the wells adjacent the open tops of the wells. The second slide supports the starter deposition materials. A wafer extends partially across each well adjacent each slide, and an inclined guide plate extends partially across each well from adjacent the second slide to an edge of the wafer. Molten deposition material is deposited from the second slide onto the inclined guide plate and rolls into an end of the space between the wafer and the substrate carried on the first slide. The deposition material is then sucked into the space between the wafer and substrate by capillary action. Upon cooling the furnace boat, the semiconductor material will deposit from the deposition material onto the substrate.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a region of polycrystalline silicon on a portion of the surface of a body of semiconductor material. A layer of oxidized polycrystalline silicon is also on the semiconductor material body and extends to the polycrystalline silicon region. The surface of the silicon oxide layer is substantially coplanar with the surface of the polycrystalline silicon region so that a metal film conductor can be easily provided over the semiconductor device. The polycrystalline silicon region may be the gate of an MOS transistor or a conductive region of any type of semiconductor device. The semiconductor device is made by forming a polycrystalline silicon layer over the semiconductor material body, forming a mask on a portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer, reducing the thickness of the unmasked portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer and then oxidizing the unmasked portion of the polycrystalline silicon layer to form the oxide layer.

Abstract: A layer of germanium on a body of P type conductivity single crystal indium phosphide provides a blocking heterojunction. This device will emit light when a suitable voltage is placed thereacross or the device can be used as a photoconductor to generate electrons when light is directed thereon.