Abstract: The present invention provides for a wet etch and method for preparing a semiconductor device structure from a silicon carbide wafer. A first embodiment of the wet etch comprises a vessel, a tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol and potassium nitrite etching solution within the vessel, an electrode, a wafer support for positioning at least a portion of the silicon carbide wafer within the etching solution, and a voltage source coupled with the electrode and the wafer support. A second embodiment of the wet etch comprises a wafer carrier for holding at least one wafer, a polishing plate adjacent the wafer carrier, a voltage source having a first terminal electrically coupled with the wafer and a second terminal electrically coupled with the polishing plate, and an applicator adjacent the polishing plate for depositing an etching solution on a surface of the polishing plate.

Abstract: A method for epitaxially growing a-axis .alpha.-SiC on an a-axis substrate is provided. A section is formed from the SiC crystal by making a pair of parallel cuts in the crystal. Each of these cuts is parallel to the c-axis of the crystal. The resulting section formed from the crystal has opposing a-face surfaces parallel to the c-axis of the crystal. A gas mixture having hydrocarbon and silane is passed over one of the a-face surfaces of the section. The hydrocarbon and silane react on this a-face surface to form an epitaxial layer of SiC. Preferably, the SiC is grown at a temperature of approximately 1450.degree. C.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is described for activating implants in gallium arsenide incorporating crushed gallium arsenide and hydrogen to form a gas mixture to provide an atmosphere for the gallium arsenide to be activated and a furnace for heating the crushed gallium arsenide to a first temperature and the gallium arsenide to be activated to a second temperature. The invention overcomes the problem of wafer loss at the surface by evaporation during anneal and activation of gallium arsenide.