Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Brian K Fuller

Dale Lee Partin

Frederick E Pinkerton

Gary L Doll

Stephen Joel Harris

Bruno P Lequesne

Anita Miriam Weiner

Jackson G Gay

The invention generally includes a new technique for making cubic boron nitride films with low contamination from other forms of boron nitride such as hexagonal and amorphous boron nitride. Films including either hexagonal or amorphous boron nitride are etched in a gas atmosphere including a halogen and/or hydrocarbon radical, preferably a methyl radical (CH.sub.3 ). Such atmospheres may be a plasma etching atmosphere also including hydrogen and hydrogen atoms. The etching technique is successful in removing hexagonal or amorphous boron nitride and leaving cubic boron nitride, or in converting hexagonal or amorphous boron nitride into cubic boron nitride, thus increasing the concentration of cubic boron nitride in the film. Interestingly, little or no etching of hexagonal or amorphous boron nitride occurs using only hydrogen or hydrogen atoms.

Etching technique for producing cubic boron nitride films

A magnetic field sensor, such as a magnetoresistor, includes a strip of a layer of a high electron mobility semiconductor whose electrical characteristics vary when a magnetic field is applied thereto on the surface of a body (substrate) of an insulating layer. Conductive contacts are on the strip at the ends thereof and conductive shorting bars are on and spaced along the strip to divide the strip into active regions. The body is mounted on a permanent magnet assembly which includes a magnet and a layer of a ferromagnetic material with the ferromagnetic material extending over the strip. The ferromagnetic layer is in close proximity to only the strip and, more preferably, to only the active regions of the strip so as to confine the magnetic field to the strip.

Integrated magnetic field sensor

A light emitting semiconducting structure is formed over a light reflecting surface using epitaxial growth techniques. The light reflecting surface is provided by an appropriate metal layer intermediately disposed between two dielectric layers, this multi-layer structure is disposed intermediate between an underlying substrate and the overlaying light emitting semiconducting components. The light reflecting surface provides enhanced photon reflectance for the light emitting device. The active region of the light emitting device is formed using epitaxial growth techniques.

Light emitting semiconductor having a rear reflecting surface

Method of making a light emitting semiconductor having a rear reflecting

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Washington, MI, United States of America

Brian K Fuller