Method of producing semiconductor devices with minority charge carriers

Abstract

A method of fabricating semiconductor devices having a long lifetime for the minority charge carriers by applying a voltage across one electrode composed of a piece of intrinsic semiconductor material and another electrode composed of an alloy including an impurity. The two electrodes are moved into proximity to cause an arc to be drawn therebetween which etches out a region of the semiconductor and in turn vaporizes the alloy which is deposited and implanted in the etched region to form a junction device. In one form of device produced in accordance with the process a series of regions alternately of opposite conductivity (P and N) type are formed on the semiconductor in spaced relationship and the device is positioned in electrical contact with the surface of a semiconductor dielectric waveguide. The P and N regions of the device are electrically biased to cause a controllable excess minority carrier density making the device highly conductive and capable of changing the wavelength of a signal transmitted through the waveguide to effect a desired phase shift.