Scribe‐Plating and ‐Etching

Abstract

A technique is described which permits the fabrication of miniature and microminiature ohmic and doped contacts in complex configurations on a variety of semiconductor materials. This technique involves the preferential nucleation of chemiplated and electroplated metals on microscopically fine lines scribed on semiconductor surfaces and the preferential etching of similarly scribed lines. Lines of the order of 10−4 cm have been plated with a variety of metals including doping elements. Scribe plating has yielded p‐n junctions and offers promise of the fabrication of p‐n junction devices considerably smaller than those currently available. This technique is also potentially useful in the fabrication of conventionally sized devices, some of which are described. Suggestions are advanced for the use of this technique in both microminiature and other device fabrication.