Nondestructive testing of semiconductor materials

A method of forming a rectifying contact comprising:

• treating a surface of an n-type region in a semiconductor body with an oxidizing agent at a temperature greater than room temperature;
• rubbing said treated surface with cotton-like means soaked in alcohol;
• placing mercury into contact with said treated surface;
• determining whether a leakage current responsive to a negative electrical bias of the mercury with respect to said region exceeds a predetermined value;
• and
• breaking said contact and re-establishing said contact for as long as the leakage current exceeds the predetermined value.

A method of forming a rectifying contact comprising:

• treating a surface of an n-type region in a silicon semiconductor body with an oxidant at an elevated temperature;
• placing mercury which is electrically negatively biased with respect to said region into contact with said treated surface;
• measuring a leakage current responsive to the negative bias of the mercury with respect to said region to determine whether the leakage current exceeds a predetermined desirable value;
• and
• breaking said contact and re-establishing said contact to lower said leakage current toward said predetermined desirable value.

A method of nondestructively testing characteristics of an n-type region adjacent to a surface of a semiconductor body comprising:

• treating said surface in an oxidant to form an oxide of a thickness in a range between 10 and 20 Angstrom units;
• contacting said treated surface with mercury having a negative bias voltage with respect to such region;
• comparing a reverse leakage current flowing across said contacted, treated surface to a desired value;
• and
• breaking said contact between said mercury and said contacted, treated surface and repeating the steps of contacting and comparing for as long as said leakage current exceeds said desired value, and testing said characteristics upon said reverse leakage current being equal to or less than said desired value.