Method of forming a layer of doped crystalline semiconductor alloy material

A method for the low temperature fabrication of doped polycrystalline semiconductor alloy material comprising the steps of:

• providing an evacuable enclosure, said enclosure including a first electrode and a second, spacedly disposed substrate electrode;
• providing a substrate having a body of amorphous semiconductor alloy material thereupon, and disposing said substrate upon said substrate electrode;
• evacuating said enclosure to sub-atmospheric pressure;
• introducing a reaction gas into the interior of said enclosure, said reaction gas comprising a diluent gas and a precursor dopant gas;
• establishing an electrical potential between said first and said second electrodes, said electrical potential being sufficient to decompose said precursor dopant gas and sputter-etch at least a portion of said amorphous semiconductor alloy material from said substrate;
• depositing a layer of doped amorphous semiconductor alloy material from said decomposed dopant gas and sputter-etched semiconductor alloy material upon said body of amorphous semiconductor alloy material without providing an external gaseous source of semiconductor material;
• and
• subjecting said doped amorphous semiconductor alloy material coated body of amorphous semiconductor alloy material to an activation energy sufficient to at least partially crystallize the doped layer thereof and incorporate the dopant element into the matrix of the crystallized layer.