Liquid epitaxial process for producing three-dimensional semiconductor structures

A spin liquid-phase epitaxy process for manufacturing a multi-layer semi-conductive circuit structure having high structural perfection and low mechanical stresses, said circuit structure layers each having a circuit-active component and being separately connectable in a circuit, said process comprising the steps of:

• a) providing a semiconductor substrate for growth of an epitaxial layer of high structural perfection, said substrate having a surface, said surface being crystallographic oriented in such a fashion that, during crystal growth, crystal growth velocity is smaller perpendicularly to said surface as compared to crystal growth velocity parallel to said surface and having a masked pattern disposed on said surface and exposing areas of said surface, said mask pattern having mask pattern portions masking areas of said surface and narrow intermediate spaces between said mask portions, said intermediate spaces being narrower than said mask portions whereby said surface is exposed in said spaces to have an exposed area less than that of said masked areas;
• b) providing a liquid solution of a semiconductor material in a solvent;
• c) in a spin liquid-phase epitaxy growth step, causing said solution to flow over said substrate by means of centrifugal forces, to grow an epitaxial layer of said semiconductor material, with high structural perfection, on said exposed surfaces and laterally over said mask pattern, said mask pattern and epitaxial layer thereby forming a semiconductor circuit structure layer;
• d) repeating said steps a)-c) with said circuit structure layer formed by the first iteration of step c) employed as said substrate for a subsequent iteration of step a) until the desired number of circuit structure layers is formed;
• and
• e) providing each said circuit structure layer with contact means for individual connection of said layers in said circuit.