Verfahren zum Entfernen der bei der Epitaxie auf dem Heizer abgeschiedenen Halbleiterschicht

Semi-conductor material deposited on a support is removed by heating in an atmosphere consisting of or containing a halogen or halogen compound which decomposes to give a halogen. At least the surface of the support is made of a material other than the deposited semi-conductor material and less susceptible to reaction with halogen or hydrogen halide than the deposited semi-conductor. The semi-conductor deposit has formed during the deposition of layers of semi-conductor on semi-conductor members (e.g. discs) disposed on the heated support by thermal decomposition of a gaseous compound of the semi-conductor. The support may be made of another semi-conductor material, e.g. Si, SiC, or graphite. The semi-conductor deposit may be Ge, Si, AIIIBv or AIIBVI compounds. The halogen compounds may be hydrogen halides, e.g. HCl possibly with H2, or halides or hydrohalides of the semi-conductor deposit, e.g. SiCl4, SiHCl3, possibly mixed with a rare gas. Halogens specified are Cl2 and I2.