Cause and prevention of high reverse currents in large-area high-voltage diffused-silicon rectifiers

A detailed account (including 20 literature references) of work directed towards the identification and classification of deleterious phenomena associated with the contamination of silicon by "non significant impurities", (viz., any element other than those of Groups III and V of the periodic table) and towards the development of methods of removing them. It is believed that the controlled addition of these elements may in future be turned to the advantage of the device makers. The paper includes an account of reverse leakage and breakdown, the nature of soft and hard junctions, and chemical and physical gettering.