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Abstract

Semiconductor dopant sources are prepared by mixing particles of elemental silicon and at least one dopant oxide and heating the mixture to a temperature sufficient to initiate a reduction reaction while excluding external oxygen sources from affecting the reaction. The reaction can be initiated in a furnace, provided the gaseous ambient is controlled, or can be initiated in air if the mixture is heated sufficiently rapidly, e.g. by heating with electromagnetic energy at microwave frequencies. The dopant source produced includes a fused, amorphous matrix of silicon-oxygen-dopant atoms containing inclusions of elemental dopant and, preferably, inclusions of elemental silicon. Embodiments of sources prepared from antimony trioxide slowly evolve antimony, have a long life and repeatedly and predictably dope silicon at commerically useful levels.

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