Abstract of the Disclosure

Silicon transistors containing both conductivity type zones produced by diffusion, and diffused gold to control minority carrier lifetime, are subjected to a very brief, high temperature, terminal heat treatment. Typically this heat treatment is at a temperature of from 1000 to 1100 degrees centigrade for a period of up to about 30 seconds. This treatment distributes previously introduced gold to more effective locations within the device without deleteriously affecting diffused PS junctions. Subsequent processing involves only lower temperatures, less than about 600 degrees centigrade.

• a flow chart of the steps in a typical transistor fabrication process including this invention.

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