A method for producing a planar semiconductor surface includes forming a workpiece that has a carrier substrate, one or more insulating layers, a semiconductor layer, a first etch stop layer, and a second etch stop layer; forming a contact on the workpiece; biasing the workpiece to a second voltage through the contact; etching the second etch stop layer and part of the first etch stop layer with a photo-electrochemical etching and the second voltage that selectively removes the second etch stop layer faster than the first etch stop layer; biasing the workpiece to a first voltage through the contact; and etching the first etch stop layer and part of the semiconductor layer with the photo-electrochemical etching and the first voltage that selectively removes the first etch stop layer faster than the semiconductor layer to produce a semiconductor device with a planar surface on the semiconductor layer.

A process for manufacturing a silicon carbide device from a body of silicon carbide having a back surface, wherein a first layer of a first metal is formed on the back surface of the body; a second layer of a second metal, different from the first metal, is formed on the first layer to form a multilayer, the first or the second metal being nickel or a nickel alloy and forming a nickel-based layer, another of the first or the second metal being a metal X, capable to form stable compounds with carbon and forming an X-based layer; and the multilayer is annealed to form a mixed layer including nickel silicide and at least one of X carbide or a metal X-carbon ternary compound.

A part is adapted to be used in a semiconductor processing equipment. The part includes a substrate and a protective coating. The protective coating covers at least a part of the substrate, is made of silicon carbide, and has an atomic ratio of carbon in the protective coating increases in a direction away from the substrate while an atomic ratio of silicon in the protective coating decreases in the direction. The atomic ratio of silicon in the protective coating is larger than that of the carbon near the substrate, and the atomic ratio of silicon in the protective coating is smaller than that of carbon near the outer surface of the protective coating. A method for making the part is also provided.