Patent ID: 7927980

Claim:
A method for forming a growth mask on the surface of an initial crystalline substrate to form a growth window on the initial crystalline substrate, comprising: forming a continuous layer of second material on one of the faces of the initial substrate of first material, forming a pattern in the thickness of the layer of second material so as to expose zones of said face of the initial substrate, said zones forming the growth windows on the initial crystalline substrate, wherein the pattern is obtained by performing an ion implantation in the surface layer of the initial substrate underlying the continuous layer of second material, the implantation conditions being such that they cause, directly or after a heat treatment, the appearance of exfoliated zones of first material on said face of the initial substrate, leading to the localized removal of the zones of second material covering the exfoliated zones of first material, thereby locally exposing the initial substrate and forming growth windows on the initial crystalline substrate.