Patent ID: 7176514

Claim:
A method for producing a thin dielectric layer on a substrate, which comprises: providing a substrate substantially of a conductive substrate material that can be oxidized to form a nonconductive substrate follow-up material; applying the dielectric layer to the substrate at least in sections on the substrate by depositing the dielectric layer initially as an amorphous layer and then subjecting the dielectric layer to a crystallization process, the dielectric layer in contact with the substrate and having electrically conductive defects, the dielectric layer being formed of a dielectric material different from the nonconductive substrate follow-up material; introducing the substrate having the dielectric layer into an electrolyte-filled electrochemical cell having first and second electrodes; electrically connecting the first electrode to the substrate and electrically connecting the second electrode with the electrolyte; producing an electrical potential between the first and second electrodes and then: controlling a current flow between the electrolyte and the substrate in an electrochemical process, the current flow being established through the dielectric layer in regions of the defects; and by an electrochemical reaction, chemically altering the substrate material exclusively in regions adjoining the defects and converting the chemically altered substrate material into the substrate follow-up material.