NOVELTY - The method involves forming a sacrificial phosphide-containing layer (14) on an upper surface of a base substrate (10) e.g. germanium containing semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor device layer (16) is formed on an upper surface of the sacrificial phosphide-containing layer. The sacrificial phosphide-containing layer is removed from between the semiconductor device layer and the base substrate, where the removing comprises etching with a non-Hafnium (HF) containing acid etchant. A semiconductor buffer layer is formed between the substrate and the phosphide-containing layer.    USE - Method for releasing a semiconductor device layer from an underlying base substrate during manufacturing of a thin-film semiconductor device. Uses include but are not limited to a transistor, capacitor, diode, BiCMOS, resistor, component of photovoltaic cell and a component of solar cell.    ADVANTAGE - The method enables allowing a protection layer to include thermal growth or deposition between the sacrificial phosphide-containing layer and the semiconductor device layer so as to prevent the semiconductor device layer from being etched by the non-HF etchant and to accelerate etching rate.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The non-HF etchant is a non-HF containing acid selected from a group consisting of hydrogen chloride, hydrogen bromide and hydrogen iodide and mixtures. The semiconductor device layer is made of single crystalline material, III-V/II-VI compound semiconductor material e.g. silicon, germanium or germanium alloy, silicon germanium, silicon germanium carbide, silicon carbide, Gallium antimonide, gallium phosphide, gallium arsenide, indium arsenide and Indium phosphide, and semiconductor-on-insulator material e.g. silicon-on-insulator material and silicon-germanium-on-insulator material. The base substrate is made of germanium-containing semiconductor material i.e. silicon-germanium, and III-V compound semiconductor material e.g. gallium arsenide, Indium phosphide, aluminum arsenide, Gallium antimonide, Gallium nitride, indium gallium arsenide, indium gallium nitride, indium gallium phosphide, aluminum gallium indium phosphide and aluminum gallium indium antimonide. The semiconductor buffer layer is made of III-V compound semiconductor material. The sacrificial phosphide-containing layer is formed of indium aluminum phosphide, indium gallium phosphide, indium arsenide phosphide, indium gallium aluminum phosphide, indium gallium arsenide phosphide, indium phosphide and phosphide-containing alloys.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The drawing shows a cross-sectional view of an initial structure including a base substrate.    Base substrate (10)    Sacrificial phosphide-containing layer (14)    Semiconductor device layer (16)