Application of hydrogen ion beams to Silicon On Insulator material technology

A new application for proton ion beams in the field of Silicon On Insulator material (SOI) technology is reported. In this technology, based on hydrophillic wafer bonding and referred to as ''Smart-Cut'', heat treatment induces an in-depth micro-slicing of one of two bonded wafers previously implanted with hydrogen. The principle of this process involves the basic mechanisms associated with high fluence proton implantation in materials, such as blistering, flaking and exfoliation. The intrinsic properties of this process lead to very high crystalline quality of the SOI layers and very good thickness uniformity. After presentation of the process details and the underlying physical aspects, the main characteristics of the Smart-Cut technology and first physical and electrical characterizations are reported.