Using a low-temperature wafer bonding process, InP substrates are bonded to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates at 220 degrees C. A combination of oxygen plasma and chemical treatment results in a direct contact bonding at room temperature. After the bonding process at 220 degrees C for 45 min, removal of the Si handle substrate by sacrificial etching of the buried oxide layer in SOI, results in a thin membrane of Si robustly bonded to InP. The thin Si membrane bonded to InP shows uniformly bonded interface under high-resolution electron microscopy. Micro-Raman analysis has also been carried out to study the bonded interface. I-V characteristics of the bonded structures suggest that such bonding and layer transfer processes are suitable for device integration. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.