Glass-based SOI structures

• US 7,176,528 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 02/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Corning Incorporated
• Inventors: Gadkaree, Kishor P., Couillard, James G., Mach, Joseph F.
• Primary Examiner(s): SARKAR, ASOK K
• Application Number:
  US10/779,582
• Publication Number:
  US 20040229444A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 257/347, 257/E27.112, 257/E21.48, 438/455
• US Class Current: 257/347
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2007 Bonding of semiconductor wafers to insulating substrates or to semiconducting substrates using an intermediate insulating layer H01L21/2011 takes precedence; bonding of semiconductor wafers to semiconductor wafers for junction formation H01L21/187
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond

Abstract

Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) structures, including large area SOI structures, are provided which have one or more regions composed of a layer (15) of a substantially single-crystal semiconductor (e.g., doped silicon) attached to a support substrate (20) composed of an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic. The oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic is preferably transparent and preferably has a strain point of less than 1000° C., a resistivity at 250° C. that is less than or equal to 10¹⁶ Ω-cm, and contains positive ions (e.g., alkali or alkaline-earth ions) which can move within the glass or glass-ceramic in response to an electric field at elevated temperatures (e.g., 300–1000° C.). The bond strength between the semiconductor layer (15) and the support substrate (20) is preferably at least 8 joules/meter². The semiconductor layer (15) can include a hybrid region (16) in which the semiconductor material has reacted with oxygen ions originating from the glass or glass-ceramic. The support substrate (20) preferably includes a depletion region (23) which has a reduced concentration of the mobile positive ions.

Claims

1. A semiconductor-on-insulator layered structure comprising a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material (material S) and an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions (material G), wherein at least a part of the structure comprises in order:

material S;

material S with an enhanced oxygen content;

material G with a reduced positive ion concentration having substantially no modifier positive ions;

material G with an enhanced positive ion concentration of modifier positive ions, including at least one alkaline earth modifier ion from the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration; and

material G.

2. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the at least one type of positive ion comprises an alkali ion.

3. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the at least one type of positive ion comprises an alkaline-earth ion.

4. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1, wherein the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic has a 0–

300°

C. coefficient of thermal expansion CTE and a 250°

C. resistivity ρ

which satisfy the relationships;

5×

10<sup>−

7</sup>/°

C.≦

CTE≦

75×

10<sup>−

7</sup>/°

C., and

ρ

≦

10¹⁶ Ω

-cm,

said oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic having a strain point of less than 1,000°

C.

5. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1, wherein a degree to which the modifier positive ions are absent from the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration, and a degree to which the modifier positive ions exist in the material G with an enhanced positive ion concentration, are such that substantially no ion re-migration from the material G into the material S may occur.

6. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the thickness of material S is less than 10 microns.

7. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the bond strength between material S and material G is at least 8 joules/meter².

8. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in material G is less than 1.0 weight percent and material S has a maximum dimension greater than 10 centimeters.

9. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 8 wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in material G is less than 0.1 weight percent.

10. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein material G is transparent.

11. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 further comprising an amorphous or polycrystalline semiconductor material attached to material G.

12. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the substantially single-crystal semiconductor material is a silicon-based material.

13. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the substantially single-crystal semiconductor material comprises silicon and germanium.

14. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the substantially single-crystal semiconductor material comprises silicon and carbon.

15. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein:

CTE₁−

20×

10<sup>−

7</sup>/°

C.≦

CTE₂≦

CTE₁+20×

10<sup>−

7</sup>/°

C.

where CTE₁ is the 0°

C. coefficient of thermal expansion of the substantially single-crystal semiconductor material and CTE₂ is the 0–

300°

C. coefficient of thermal expansion of the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic.

16. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic is silica-based.

17. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1, wherein:

(i) the glass or glass-ceramic comprises one or more of the following modifier positive ions;

Li⁺¹, Na⁺¹, K⁺¹, Cs⁺¹, Mg⁺², Ca⁺², Sr⁺², and/or Ba⁺² (the alkali/alkaline-earth ions); and

(ii) the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration is substantially depleted of all of said one or more alkali/alkaline-earth ions.

18. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 17, wherein:

the material S and material S with an enhanced oxygen content is a first layer;

the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration, the material G with an enhanced positive ion concentration, and the material G is a second layer; and

the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration has a thickness δ

_D which satisfies the relationship;

δ

_D≧

10 nanometers,

where δ

_D is a distance between a first face of the second layer and a surface which

     1) is within the second layer,

     2) is substantially parallel to the first face of the second layer, and

     3) is the surface farthest from the first face of the second layer for which the following relationship is satisfied for at least one of the alkali/alkaline-earth ions which the glass or glass-ceramic contains;

C_i(x)/C_i/Ref≦

0.5, 0≦

x≦

δ

_D,

where;

C_i(x) is the concentration of said at least one alkali/alkaline-earth ion as a function of distance x from the first face of the second layer, and

C_i(x) and C_i/Ref are in atomic percent.

19. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 18 wherein:

δ

_D≦

1000 nanometers.

20. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the material S and material S with an enhanced oxygen content is a first layer having a thickness D_S which satisfies the relationship:

10 nanometers≦

D_S≦

500 nanometers.

21. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1, wherein:

the material S and material S with an enhanced oxygen content is a first layer;

the material G with a reduced positive ion concentration, the material G with an enhanced positive ion concentration, and the material G is a second layer; and

the first and second layers are directly attached to one another.

22. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 21 wherein the second layer has a thickness D₂ which is greater than or equal to 1 micron.

23. A semiconductor-on-insulator layered structure comprising a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material (material S) and an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions (material G), wherein at least a part of the structure comprises in order:

material S;

material S with an enhanced oxygen content;

material G with a reduced modifier positive ion concentration;

material G with an enhanced modifier positive ion concentration; and

material G,

wherein the material G with the reduced modifier positive ion concentration is operable to inhibit ion re-migration from the material G into the material S.

24. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 23, wherein the modifier positive ions include at least one of:

Li⁺¹, Na⁺¹, K⁺¹, Cs⁺¹, Mg⁺², Ca⁺², Sr⁺², and/or Ba⁺².

25. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 24, wherein the material G with a reduced modifier positive ion concentration is substantially depleted of all of said alkali/alkaline-earth ions.

26. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 23, wherein the material G with a reduced modifier positive ion concentration includes one or more network forming ions.

27. A semiconductor-on-insulator layered structure, comprising:

a first layer of substantially single-crystal semiconductor material;

a second layer of substantially single-crystal semiconductor material with an enhanced oxygen content located on the first layer; and

a substrate of an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic having;

(i) a first substrate layer adjacent the second layer of substantially single-crystal semiconductor material, the first substrate layer having a reduced positive ion concentration in which substantially no modifier positive ions are present, and (ii) a second substrate layer adjacent the first substrate layer and having an enhanced positive ion concentration of modifier positive ions, including at least one alkaline earth modifier ion.

28. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 27, wherein the substrate of an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic further includes a third substrate layer adjacent the second substrate layer.

29. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 27, wherein the first substrate layer with a reduced modifier positive ion concentration is substantially depleted of all alkali/alkaline-earth ions.

30. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 29, wherein the first substrate layer with a reduced modifier positive ion concentration includes one or more network forming ions.

31. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 27, wherein the modifier positive ions include at least one of:

Li⁺¹, Na⁺¹, K⁺¹, Cs⁺¹, Mg⁺², Ca⁺², Sr⁺², and/or Ba⁺².

32. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 27, wherein the enhanced positive ion concentration of modifier positive ions of the second substrate layer moved from the first substrate layer.