"Smart cut": a promising new SOI material technology

Silicon On Insulator technologies appear to be a key issue for low-power, low-voltage technologies (/spl ap/1.5 V) and will play a major role in ULSI developments. Today two SOI material technologies are in competition in the very thin SOI film market: SIMOX (Separation by IMplanted OXygen) and BESOI (Bond and Etch Back SOI) Technology. We have developed a new SOI material technology using a bonding technique combined with an ion implantation step, which aims to overcome the remaining limitations of both the above techniques. This process was developed as the "IMPROVE" (IMplanted PROtons Voids Engineering) process and is henceforth referred to as "Smart-cut". The process is implemented for fabrication of Unibond wafers.