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Hydrogen Platelet Layer in Silicon Formed from Hydrogen Trapped onto Microbubbles of Gases
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 February 2011
Abstract
Features of a process of delamination of crystalline silicon layer from silicon wafer along hydrogen platelet layer formed by microwave plasma hydrogenation are described. The process involves first making a buried layer of nuclei for hydrogen platelets. Ion implantation of inert or low-soluble gases is used to form the layer. The nuclei are microbubbles that appear along Rp plane of implanted ions. Results for argon, xenon, and krypton implantation are compared. Wafers thus processed with a dose of 1015cm-2 are then hydrogenated with a microwave plasma. During hydrogenation, an atomic hydrogen diffuses into the silicon wafer and collects onto internal surfaces of the microbubbles. Then the hydrogen increases the internal surface of the microbubbles by growing a platelet type extensions to the microbubbles. The extensions grow preferably along the buried layer plane. A silicon layer above the layer of grown platelets were delaminated through pre-bonding/cut/post-bonding sequence as in the Smart-cut process. The plasma hydrogenation of the trap layer may be used as a step in a process of fabricating of SOI wafers with a very thin top crystalline silicon layer. Also, implant doses needed to form the microbubble trap layer are much lower than doses of direct implantation of hydrogen in the Smart-cut process. Temperature range of 200°C to 400°C during the hydrogenation process allows effectively grow extended hydrogen platelets from the nuclei. Mechanisms of nucleation of platelets as extentions of microbubbles are suggested. Control of hydrogen outdiffusion/platelet growth with thermal trajectory during plasma processing is discussed.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2002