Semiconductor on insulator structure comprising a plasma oxide layer and method of manufacture thereof

A method of preparing a multilayer structure, the method comprising:

• depositing a handle semiconductor nitride layer on a handle dielectric layer in contact with a front surface of a single crystal silicon handle substrate, wherein the single crystal silicon handle substrate comprises two major, generally parallel surfaces, one of which is the front surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate and the other of which is a back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, a circumferential edge joining the front surface and the back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, a central plane between the front surface and the back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, and a bulk region between the front and back surfaces of the single crystal silicon handle substrate;
• depositing a handle semiconductor oxynitride layer on the handle semiconductor nitride layer;
• depositing a handle semiconductor oxide layer on the handle semiconductor oxynitride layer;
• and
• bonding a donor dielectric layer on a front surface of a single crystal semiconductor donor substrate to the handle semiconductor oxide layer to thereby form a bonded structure, wherein the single crystal semiconductor donor substrate comprises two major, generally parallel surfaces, one of which is the front surface of the semiconductor donor substrate and the other of which is a back surface of the semiconductor donor substrate, a circumferential edge joining the front and back surfaces of the semiconductor donor substrate, a central plane between the front and back surfaces of the semiconductor donor substrate, and a bulk region between the front and back surfaces of the semiconductor donor substrate, and further wherein the single crystal semiconductor donor substrate comprises a cleave plane.

A multilayer structure comprising:

• a single crystal silicon handle substrate, wherein the single crystal silicon handle substrate comprises two major, generally parallel surfaces, one of which is a front surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate and the other of which is a back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, a circumferential edge joining the front surface and the back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, a central plane between the front surface and the back surface of the single crystal silicon handle substrate, and a bulk region between the front and back surfaces of the single crystal silicon r handle substrate;
• a silicon nitride layer;
• a silicon oxynitride layer in interfacial contact with the silicon nitride layer;
• a silicon oxide layer in interfacial contact with the silicon oxynitride layer;
• and
• a single crystal semiconductor device layer,
• wherein the oxygen concentration in the silicon oxynitride layer increases from the interface with the silicon nitride layer toward the interface with the silicon oxide layer.