Embedded thermal conductors for semiconductor chips

Abstract

A semiconductor chip structure includes a substrate, at least one thermal conductor embedded within the semiconductor chip structure, the thermal conductor providing electrical insulation and a plurality of devices formed within the structure adjacent to the at least one thermal conductor such that during operation heat produced in the devices is transferred into and through the at least one thermal conductor to reduce an operating temperature of the devices. This structure is particularly useful in silicon-on insulator devices. A method of forming embedded thermal conductors in a semiconductor chip includes the steps of providing a substrate having an oxide layer formed thereon, etching trenches into the oxide layer, depositing diamond to fill the trenches to form thermal conductors contacting the substrate and forming devices and contacts adjacent to the thermal conductors for providing heat flow paths to reduce an operating temperature of the devices.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.