# US 8,273,636 B2 · Process for the transfer of a thin layer formed in a substrate with vacancy clusters

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- Number: US 8,273,636 B2
- Document ID: US8273636B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/312,017
- Filed: 2006-10-27
- Published: 2011-04-28
- Granted: 2012-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 2006-10-27
- Assignees: Soitec
- Inventors: Eric Neyret; Oleg Kononchuk
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8273636B2

## CPC

- H10P 90/1916: {with separation or delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut}
- H10W 10/181: {Semiconductor-on-insulator [SOI] isolation regions, e.g. buried oxide regions of SOI wafers}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Methods for forming semiconductor structures comprising a layer transferred from a donor substrate are provided in which the resulting structure has improved quality with respect to defects and resulting structures therefrom. For example, a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) structure can be formed by a method comprising:—providing a donor substrate having a first density of vacancy clusters;—providing an insulating layer; —transferring a thin layer from the donor substrate to a support substrate with the insulating layer thereon;—curing the transferred thin layer to reduce the first density of vacancy clusters to a second density; and being characterized in that the step of providing an insulating layer comprises providing an oxygen barrier layer to be in contact with the transferred thin layer, the oxygen barrier layer limiting diffusion of oxygen toward the thin layer during the curing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for forming a semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising:
transferring a thin layer from a donor substrate to a support substrate;
providing an oxygen barrier layer between the thin layer of the donor substrate and the support substrate;
curing the transferred thin layer to reduce a density of vacancy clusters in the transferred thin layer from a first density of vacancy clusters to a second density of vacancy clusters; and
limiting diffusion of oxygen into the thin layer from an insulating layer on the support substrate using the oxygen barrier layer during the curing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
forming the insulating layer to comprise the oxygen barrier layer; and
providing the insulating layer on the support substrate before transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
forming the insulating layer to comprise a buried layer; and
providing the buried layer between the support substrate and the oxygen barrier layer.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, further comprising providing the buried layer on a surface of the support substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, further comprising thermally oxidizing a surface of the support substrate to form the buried layer.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, further comprising depositing the buried layer on a surface of the support substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, further comprising:
providing the buried layer on the support substrate;
providing the oxygen barrier layer on the buried layer; and
transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate onto the oxygen barrier layer after providing the oxygen barrier layer on the buried layer.

### Claim 8 (depends on 3)

A method according to claim 3, further comprising providing the oxygen barrier layer on the donor substrate prior to transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8, further comprising transferring the oxygen barrier layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate together with the thin layer.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

A method according to claim 9, further comprising providing the buried layer on the support substrate prior to transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate together with the thin layer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

A method according to claim 8, further comprising providing the buried layer on the oxygen barrier layer prior to transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

A method according to claim 11, further comprising transferring the oxygen barrier layer and the buried layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate together with the thin layer.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising forming the oxygen barrier layer by depositing a silicon nitride layer.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method according to claim 13, further comprising employing a Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PECVD) process to deposit the silicon nitride layer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein curing the transferred thin layer comprises thermally annealing the thin layer after transferring the thin layer from the donor substrate to the support substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A method according to claim 15, further comprising providing the thin layer in a non-oxidizing atmosphere while thermally annealing the thin layer.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

A method according to claim 16, further comprising providing the thin layer in an atmosphere of at least one of pure hydrogen, pure argon and a mixture of hydrogen and argon while thermally annealing the thin layer.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein thermally annealing the thin layer comprises rapid thermal processing (RTP).

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

A method according to claim 16, wherein thermally annealing comprises smoothing annealing performed under an atmosphere comprising hydrogen and hydrochloric acid.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
providing a zone of weakness in the donor substrate to define the thin layer;
combining the donor substrate, the insulating layer and support substrate together; and
detaching the thin layer from the donor substrate at the zone of weakness.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising:
pulling an ingot at a rate of at least 0.75 mm/min.; and
cutting the ingot to form the donor substrate.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

A method according to claim 21, further comprising:
forming the donor substrate to have a density of vacancies larger than 0.14 μm that is less than 0.01/cm2;
wherein curing the transferred thin layer comprises reducing a density of vacancies larger than 0.14 μm in the transferred layer to a density of 0.075/cm2 or less.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

A method according to claim 21, further comprising:
forming the donor substrate to have a density of vacancies larger than 0.2 μm that is greater than 1.5/cm2;
wherein curing the transferred thin layer comprises reducing a density of vacancies larger than 0.2 μm in the transferred layer to a density of 0.075/cm2 or less.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising detaching an additional thin layer from the donor substrate for forming circuitry therein.