Synthesis of Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) Materials by Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation

Plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) is a burgeoning technique in semiconductor processing. In addition to the conventional applications on the formation of shallow junctions and conformal doping, PIII excels in the production of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) materials. SOI offers many unique advantages over silicon substrates for deep submicrometer integrated circuits (IC) and is the preferred materials to fabricate low power, high speed, submicrometer devices. However, SOI is not commonly used commercially due to its high cost. In this paper, we will discuss the driving force behind SOI, current production issues, as well as our latest work of SOI synthesis by PIII using oxygen ion implantation and wafer bonding / ion cutting.