SILICON-ON-INSULATOR

SILCON-ON-INSULATOR TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS SILICON-ON-SAPPHIRE(SOS) HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE ESSENTIAL FOR PROVIDING ISOLATION OF TRANSISTORS FROM SUBSTRATES FOR INCREASED OPERATING SPEED. A PROMISING NEW APPROACH, SEPARATION BY ION IMPLANTATION OXYGEN (SIMOX), HAS ALREADY DEMONSTRATED HIGH QUALITY CIRCUITS WITHOUT THE SILICON DEFECTS OFTEN FOUND IN SOS. HOWEVER, THE LOW THROUGHPUT, HIGH COST, AND COMPLEXITY OF LARGE ION IMPLANTERS NEEDED FOR COMMERCIAL EXPLOITATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY IS A MAJOR OBSTACLE. (1) IT IS PROPOSED TO DEMONSTRATE A MORE EFFICIENT METHOD TO PRODUCE SIMOX WAFERS THAT IS CAPABLE OF BEING APPLIED TO EXISTING, LOW COST ION IMPLANTERS. THE TECHNIQUE IS TO IMPLANT AT FULL AREA, UNIFORM WAFER TEMPERATURES UP TO 1100 DEGREES C, WHICH PERMITS 8 TIMES HIGHER DOSE RATES THANPRESENTLY OBTAINABLE. ALL DEMONSTRATION SAMPLES WILL BE PRODUCED IN SPIRE'S EXISTING OXYGEN IMPLANT FACILITY. DEPENDENT ON SUCCESSFUL DEMONSTRATION OF ADEQUATE DEFECT DENSITY, EPITAXIALLY GROWN LAYERS, A SECOND PROJECT PHASE WILL BE TO OPTIMIZE THE PROCESS PARAMETERS AND SUPPLY EVACUATION SAMPLES TO COMMERCIAL AND GOVERNMENT USERS FOR THIS HIGH PERFORMANCE PRODUCT.