Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of fabricating a thin silicon film on insulator material, comprising the steps of: providing a p-type silicon bond wafer and a silicon base wafer; forming a silicon oxide film on at least one of said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer; bonding said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer through said silicon oxide film to form a composite wafer structure; inducing a fixed positive charge in said silicon oxide film to form a n-type inversion layer in said p-type silicon bond wafer adjacent to an interface between said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon oxide film; and thereafter, performing a chemical etching of a composite wafer structure while applying a positive voltage to said p-type silicon bond wafer so that an etch-stop is made at an interface between a depletion layer including said n-type inversion layer and said p-type layer.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
149 words
A method of fabricating a thin silicon film on insulator material, comprising the steps of: providing a p-type silicon bond wafer and a silicon base wafer; forming a silicon oxide film on at least one of said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer; bonding said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer through said silicon oxide film to form a composite wafer structure; inducing a fixed positive charge in said silicon oxide film to form a n-type inversion layer in said p-type silicon bond wafer adjacent to an interface between said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon oxide film; and thereafter, performing a chemical etching of a composite wafer structure while applying a positive voltage to said p-type silicon bond wafer so that an etch-stop is made at an interface between a depletion layer including said n-type inversion layer and said p-type layer.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said fixed positive charge is induced by exposing said composite wafer structure to X-ray radiation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said silicon oxide film is formed on said p-type silicon bond wafer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said silicon oxide film is formed by heat-treating at least one of said silicon wafer at about 1050° C. for 4 hours in an H 2 /O 2 atmosphere and then taken out at about 800° C. in a dry O 2 atmosphere.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said positive voltage applied to said p-type silicon bond wafer is in the range of from 0.3 to 5 V, and preferably about 1.2 V.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
A method according to claim 1, further including heat-treating said composite wafer structure at a temperature above 1000° C. after said chemical etching is effected, thereby annihilating said fixed positive charge.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of fabricating a thin silicon film on insulator material, comprising the steps of: providing a p-type silicon bond wafer and a silicon base wafer; forming, on at least one of said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer, a silicon oxide film having a large amount of fixed positive charge; bonding said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer through said silicon oxide film while heating said wafers at a temperature ranging from 200° to 900° C., thereby forming a composite wafer structure; and thereafter, performing a chemical etching of said composite wafer structure while applying a positive voltage to said p-type silicon bond wafer so that an etch-stop is made at an interface between a depletion layer including said n-type inversion layer and said p-type layer.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
133 words
A method of fabricating a thin silicon film on insulator material, comprising the steps of: providing a p-type silicon bond wafer and a silicon base wafer; forming, on at least one of said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer, a silicon oxide film having a large amount of fixed positive charge; bonding said p-type silicon bond wafer and said silicon base wafer through said silicon oxide film while heating said wafers at a temperature ranging from 200° to 900° C., thereby forming a composite wafer structure; and thereafter, performing a chemical etching of said composite wafer structure while applying a positive voltage to said p-type silicon bond wafer so that an etch-stop is made at an interface between a depletion layer including said n-type inversion layer and said p-type layer.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said silicon oxide film is formed on said p-type silicon bond wafer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
50 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said silicon oxide film is formed by heat-treating at least one of said silicon wafers at about 1050° C. for 4 hours in an H 2 /O 2 atmosphere and then taken out at about 800° C. in a dry O 2 atmosphere.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 7, wherein said positive voltage applied to said p-type silicon bond wafer is in the range of from 0.3 to 5 V, and preferably about 1.2 V.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1, further including heat-treating said composite wafer structure at a temperature above 1000° C. after said chemical etching is effected, thereby reducing the amount of said fixed positive charge.