US6093623A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Methods for making silicon-on-insulator structures
Assignee: Micron Technology Inc
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Filing: 1998-08-04
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Granted: 2000-07-25
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Expires: 2018-08-04
Abstract
Abstract Some advanced integrated circuits are fabricated as silicon-on-insulator structures, which facilitate faster operating speeds, closer component spacing, lower power consumption, and so forth. Unfortunately, current bonded-wafer techniques for making such structures are costly because they waste silicon. Accordingly, one embodiment of the invention provides a smart-bond technique that allows repeated use of a silicon wafer to produce hundreds and potentially thousands of silicon-on-insulator structures, not just one or two as do conventional methods. More precisely, the smart bond technique entails bonding selected first and second regions of a silicon substrate to an insulative substrate and then separating the two substrates to leave silicon protrusions or islands on the insulative substrate. The technique is also suitable to forming three-dimensional integrated circuits, that is, circuits having two or more circuit layers.
Inventors
- 👤 Leonard Forbes
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 09:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D86/00; H10D86/01; H10D84/00; H10D84/01; H10D84/02; H10D84/03; H10D84/038; H10D88/00; H10D88/01; H10P; H10P90/00; H10P90/19; H10P90/1904; H10P90/1906; H10P90/1914; H10W; H10W10/00; H10W10/10; H10W10/181
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming first and second semiconductive protrusions which are attached to a substrate; bonding portions of the first and second protrusions to an insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to break each of the protrusions into at least two portions, with one of the two portions being bonded to the insulative surface.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
63 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming first and second semiconductive protrusions which are attached to a substrate; bonding portions of the first and second protrusions to an insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to break each of the protrusions into at least two portions, with one of the two portions being bonded to the insulative surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate consists essentially of a semiconductive material.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
50 words
The method of claim 2, wherein forming the first and second protrusions comprises: forming first and second elevated areas in a semiconductor layer, each elevated area having a top; partially undercutting the first and second elevated areas to form respective first and second base portions narrower than its corresponding top.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of claim 1 further comprising: forming the semiconductive protrusion into one or more transistors; forming an insulative layer over the one or more transistors; bonding one or more semiconductive structures to the insulative layer.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of making an integrated circuit having semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: attaching two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; forming one or more transistors from the semiconductive structures; forming two or more semiconductive protrusions integral to a semiconductive substrate; placing the two or more semiconductive protrusions in contact with the insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each protrusion from the semiconductive substrate.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
76 words
A method of making an integrated circuit having semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: attaching two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; forming one or more transistors from the semiconductive structures; forming two or more semiconductive protrusions integral to a semiconductive substrate; placing the two or more semiconductive protrusions in contact with the insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each protrusion from the semiconductive substrate.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming two or more semiconductive structures attached to a substrate; attaching the two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each semiconductive structure from the substrate; and forming the two or more semiconductive structures into two or more transistors.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
62 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming two or more semiconductive structures attached to a substrate; attaching the two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each semiconductive structure from the substrate; and forming the two or more semiconductive structures into two or more transistors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 6 wherein forming the semiconductive structures into two transistors occurs after attaching the two semiconductive structures to the insulative surface.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: forming two or more semiconductive structures; attaching the two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each semiconductive structure from the substrate.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
47 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: forming two or more semiconductive structures; attaching the two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; and thermally expanding or contracting the insulative surface to separate at least a portion of each semiconductive structure from the substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 8 wherein the two semiconductive structures are semiconductive protrusions integral to a semiconductive substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 8 further comprising forming the two semiconductive structures into two transistors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of claim 10 wherein forming the semiconductive structures into two transistors occurs after bonding the two semiconductive structures to the insulative substrate.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
89 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: bonding a first group of two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; forming a first group of two or more transistors from the first group of semiconductive structures; interconnecting the first group of transistors; forming an insulative layer over the first group interconnected transistors; bonding a second group of two or more semiconductive structures to the insulative layer; forming a second group of transistors from the second group of semiconductive structures; and interconnecting the second group of transistors.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
89 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: bonding a first group of two or more semiconductive structures to an insulative surface; forming a first group of two or more transistors from the first group of semiconductive structures; interconnecting the first group of transistors; forming an insulative layer over the first group interconnected transistors; bonding a second group of two or more semiconductive structures to the insulative layer; forming a second group of transistors from the second group of semiconductive structures; and interconnecting the second group of transistors.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: forming a first circuit level including a first group of two or more interconnected transistors; forming an insulative layer over the first group interconnected transistors; bonding a group of two or more semiconductive structures to the insulative layer; and forming a second group of two or more interconnected transistors from the group of semiconductive structures.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
64 words
A method of making an integrated circuit, which comprises: forming a first circuit level including a first group of two or more interconnected transistors; forming an insulative layer over the first group interconnected transistors; bonding a group of two or more semiconductive structures to the insulative layer; and forming a second group of two or more interconnected transistors from the group of semiconductive structures.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming first and second semiconductive protrusions which are attached to a substrate; bonding portions of the first and second protrusions to an insulative surface; forming a thermally-activatable cleavage plane through the first and second protrusions; and activating the thermally-activatable cleavage plane to separate each of the protrusions into at least two portions, with one of the two portions being bonded to the insulative surface.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
72 words
A method of making semiconductor-on-insulator structures, which comprises: forming first and second semiconductive protrusions which are attached to a substrate; bonding portions of the first and second protrusions to an insulative surface; forming a thermally-activatable cleavage plane through the first and second protrusions; and activating the thermally-activatable cleavage plane to separate each of the protrusions into at least two portions, with one of the two portions being bonded to the insulative surface.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 14 wherein forming the thermally-activatable cleavage plane comprises implanting ions into the first and second protrusions.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method of claim 14 wherein activating the thermally-activatable cleavage plane comprises heating the protrusions.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-25 | 2004-01-24 | 2004-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-25 | 2008-01-24 | 2008-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-25 | 2012-01-24 | 2012-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |