Silicon on insulator achieved using electrochemical etching

Patent · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:871172

McCarthy, Anthony M ^[1]

---

1. Menlo Park, CA

Bulk crystalline silicon wafers are transferred after the completion of circuit fabrication to form thin films of crystalline circuitry on almost any support, such as metal, semiconductor, plastic, polymer, glass, wood, and paper. In particular, this technique is suitable to form silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers, whereby the devices and circuits formed exhibit superior performance after transfer due to the removal of the silicon substrate. The added cost of the transfer process to conventional silicon fabrication is insignificant. No epitaxial, lift-off, release or buried oxide layers are needed to perform the transfer of single or multiple wafers onto support members. The transfer process may be performed at temperatures of 50.degree. C. or less, permits transparency around the circuits and does not require post-transfer patterning. Consequently, the technique opens up new avenues for the use of integrated circuit devices in high-brightness, high-resolution video-speed color displays, reduced-thickness increased-flexibility intelligent cards, flexible electronics on ultrathin support members, adhesive electronics, touch screen electronics, items requiring low weight materials, smart cards, intelligent keys for encryption systems, toys, large area circuits, flexible supports, and other applications. The added process flexibility also permits a cheap technique for increasing circuit speed of market driven technologies such as microprocessors at little added expense.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• Assignee: Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5674758
• OSTI ID: 871172
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

silicon
insulator
achieved
electrochemical
etching
bulk
crystalline
wafers
transferred
completion
circuit
fabrication
form
films
circuitry
support
metal
semiconductor
plastic
polymer
glass
wood
paper
particular
technique
suitable
silicon-on-insulator
soi
whereby
devices
circuits
formed
exhibit
superior
performance
transfer
due
removal
substrate
added
cost
process
conventional
insignificant
epitaxial
lift-off
release
buried
oxide
layers
perform
single
multiple
performed
temperatures
50
degree
permits
transparency
require
post-transfer
patterning
consequently
avenues
integrated
high-brightness
high-resolution
video-speed
color
displays
reduced-thickness
increased-flexibility
intelligent
cards
flexible
electronics
ultrathin
adhesive
touch
screen
items
requiring
weight
materials
smart
keys
encryption
systems
toys
supports
applications
flexibility
cheap
increasing
speed
market
driven
technologies
microprocessors
expense
buried oxide
circuit fabrication
oxide layers
electrochemical etching
chemical etching
silicon substrate
integrated circuit
oxide layer
silicon wafer
crystalline silicon
silicon wafers
multiple wafers
circuit device
transfer process
circuit devices
flexible support
weight material
form silicon
flexible supports
weight materials
conventional silicon
/438/148/205/