Silicon-on-insulator semiconductor wafer

Abstract

A method of fabricating a semiconductor-on-insulator semiconductor substrate is disclosed that includes providing first and second semiconductor substrates. Either oxygen or nitrogen is introduced into a region adjacent the surface of the first semiconductor substrate and a rare earth and hydrogen are implanted at different energy levels into the second semiconductor substrate to produce a rare earth rich region adjacent the surface and a hydrogen layer spaced from the surface. The surface of the first semiconductor substrate is bonded to the surface of the second semiconductor substrate in a process that includes annealing to react either the oxygen or the nitrogen with the rare earth to form an interfacial insulating layer of either rare earth oxide or rare earth nitride. During the anneal the hydrogen layer is blistered and a portion of the second semiconductor substrate is removed and the surface polished to form a thin crystalline active layer on the interfacial insulating layer.