Patents Assigned to Soitec
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Patent number: 8298916Abstract: The invention relates to a process for fabricating a multilayer structure comprising: bonding a first wafer onto a second wafer, at least the first wafer having a chamfered edge; and thinning the first wafer so as to form in a transferred layer, the thinning comprising a grinding step and a chemical etching step. After the grinding step and before the chemical etching step, a trimming step of the edge of the first wafer is carried out using a grinding wheel, the working surface of which comprises grit particles having an average size of less than or equal to 800-mesh or greater than or equal to 18 microns, the trimming step being carried out to a defined depth in the first wafer so as to leave a thickness of the first wafer of less than or equal to 35 ?m in the trimmed region.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2011Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventors: Alexandre Vaufredaz, Sebastien Molinari
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Patent number: 8299485Abstract: A multilayer wafer structure containing a silicon layer that contains at least one waveguide, an insulating layer and a layer that is lattice compatible with Group III-V compounds, with the lattice compatible layer in contact with one face of the insulating layer, and the face of the insulating layer opposite the lattice compatible layer is in contact with the silicon layer. The silicon and insulating layers contain either or both of at least one continuous cavity filled with materials such as to constitute a photodetector zone, or at least one continuous cavity filled with materials such as to constitute a light source zone.Type: GrantFiled: March 19, 2008Date of Patent: October 30, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventor: George K. Celler
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Publication number: 20120258554Abstract: A process for recycling a support substrate of a material substantially transparent to at least a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation. The process includes providing an initial substrate; forming an intermediate layer on a bonding face of the support substrate having an initial roughness, with the intermediate layer being of a material substantially transparent to at least a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation; forming an electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer either on the bonding face of the initial substrate or on the intermediate layer; bonding the initial substrate to the support substrate via the electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer; and irradiating the electromagnetic radiation absorbing layer through the support substrate and the intermediate layer to induce separation of the support substrate from the initial substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 15, 2009Publication date: October 11, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventor: Anne Laure Belle
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Patent number: 8283673Abstract: The present invention relates to a crack-free monocrystalline nitride layer having the composition AlxGa1?xN, where 0?x?0.3, and a substrate that is likely to generate tensile stress in the nitride layer. The structure successively includes the substrate; a nucleation layer; a monocrystalline intermediate layer having a selected thickness on the nucleation layer; a monocrystalline seed layer of an AlBN compound in which the boron content is between 0 and 10% having a selected thickness on the intermediate layer and a relaxation rate, at ambient temperature, of less than 80%; and the monocrystalline nitride layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2011Date of Patent: October 9, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventor: Hacene Lahreche
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Publication number: 20120250444Abstract: A circuit made on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate. The circuit includes a first transistor having a first channel, a second transistor having a second channel, with the transistors provided in serial association between first and second terminals for applying a power supply potential, each of the transistors comprising a drain region and a source region in the thin layer, a channel extending between the source region and the drain region, and a front control gate located above the channel. Each transistor has a back control gate formed in the base substrate below the channel of the transistor and capable of being biased in order to modulate the threshold voltage of the transistor. At least one of the transistors is configured for operating in a depletion mode under the action of a back gate signal which will sufficiently modulate its threshold voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 13, 2012Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: SoitecInventors: Carlos Mazure, Richard Ferrant, Bich-Yen Nguyen
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Patent number: 8278193Abstract: Methods of fabricating semiconductor devices or structures include forming structures of a semiconductor material overlying a layer of a compliant material, subsequently changing the viscosity of the compliant material to relax the semiconductor material structures, and utilizing the relaxed semiconductor material structures as a seed layer in forming a continuous layer of relaxed semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the layer of semiconductor material may comprise a III-V type semiconductor material, such as, for example, indium gallium nitride. Novel intermediate structures are formed during such methods. Engineered substrates include a continuous layer of semiconductor material having a relaxed lattice structure.Type: GrantFiled: October 8, 2009Date of Patent: October 2, 2012Assignee: SOITECInventor: Chantal Arena
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Publication number: 20120244687Abstract: A method and system are provided for manufacturing a base substrate that is used in manufacturing semi-conductor on insulator type substrate. The base substrate may be manufactured by providing a silicon substrate having an electrical resistivity above 500 Ohm·cm; cleaning the silicon substrate so as to remove native oxide and dopants from a surface thereof; forming, on the silicon substrate, a layer of dielectric material; and forming, on the layer of dielectric material, a layer of poly-crystalline silicon. These actions are implemented successively in an enclosure.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 21, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Oleg Kononchuk, Frederic Allibert
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Publication number: 20120241821Abstract: A heterostructure that includes, successively, a support substrate of a material having an electrical resistivity of less than 10?3 ohm·cm and a thermal conductivity of greater than 100 W·m?1·K?1, a bonding layer, a first seed layer of a monocrystalline material of composition AlxInyGa(1-x-y)N, a second seed layer of a monocrystalline material of composition AlxInyGa(1-x-y)N, and an active layer of a monocrystalline material of composition AlxInyGa(1-x-y)N, and being present in a thickness of between 3 and 100 micrometers. The materials of the support substrate, the bonding layer and the first seed layer are refractory at a temperature of greater than 750° C., the active layer and second seed layer have a difference in lattice parameter of less than 0.005 ?, the active layer is crack-free, and the heterostructure has a specific contact resistance between the bonding layer and the first seed layer that is less than or equal to 0.1 ohm·cm2.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 1, 2010Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Jean-Marc Bethoux, Fabrice Letertre, Chris Werkhoven, Ionut Radu, Oleg Kononchuck
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Publication number: 20120241918Abstract: The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing. More specifically, it relates to a method of forming islands of at least partially relaxed strained material on a target substrate including the steps of forming islands of the strained material over a side of a first substrate; bonding the first substrate, on the side including the islands of the strained material, to the target substrate; and after the step of bonding splitting the first substrate from the target substrate and at least partially relaxing the islands of the strained material by a first heat treatment.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 23, 2012Publication date: September 27, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventor: Romain Boulet
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Patent number: 8273636Abstract: Methods for forming semiconductor structures comprising a layer transferred from a donor substrate are provided in which the resulting structure has improved quality with respect to defects and resulting structures therefrom. For example, a semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) structure can be formed by a method comprising:—providing a donor substrate having a first density of vacancy clusters;—providing an insulating layer; —transferring a thin layer from the donor substrate to a support substrate with the insulating layer thereon;—curing the transferred thin layer to reduce the first density of vacancy clusters to a second density; and being characterized in that the step of providing an insulating layer comprises providing an oxygen barrier layer to be in contact with the transferred thin layer, the oxygen barrier layer limiting diffusion of oxygen toward the thin layer during the curing.Type: GrantFiled: October 27, 2006Date of Patent: September 25, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventors: Eric Neyret, Oleg Kononchuk
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Publication number: 20120228689Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the manufacture of a wafer by providing a doped layer on a semiconductor substrate; providing a first semiconductor layer on the doped layer; providing a buried oxide layer on the first semiconductor layer; and providing a second semiconductor layer on the buried oxide layer to form a wafer having a buried oxide layer and a doped layer beneath the buried oxide layer. The invention also relates to the wafer that is produced by the new method.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 9, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Nicolas Daval, Cécile Aulnette, Bich-Yen Nguyen
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Publication number: 20120228672Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for forming a Semiconductor-On-Insulator structure that includes a semiconductor layer of III/V material by growing a relaxed germanium layer on a donor substrate; growing at least one layer of III/V material on the layer of germanium; forming a cleaving plane in the relaxed germanium layer; transferring a cleaved part of the donor substrate to a support substrate, with the cleaved part being a part of the donor substrate cleaved at the cleaving plane that includes the at least one layer of III/V material. The present invention also concerns a germanium on III/V-On-Insulator structure, a N Field-Effect Transistor (NFET), a method for manufacturing a NFET, a P Field-Effect Transistor (PFET), and a method for manufacturing a PFET.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 17, 2012Publication date: September 13, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Nicolas Daval, Bich-Yen Nguyen, Cecile Aulnette, Konstantin Bourdelle
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Patent number: 8263984Abstract: In some embodiments, the invention relates to a process for making a GaN substrate comprising: transferring a first monocrystal GaN layer onto a supporting substrate; applying crystal growth for a second monocrystal GaN layer on the first layer; the first and second GaN layers thereby forming together the GaN substrate, the GaN substrate having a thickness of at least 10 micrometers, and removing at least one portion of the supporting substrate.Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2007Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventor: Bruce Faure
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Patent number: 8263475Abstract: A method for manufacturing heterostructures for applications in the fields of electronics, optics or opto-electronics. This method includes providing a silicon oxide layer with a thickness of less than or equal to 25 nanometers on one of a donor substrate or a receiver substrate or on both substrates, heat treating the substrate(s) that contains the silicon oxide layer at 900° C. to 1,200° C. under a neutral or reducing atmosphere that contains at least one of argon or hydrogen to form layer trapping through-holes inside the silicon oxide, bonding the substrates together at a bonding interface with the silicon oxide layer(s) positioned between them, reinforcing the bonding by annealing the substrates at 25° C. to 500° C. such that the trapping holes retaining gas species at the bonding interface, and transferring an active layer as a portion of the donor substrate onto the receiver substrate to obtain the heterostructure.Type: GrantFiled: January 27, 2009Date of Patent: September 11, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventors: Ionut Radu, Oleg Kononchuk, Konstantin Bourdelle
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Publication number: 20120225539Abstract: Methods of forming ternary III-nitride materials include epitaxially growing ternary III-nitride material on a substrate in a chamber. The epitaxial growth includes providing a precursor gas mixture within the chamber that includes a relatively high ratio of a partial pressure of a nitrogen precursor to a partial pressure of one or more Group III precursors in the chamber. Due at least in part to the relatively high ratio, the layer of ternary III-nitride material may be grown to a high final thickness with small V-pit defects therein. Semiconductor structures including such ternary III-nitride material layers are fabricated using such methods.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 13, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Christophe Figuet, Pierre Tomasini
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Publication number: 20120223419Abstract: A method for controlling the distribution of the stresses in a structure of the semiconductor-on-insulator type during its manufacturing, which includes a thin layer of semiconducting material on a supporting substrate and an insulating layer present on each of the front and rear faces of the supporting substrate, with the insulating layer on the front face forming at least one portion of a thick buried insulator (BOX) layer. The method includes the adhesive bonding of the thin layer onto the supporting substrate. Prior to this adhesive bonding, the insulating layer on the rear face of the supporting substrate is covered with a distinct material that is capable of withstanding deoxidation. The covering material, in combination with this insulating layer on the rear face of the supporting substrate, at least partly compensates for the stress exerted by the buried insulator (BOX) on the supporting substrate.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2012Publication date: September 6, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Sébastien Kerdiles, Patrick Reynaud
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Patent number: 8252664Abstract: The invention relates to methods for fabricating a semiconductor substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes providing an support that includes a barrier layer thereon for preventing loss by diffusion of elements derived from dissociation of the support at epitaxial growth temperatures; providing a seed layer on the barrier layer, wherein the seed layer facilitates epitaxial growth of a single crystal III-nitride semiconductor layer thereon; epitaxially growing a nitride working layer on the thin seed layer; and removing the support to form the substrate.Type: GrantFiled: September 27, 2011Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventors: Fabrice Letertre, Bruno Ghyselen, Olivier Rayssac, Pierre Rayssac, legal representative, Gisèle Rayssac, legal representative
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Patent number: 8253170Abstract: In one embodiment, the disclosure relates to an electronic device successively comprising from its base to its surface: (a) a support layer, (b) a channel layer adapted to contain an electron gas, (c) a barrier layer and (d) at least one ohmic contact electrode formed by a superposition of metallic layers, a first layer of which is in contact with the barrier layer. The device is remarkable in that the barrier layer includes a contact region under the ohmic contact electrode(s). The contact region includes at least one metal selected from the metals forming the superposition of metallic layers. Furthermore, a local alloying binds the contact region and the first layer of the electrode(s).Type: GrantFiled: May 16, 2011Date of Patent: August 28, 2012Assignee: Soitec SA & Soitec USA, Inc.Inventor: Hacène Lahreche
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Publication number: 20120214291Abstract: A method for relaxing a layer of a strained material. The method includes depositing a first low-viscosity layer on a first face of a strained material layer; bonding a first substrate to the first low-viscosity layer to form a first composite structure; subjecting the composite structure to heat treatment sufficient to cause reflow of the first low-viscosity layer so as to at least partly relax the strained material layer; and applying a mechanical pressure to a second face of the strained material layer wherein the second face is opposite to the first face and with the mechanical pressure applied perpendicularly to the strained material layer during at least part of the heat treatment to relax the strained material.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 27, 2012Publication date: August 23, 2012Applicant: SOITECInventors: Fabrice Letertre, Carlos Mazure, Michael R. Krames, Melvin B. McLaurin, Nathan F. Gardner
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Patent number: 8247314Abstract: Methods which can be applied during the epitaxial growth of semiconductor structures and layers of III-nitride materials so that the qualities of successive layers are successively improved. An intermediate epitaxial layer is grown on an initial surface so that growth pits form at surface dislocations present in the initial surface. A following layer is then grown on the intermediate layer according to the known phenomena of epitaxial lateral overgrowth so it extends laterally and encloses at least the agglomerations of intersecting growth pits. Preferably, prior to growing the following layer, a discontinuous film of a dielectric material is deposited so that the dielectric material deposits discontinuously so as to reduce the number of dislocations in the laterally growing material. The methods of the invention can be performed multiple times to the same structure. Also, semiconductor structures fabricated by these methods.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2009Date of Patent: August 21, 2012Assignee: SoitecInventor: Chantal Arena