Abstract: The invention provides a method of producing a heterostructure of the silicon-on-sapphire type, comprising bonding an SOI substrate onto a sapphire substrate and thinning the SOI substrate, thinning being carried out by grinding followed by etching of the SOI substrate. In accordance with the method, grinding is carried out using a wheel with a grinding surface that comprises abrasive particles having a mean dimension of more than 6.7 ?m; further, after grinding and before etching, the method comprises a step of post-grinding annealing of the heterostructure carried out at a temperature in the range of 150° C. to 170° C.

Abstract: A method of bonding a first substrate to a second substrate by molecular bonding by forming an insulating layer on the bonding face of the first substrate, chemical-mechanical polishing of the insulating layer, activating a bonding surface of the second substrate by plasma treatment, etching an exposed surface of the insulating layer, and bonding together the two substrates together by molecular bonding wherein the etching is conducted after the chemical-mechanical polishing and before the bonding.

Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to substrates comprising a base wafer, an insulating layer and a top semiconductor layer, wherein the insulating layer comprises at least a zone wherein a density of charges is in absolute value higher than 1010 charges/cm2. The invention also relates to processes for making such substrates.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for bonding two substrates, in particular two semiconductor substrates which, in order to be able to improve the reliability of the process, provides the step of providing a gaseous flow over the bonding surfaces of the substrates The invention also relates to a corresponding bonding equipment