A method of making a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) device from a bulk silicon substrate and an SOI device are disclosed. In the method, a stack of a heteroepitaxial layer and a silicon epitaxial layer are formed on a bulk silicon substrate, and a first photolithography process is performed on the stack to form a first trench exposing the bulk silicon substrate. The first trench is filled with a first isolation dielectric, and a second photolithography process is performed on the stack to form a second trench. The first isolation dielectric and the second trench isolate the stack. Subsequently, the heteroepitaxial layer is removed from the stack, forming at least one cavity. Moreover, the at least one cavity is filled with a buried oxide layer. The buried oxide layer and the silicon epitaxial layer overlying the buried oxide layer form SOI substrate structures. SOI devices are formed on the SOI substrate structures.

A method of forming a support substrate having a charge-trapping layer involves introducing a single-crystal silicon base substrate into a deposition chamber and, without removing the base substrate from the chamber and while flushing the chamber with a precursor gas, forming an intrinsic silicon epitaxial layer on the base substrate, then forming a dielectric layer on the base substrate by introducing a reactive gas into the chamber over a first time period, and then forming a polycrystalline silicon charge-trapping layer on the dielectric layer by introducing a precursor gas into the chamber over a second time period. The time for which the dielectric layer is exposed only to the carrier gas, between the first time period and the second time period, is less than 30 seconds and the formation of the charge-trapping layer is performed at a temperature of between 1010 C. and 1200 C.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of seed structures disposed in a dielectric layer. The plurality of seed structures are spaced apart from each other. Respective ones of the plurality of seed structures have a tapered shape with a decreasing width from an upper surface of the dielectric layer, and include semiconductor crystalline material.

Techniques for joining dissimilar materials in microelectronics are provided. Example techniques direct-bond dissimilar materials at an ambient room temperature, using a thin oxide, carbide, nitride, carbonitride, or oxynitride intermediary with a thickness between 100-1000 nanometers. The intermediary may comprise silicon. The dissimilar materials may have significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) and/or significantly different crystal-lattice unit cell geometries or dimensions, conventionally resulting in too much strain to make direct-bonding feasible. A curing period at ambient room temperature after the direct bonding of dissimilar materials allows direct bonds to strengthen by over 200%. A relatively low temperature anneal applied slowly at a rate of 1 C. temperature increase per minute, or less, further strengthens and consolidates the direct bonds. The example techniques can direct-bond lithium tantalate LiTaO.sub.3 to various conventional substrates in a process for making various novel optical and acoustic devices.

A holding device for a fracturable assembly, which is intended to separate along a fracture plane defined between an upper part and a lower part of the fracturable assembly, comprises at least two protrusions configured to keep the fracturable assembly suspended in a substantially horizontal holding position, the protrusions being intended to be located between the upper part and the lower part, against a peripheral chamfer of the upper part; a support located below and at a distance from the protrusions so as to gravitationally receive the lower part when the fracturable assembly is separated, and to keep it at a distance from the upper part held by the protrusions.

A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a first single crystal layer and first transistors, which each include a single crystal channel; a first metal layer with an overlaying second metal layer; a second level including second transistors, overlaying the first level; a third level including third transistors, overlaying the second level; a fourth level including fourth transistors, overlaying the third level, where the second level includes first memory cells, where each of the first memory cells includes at least one of the second transistors, where the fourth level includes second memory cells, where each of the second memory cells includes at least one of the fourth transistors, where the first level includes memory control circuits, where second memory cells include at least four memory arrays, each of the four memory arrays are independently controlled, and at least one of the second transistors includes a metal gate.

A multi-time programable (MTP) memory cell is described. The MTP memory cell includes a buried oxide (BOX) layer. The MTP memory cell also includes a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) layer on the BOX layer. The MTP memory cell further includes a planar multi-gate structure. The planar multi-gate structure includes a pass-gate on the SOI layer. The planar multi-gate structure also includes a memory-gate.

An SOI wafer contains a compressively stressed buried insulator structure. In one example, the stressed buried insulator (BOX) may be formed on a host wafer by forming silicon oxide, silicon nitride and silicon oxide layers so that the silicon nitride layer is compressively stressed. Wafer bonding provides the surface silicon layer over the stressed insulator layer. Preferred implementations of the invention form MOS transistors by etching isolation trenches into a preferred SOI substrate having a stressed BOX structure to define transistor active areas on the surface of the SOI substrate. Most preferably the trenches are formed deep enough to penetrate through the stressed BOX structure and some distance into the underlying silicon portion of the substrate. The overlying silicon active regions will have tensile stress induced due to elastic edge relaxation.

A cost effective process flow for manufacturing semiconductor on insulator structures is parallel is provided. Each of the multiple semiconductor-on-insulator composite structures prepared in parallel comprises a charge trapping layer (CTL).

A silicon-on-insulator substrate includes: (1) a high-resistivity base layer including silicon and a trap-rich region including arsenic diffused within a first side of the high-resistivity base layer, wherein the trap-rich region has a thickness that is in a range of 1 to 10 microns and a trap density that is in a range of 0.8*10.sup.10 cm.sup.2 eV.sup.1 to 1.2*10.sup.10 cm.sup.2 eV.sup.1, wherein the high-resistivity base layer has resistivity in a range of 50 to 100 ohm-meters and a thickness in a range of 500 to 700 microns; (2) a silicon dioxide layer positioned on the first side of the high-resistivity base layer and having a thickness that is in a range of 1000 to 5000 angstroms; and (3) a transfer layer positioned on the silicon dioxide layer, wherein the transfer layer comprises a silicon wafer having a thickness that is a range of 500 to 5000 angstroms.