Glass-based semiconductor on insulator structures and methods of making same

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for: a semiconductor wafer; at least one porous layer in the semiconductor wafer; an epitaxial semiconductor layer directly or indirectly on the porous layer; and a glass substrate bonded to the epitaxial semiconductor layer via electrolysis.

1 - 27 . (canceled) 
   
   
       28 . A silicon on insulator structure, comprising:
 a glass substrate; and   an epitaxially formed layer of semiconductor material bonded to the glass substrate via electrolysis.   
   
   
       29 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 28 , wherein the epitaxially formed semiconductor material is taken from the group consisting of: silicon (Si), germanium-doped silicon (SiGe), silicon carbide (SiC), germanium (Ge), gallium arsenide (GaAs), GaP, and InP. 
   
   
       30 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a semiconductor wafer;   a porous layer in the semiconductor wafer;   an epitaxial semiconductor layer directly or indirectly on the porous layer; and   a glass substrate bonded to the epitaxial semiconductor layer via electrolysis.   
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein the porous layer includes: a first porous layer and a second porous layer in the semiconductor wafer below the first porous layer, the second porous layer including at least mostly larger pores than the first porous layer. 
   
   
       32 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 28 , wherein
 the glass substrate includes: (i) a first substrate layer adjacent the epitaxially formed layer having a reduced modifier positive ion concentration, and (ii) a second substrate layer adjacent the first substrate layer having an enhanced modifier positive ion concentration; and   the first substrate layer with the reduced modifier positive ion concentration is operable to inhibit ion re-migration from the glass substrate into the epitaxially formed layer.   
   
   
       33 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 32 , wherein at least one alkaline earth modifier ion is present in the second substrate layer, which alkaline earth modifier ion moved from the first substrate layer as a result of the bonding of the epitaxially formed layer to the glass substrate via electrolysis. 
   
   
       34 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 32 , wherein the first substrate layer is substantially depleted of all of alkali/alkaline-earth modifier positive ions. 
   
   
       35 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 32 , wherein the first substrate layer maintains one or more network forming ions therein. 
   
   
       36 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 32 , wherein the first substrate layer includes non-bridging oxygens that have moved away from the epitaxially formed layer. 
   
   
       37 . The silicon on insulator structure of  claim 32 , wherein the modifier positive ions include at least one of: Li +1 , Na +1 , K +1 , Cs +1 , Mg +2 , Ca +2 , Sr +2 , and/or Ba +2 . 
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein pore sizes of the porous layer are about 6 to 9 nm. 
   
   
       39 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein the pores of the first porous layer are of a nm scale. 
   
   
       40 . The apparatus of  claim 31 , wherein pore sizes of the first porous layer are between about 2 to 5 nm, and pore sizes of the second porous layer are between about 10 to 20 nm. 
   
   
       41 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein a resistivity of the semiconductor wafer is between about 0.001 to about 100 ohm·cm.