Glass-based SOI structures

1. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material;

(b) the second layer comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic; and

(c) the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 8 joules/meter2, with no ion-remigration from the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic to the semiconductor material.

2. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 10 joules/meter2.

3. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 1 wherein the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 15 joules/meter2.

4. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer:

(i) comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material;

(ii) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance DS, the first face being closer to the second layer than the second face;

(iii) has a reference surface which 1) is within the first layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance DS/2; and

(iv) has a region of enhanced oxygen concentration which begins at the first face and extends towards the second face, said region having a thickness δH which satisfies the relationship:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"δH≦200 nanometers,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

where δH is the distance between the first face and a surface which 1) is within the first layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is the surface farthest from the first face for which the following relationship is satisfied:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"CO(x)−CO/Ref≧50 percent, 0≦x≦δH,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

where:

CO(x) is the concentration of oxygen as a function of distance x from the first face,

CO/Ref is the concentration of oxygen at the reference surface, and

CO(x) and CO/Ref are in atomic percent; and

(b) the second layer comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic.

5. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material, said layer having a surface farthest from the second layer which is an exfoliation surface; and

(b) the second layer:

(i) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance D2, the first face being closer to the first layer than the second face;

(ii) has a reference surface which 1) is within the second layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance D2/2;

(iii) comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, each type of positive ion having a reference concentration Ci/Ref at the reference surface; and

(iv) has a region which begins at the first face and extends towards the reference surface in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is depleted relative to the reference concentration Ci/Ref for that ion (the positive ion depletion region).

6. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material, said layer having a thickness of less than 10 microns; and

(b) the second layer:

(i) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance D2, the first face being closer to the first layer than the second face;

(ii) has a reference surface which 1) is within the second layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance D2/2;

(iii) comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, each type of positive ion having a reference concentration Ci/Ref at the reference surface; and

(iv) has a region which begins at the first face and extends towards the reference surface in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is depleted relative to the reference concentration Ci/Ref for that ion (the positive ion depletion region).

7. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer (i) comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material and (ii) has a maximum dimension greater than 10 centimeters; and

(b) the second layer comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic on an oxide basis is less than 1.0 weight percent with no ion-remigration from the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic to the semiconductor material.

8. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 7 wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic on an oxide basis is less than 0.1 weight percent.

9. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers, wherein:

(a) the first layer comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material; and

(b) the second layer:

(i) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance D2, the first face being closer to the first layer than the second face;

(ii) has a reference surface which 1) is within the second layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance D2/2;

(iii) comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, each type of positive ion having a reference concentration Ci/Ref at the reference surface;

(iv) has a region which begins at the first face and extends towards the reference surface in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is depleted relative to the reference concentration Ci/Ref for that ion (the positive ion depletion region), said region having a distal edge; and

(v) has a region in the vicinity of said distal edge in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is enhanced relative to Ci/Ref for that ion (the pile-up region).

10. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 9 wherein the at least one type of positive ion has a peak concentration Ci/peak in the pile-up region which satisfies the relationship:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"Ci/Peak/Ci/Ref≧1,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

where Ci/Peak and Ci/Ref are in atomic percent.

11. A semiconductor-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are attached to one another either directly or through one or more intermediate layers with a bond strength of at least 8 joules/meter2, said first layer comprising a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material and said second layer comprising an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic wherein at least a portion of the first layer proximal to the second layer comprises recesses which divide said portion into substantially isolated regions which can expand and contract relatively independently of one another with no ion-remigration from the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic to the semiconductor material.

12. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the recesses extend through the entire thickness of the first layer.

13. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 10 joules/meter2.

14. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 15 joules/meter2.

15. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic has a 0-300° C. coefficient of thermal expansion which is greater than the 0° C. coefficient of thermal expansion of the substantially single-crystal semiconductor material.

16. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the oxide glass or the oxide glass-ceramic of the second layer:

(a) has a 0-300° C. coefficient of thermal expansion CTE and a 250° C. resistivity ρ which satisfy the relationships:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"5×10−7/° C.≦CTE≦75×10−7/° C., anddescription="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"ρ≦1016 Ω-cm;description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

(b) has a strain point TS of less than 1,000° C.; and

(c) comprises positive ions whose distribution within the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic can be altered by an electric field when the temperature T of the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic satisfies the relationship:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"TS−350≦T≦TS+350,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

 where TS and T are in degrees centigrade.

17. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the first layer:

(i) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance DS, the first face of the first layer being closer to the second layer than the second face of the first layer;

(ii) has a first layer reference surface which 1) is within the first layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face of the first layer, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance DS/2; and

(iii) has a region of enhanced oxygen concentration which begins at the first face of the first layer and extends towards the second face of the first layer, said region having a thickness δH which satisfies the relationship:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"δH≦200 nanometers,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

 where δH is the distance between the first face of the first layer and a surface which 1) is within the first layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face of the first layer, and 3) is the surface farthest from the first face of the first layer for which the following relationship is satisfied:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"CO(x)−CO/Ref≧50 percent, 0≦x≦δH,description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

 where:

CO(x) is the concentration of oxygen as a function of distance x from the first face of the first layer,

CO/Ref is the concentration of oxygen at the first layer reference surface, and

CO(x) and CO/Ref are in atomic percent.

18. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the first layer has a surface farthest from the second layer which is an exfoliation surface.

19. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the first layer has a thickness of less than 10 microns.

20. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein:

(a) the first layer has a maximum dimension greater than 10 centimeters; and

(b) the second layer comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic on an oxide basis is less than 1.0 weight percent.

21. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 20 wherein the sum of the concentrations of lithium, sodium, and potassium ions in the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic on an oxide basis is less than 0.1 weight percent.

22. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the second layer:

(i) has first and second substantially parallel faces separated by a distance D2, the first face being closer to the first layer than the second face;

(ii) has a reference surface which 1) is within the second layer, 2) is substantially parallel to the first face, and 3) is separated from that face by a distance D2/2;

(iii) comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic which comprises positive ions of one or more types, each type of positive ion having a reference concentration Ci/Ref at the reference surface;

(iv) has a region which begins at the first face and extends towards the reference surface in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is depleted relative to the reference concentration Ci/Ref for that ion (the positive ion depletion region), said region having a distal edge; and

(v) has a region in the vicinity of said distal edge in which the concentration of at least one type of positive ion is enhanced relative to Ci/Ref for that ion (the pile-up region).

23. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the first layer has a thickness DS which satisfies the relationship:

description="In-line Formulae" end="lead"10 nanometers≦DS≦500 nanometers.description="In-line Formulae" end="tail"

24. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the first and second layers are directly attached to one another.

25. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the second layer is transparent.

26. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 wherein the second layer has a thickness D2 which is greater than or equal to 1 micron.

27. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 11 further comprising an amorphous or polycrystalline semiconductor material attached to the second layer.

28. A silicon-on-insulator structure comprising first and second layers which are directly attached to one another, said first layer comprising a substantially single-crystal silicon material and said second layer comprising a glass or a glass-ceramic which comprises silica and one or more other oxides as network formers, said first layer comprising a region which contacts the second layer and comprises silicon oxide but does not comprise the one or more other oxides, said region having a thickness which is less than or equal to 200 nanometers with no ion-remigration from the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic to the semiconductor material.

29. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein at least one of the one or more other oxides which are network formers is selected from the group consisting of B2O3, Al2O3, and P2O5.

30. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the substantially single-crystal silicon material comprises silicon and germanium.

31. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the substantially single-crystal silicon material comprises silicon and carbon.

32. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the second layer is transparent.

33. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the second layer has a thickness D2 which is greater than or equal to 1 micron.

34. The silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the bond strength between the first and second layers is at least 8 joules/meter2.

35. The semiconductor-on-insulator structure of claim 28 wherein the first layer has a surface farthest from the second layer which is an exfoliation surface.

36. A liquid crystal display comprising the silicon-on-insulator structure of claim 28.