Patent ID: 7153761

Claim:
A method for transferring a thin epitaxial semiconductor layer from one substrate to another substrate comprising: providing a first substrate having a first surface having surface contaminants; depositing a monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer on the contaminated first surface whereby a substantially non-porous interface including the surface contaminants is formed between the first substrate and the deposited monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer; contacting the monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer with hydrogen atoms and hydrogen molecules and allowing the hydrogen to diffuse to the substantially non-porous interface; bonding the layer of monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer to a second substrate to form an intermediate structure; and separating the intermediate structure at the substantially non-porous interface between the first substrate and the monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer, thereby transferring the monocrystalline epitaxial semiconductor layer from the first substrate to the second substrate.