Patent ID: 7915148

Claim:
A method of converting a silicon on insulator (SOI) substrate into a strained SOI substrate, the method comprising the steps of: providing an SOI substrate having a thin silicon layer on an insulator substrate; providing at least one first strained epitaxial layer on the SOI-substrate, producing a defect region in the at least one first strained epitaxial layer by implantation of Si ions above the thin silicon layer of the SOI-substrate, and relaxing the at least one first strained epitaxial layer having a defect region by a thermal treatment in an inert atmosphere to cause formation of dislocations in the defect region of the at least one first strained epitaxial layer, which gives rise to relaxation of the at least one strained epitaxial layer which effects a strain in the neighboring thin silicon layer of the SOI-substrate to produce the strained silicon layer directly on the insulator substrate.