Patent ID: 7883994

Claim:
A process for forming a thin film from a substrate comprising the steps of: (a) forming a layer of inclusions at a depth in the substrate corresponding to a required thickness of the thin film, wherein the layer of inclusions forms a gaseous compound trap zone and the inclusions comprise a volume of material having properties that differ from those of adjacent regions of the substrate, wherein forming an inclusion layer comprises one of sputter deposition, or epitaxial deposition, or chemical vapor deposition; (b) implanting gaseous compounds into the gaseous compound trap zone, wherein a dose of gaseous compounds is sufficient to create micro-cavities in a fracture plane along which the thin film can be separated from the remainder of the substrate, wherein the gaseous compounds are characterized by an implantation profile width and an average projected range (Rp) located in the trap zone, and wherein the layer of inclusions effectively reduces the width of the implantation profile and increases the concentration of gaseous compounds around the Rp, as compared to the absence of the layer of inclusions; and (c) separating the thin film from the substrate along the fracture plane and thereafter recovering the thin film.