Patent ID: 7605053

Claim:
A method for producing a semiconductor-on-insulator structure, comprising: (A) providing first and second substrates wherein: (1) the first substrate comprises a first external surface for bonding to the second substrate (the first bonding surface), a second external surface for applying force to the first substrate (the first force-applying surface), and an internal zone for separating the first substrate into a first part and a second part (the separation zone), where: (a) the second part is between the separation zone and the first bonding surface, and (b) the first substrate comprises a substantially single-crystal semiconductor material; and (2) the second substrate comprises two external surfaces, one for bonding to the first substrate (the second bonding surface) and another for applying force to the second substrate (the second force-applying surface), where: (a) the second bonding surface and the second force-applying surface are separated from one another by a distance D 2 , and (b) the second substrate comprises an oxide glass or an oxide glass-ceramic; (B) bringing the first and second bonding surfaces into contact; (C) for a period of time sufficient for the first and second substrates to bond to one another at the first and second bonding surfaces, and for positive ions within the oxide glass or oxide glass-ceramic to move within the second substrate in a direction away from the second bonding surface and towards the second force-applying surface, such that the second substrate includes: (i) a first substrate layer adjacent the second bonding surface having a reduced positive ion concentration in which substantially no modifier positive ions are present, and (ii) a second substrate layer adjacent the first substrate layer and having an enhanced positive ion concentration of modifier positive ions, including at least one alkaline earth modifier ion: (1) applying force to the first and second force-applying surfaces to press the first and second bonding surfaces together; (2) subjecting the first and second substrates to an electric field which is characterized by first and second voltages V 1 and V 2 at the first and second force-applying surfaces, respectively, V 1 being higher than V 2 so that the electric field is directed from the first substrate to the second substrate; and (3) heating the first and second substrates, said heating being characterized by first and second temperatures T 1 and T 2 at the first and second force-applying surfaces, respectively; and (D) separating the first and second parts at the separation zone.