Patent ID: 7718509

Claim:
A method for producing a bonded wafer, comprising a step of implanting oxygen ions from a surface of a wafer for active layer to form an oxygen ion implanted layer at a given position inside the wafer for active layer; a step of bonding the wafer of active layer to a wafer for support substrate directly or through an insulating film so as to form a bonded wasfer; a step of subjecting the resulting bonded wafer to a heat treatment for increasing a bonding strength; a step of removing a portion of the wafer for active layer in the bonded wafer to a given position not exposing the oxygen ion implanted layer by a given method; a step of exposing the entire surface of the oxygen ion implanted layer; and a step of removing the exposed oxygen ion implanted layer to obtain an active layer of a given thickness, wherein the step of exposing the entire surface of the oxygen ion implanted layer is carried out by a dry etching under given conditions wherein the oxygen ion implanted layer has an oxygen concentration peak of not less than 1×10 22 atoms/cm 3 and satisfies a relationship of R e >2×{(t s )/(t o )}×{(D e +D t )/(100−D e )} when a thickness and a variation in an in-plane thickness of a silicon layer in the wafer for active layer on the oxygen ion implanted layer before the dry etching are t s and ±D t %, respectively, and a thickness of the oxygen ion implanted layer is t o and an etching rate ratio of Si to silicon oxide film (Si/SiO x ) is R e and a variation in an in-plane etching is ±D e %.