Fabrication of InP/SiO2/Si Substrate using Ion-Cutting Process and Selective Chemical Etching

Abstract

In this study, an InP layer was transferred onto a Si substrate coated with a thermal oxide, through a process combining ion-cutting process and selective chemical etching. Compared with conventional ion-cutting of bulk InP wafers, this layer transfer scheme not only takes advantage of ion- cutting by saving the remaining substrates for reuse, but also takes advantage of selective etching to improve the transferred surface conditions without using the chemical and mechanical polishing. An InP/InGaAs/InP heterostructure initially grown by MOCVD was implanted with H+ ions. The implanted heterostructure was bonded to a Si wafer coated with a thermal SiO2 layer. Upon subsequent annealing, the bonded structure exfoliated at the depth around the hydrogen projected range located in the InP substrate. Atomic force microscopy showed that after selective chemical etchings on the as-transferred structure, a final structure of InP/SiO2/Si was obtained with a relatively smooth surface.