Surface finishing of SOI substrates using an EPI process

DETAILED DESCRIPTION According to the present invention, a technique for treating a film of material is provided.
More particularly, the present invention provides a method for treating a cleaved surface and/or an implanted surface using a combination of thermal treatment and chemical reaction, which can form a substantially smooth film layer from the cleaved surface.
In an alternative embodiment, the present invention provides a method for treating a film of material, which can be defined on a substrate, e.
g.
, silicon.
The method includes providing a substrate comprising a cleaved surface, which is characterized by a predetermined surface roughness value.
The substrate also has a distribution of hydrogen bearing particles defined from the cleaved surface to a region underlying the cleaved surface.
The method also includes increasing a temperature of the cleaved surface to greater than about 1,000 Degrees Celsius while maintaining the cleaved surface in a hydrogen etchant bearing environment to reduce the predetermined surface roughness value by about fifty percent and greater.
Other embodiments include a temperature range from about 900 to about 1,000 Degrees Celsius and greater for silicon.
Preferably, the value can be reduced by about eighty or ninety percent and greater, depending upon the embodiment.
Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over pre-existing techniques.
For example, the present invention provides an efficient technique for forming a substantially uniform surface on an SOI wafer.
Additionally, the substantially uniform surface is made by way of common hydrogen treatment and etching techniques, which can be found in conventional epitaxial tools.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a novel uniform layer, which can be ready for the manufacture of integrated circuits.
The present invention also relies upon standard fabrication gases such as HCl and hydrogen gas.
In preferred embodiments, the present invention can improve bond interface integrity, improve crystal structure, and reduce defects in the substrate simultaneously during the process