SiGe-free strained Si on insulator by wafer bonding and layer transfer

SiGe-free strained Si on insulator substrates were fabricated by wafer bonding and hydrogen-induced layer transfer of strained Si grown on bulk relaxed Si0.68Ge0.32 graded layers. Raman spectroscopy shows that the 49-nm thick strained Si on insulator structure maintains a 1.15% tensile strain even after SiGe layer removal. The strain in the structure is thermally stable during 1000 degreesC anneals for at least 3 min, while more extreme thermal treatments at 1100 degreesC cause slight film relaxation. The fabrication of epitaxially defined, thin strained Si layers directly on a buried insulator forms an ideal platform for future generations of Si-based microelectronics. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.