Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve compliancy includes first growing on a silicon wafer an accommodating buffer layer that is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. In this way, high speed devices can be fabricated along with integral silicon-based circuitry to provide an efficient, low-cost semiconductor structure. Moreover, I/O pins and their associated problems can be eliminated.
Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. In addition, formation of a compliant substrate may include utilizing surfactant enhanced epitaxy, epitaxial growth of single crystal silicon onto single crystal oxide, and epitaxial growth of Zintl phase materials. A device structure for interacting with optical storage media is formed overlying the monocrystalline substrate. Portions or an entirety of the device structure can also overly the accomodating buffer layer, or the monocrystalline material layer.
Abstract:
A system of integrated circuits including a plurality of optical semiconductor devices formed in silicon substrates such that the devices optically communicate with one another. The optical semiconductor devices are preferably formed from compound semiconductor structures. Each substrate may be formed in a single plane.
Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystaline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. In addition, formation of a compliant substrate may include utilizing surfactant enhanced epitaxy, epitaxial growth of single crystal silicon onto single crystal oxide, and epitaxial growth of Zintl phase materials. The use of monocrystalline magnetic material as an overlying layer is disclosed to facilitate the fabrication of on chip high frequency communications devices such as microwave circulators and isolators with direct interface to high speed compound semiconductor material in the integrated circuit.
Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer is a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. In addition, formation of a compliant substrate may include utilizing surfactant enhanced epitaxy, epitaxial growth of single crystal silicon onto single crystal oxide, and epitaxial growth of Zintl phase materials. A device structure for interacting with magnetic storage media is formed overlying the monocrystalline substrate. Portions or an entirety of the device structure can also overly the accomodating buffer layer, or the monocrystalline material layer.
Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. An accommodating buffer layer comprises a layer of monocrystalline oxide spaced apart from a silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. In addition, formation of a compliant substrate may include utilizing surfactant enhanced epitaxy, epitaxial growth of single crystal silicon onto single crystal oxide, and epitaxial growth of Zint1 phase materials. The resulting circuit may combine metal-oxide-semiconductor silicon transistors and compound semiconductors on a single substrate. These materials and fabrication techniques can be advantageously used to form mixed technology logic gates that feature cost-effective speedy operation.
Abstract:
An integrated circuit that distributes its clock signals optically is provided. The integrated circuit may preferably include a plurality of digital CMOS circuits that communicate optically. The optical devices are preferably formed from compound semiconductor structures.
Abstract:
High quality epitaxial layers of monocrystalline materials can be grown overlying monocrystalline substrates such as large silicon wafers by forming a compliant substrate for growing the monocrystalline layers. One way to achieve the formation of a compliant substrate includes first growing an accommodating buffer layer on a silicon wafer. The accommodating buffer layer includes a layer of conductive metallic oxide spaced apart from the silicon wafer by an amorphous interface layer of silicon oxide. The amorphous interface layer dissipates strain and permits the growth of a high quality monocrystalline oxide accommodating buffer layer. The accommodating buffer layer is lattice matched to both the underlying silicon wafer and the overlying monocrystalline material layer. A diode is formed on the overlying monocrystalline material layer, which is a gallium arsenide layer. Optionally, the accommodating buffer layer may include a non-conductive oxide layer on the conductive metallic oxide layer. Any lattice mismatch between the accommodating buffer layer and the underlying silicon substrate is taken care of by the amorphous interface layer. In addition, formation of a compliant substrate may include utilizing surfactant enhanced epitaxy, epitaxial growth of single crystal silicon onto single crystal oxide, and epitaxial growth of Zintl phase materials.
Abstract:
A composite semiconductor structure includes islands of noncompound semiconductor materials formed on a noncompound substrate, and an optical testing structure. In one embodiment, a scan chain runs through the noncompound substrate (and possibly also through the islands) and terminates in the islands at optical interface elements, one of which is an optical emitter and the other of which is an optical detector. A test device inputs test signals to, and reads test signals from, the scan chain by interfacing optically with the optical interface elements. In another embodiment, an optical detector is formed in the silicon substrate and an optical emitter is formed in the compound semiconductor material. A leaky waveguide communicating with the emitter overlies the detector, and detection by the detector of light emitted by the emitter is an indication of the absence of an intended circuit element between the detector and the leaky side of the waveguide.