Novel Silicon Based Technologies, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1991
NATO Science Series E: Series, Vol. 193

Silicon, as an electronic substrate, has sparked a technological revolution that has allowed the realization of very large scale integration (VLSI) of circuits on a chip. These 6 fingernail-sized chips currently carry more than 10 components, consume low power, cost a few dollars, and are capable of performing data processing, numerical computations, and signal conditioning tasks at gigabit-per-second rates. Silicon, as a mechanical substrate, promises to spark another technological revolution that will allow computer chips to come with the eyes, ears, and even hands needed for closed-loop control systems. The silicon VLSI process technology which has been perfected over three decades can now be extended towards the production of novel structures such as epitaxially grown optoelectronic GaAs devices, buried layers for three dimensional integration, micromechanical mechanisms, integrated photonic circuits, and artificial neural networks. This book begins by addressing the processing of electronic and optoelectronic devices produced by using lattice mismatched epitaxial GaAs films on Si. Two viable technologies are considered. In one, silicon is used as a passive substrate in order to take advantage of its favorable properties over bulk GaAs; in the other, GaAs and Si are combined on the same chip in order to develop IC configurations with improved performance and increased levels of integration. The relationships between device operation and substrate quality are discussed in light of potential electronic and optoelectronic applications.

GaAs on Si: Device Applications.- Substrate Considerations.- Majority-Carrier Devices.- Minority-Carrier Devices.- Conclusions.- Ion Beam Synthesis in Silicon.- The Ion Implantation Process.- Buried SiO2 Layers in Si.- Buried Monocrystalline CoSi2 Layers in Si.- Conclusions.- Ion Beam Processing of Chemical Vapor Deposited Silicon Layers.- Ion Beam Effects.- Epitaxy of Deposited Layers.- Polycrystal Formation.- Technology and Devices for Silicon Based Three-Dimensional Circuits.- 3D-Technology.- Device Characteristics.- Features of 3D-Circuits.- Demonstrators.- Conclusions.- Integrated Fabrication of Micromechanical Structures on Silicon.- Mechanical Properties of Silicon.- Thermal Properties.- Fabrication Techniques.- Etching.- Anisotropic Etching.- Boron Doped Etch Stop.- Electrochemical Etch Stop.- Embedded Layers.- Surface Microstructures.- Bonding of Layers.- Electrostatic Bonding.- Oxide Bonding.- Bonding to Metals.- Conclusion.- Micromachining of Silicon for Sensors.- Physical Properties of Silicon.- Transduction Techniques.- Fabrication Techniques.- Pressure Sensors.- Accelerometers.- Microresonator Sensors.- Optical Microresonator Sensors.- Conclusions.- Micromachining of Silicon for Sensors.- Hybrid or Monolithic Approach for optoelectronics: That is the question.- About the Hybrid Approach Material Competitors.- Silicon Based Technologies developed at LETI.- Planar and Channel waveguide Properties of IOS Technologies.- Field of Activities.- Integrated Optical Spectrum Analyser (IOSA).- Integrated Optical Sensors.- Optical Communication Applications.- Optical Memories.- Conclusion.- Principles and Implementation of Artificial Neural Networks.- Binary Networks.- Analog Networks.- Miscellaneous Networks.- Future VLSI Networks.- Conclusions.- List of Participants.