Silicon-wafer fabrication and (potential) applications of direct-bonded silicon

An automatic silicon wafer direct-bonding apparatus, a vacuum stack-bonding apparatus, a parallel polishing machine and a method for measuring a high level of parallelism of silicon wafers are described. These items are essential to wafer preparation and geometrical quality control for direct-bonding applications.

Attention is then turned to silicon direct-bonded to a second compound, which presents a wealth of feasible or potential applications, such as silicon-on-silicon for a permeable-base transistor; silicon-on-insulator, prepared for special silicon integrated circuit applications. In addition, silicon bonded to metal, to interdiffusing solids, to superconductors, diamond, a ferroelectric and to polymers for various (potential) applications is discussed.