Smart Cut

  Smart Cut is a technological process that enables the transfer of very fine layers of crystalline material onto a mechanical support. The application of this technological procedure is used mainly in silicon-on-insulator (SOI). The role of SOI is to electronically insulate a fine layer of monocrystalline silicon from the rest of the silicon wafer; an ultra-thin silicon film is transferred to a mechanical support, thereby introducing an intermediate, insulating layer. Semiconductor manufacturers can then fabricate integrated circuits on the top layer of the SOI wafers using the same processes they would use on plain silicon wafers. The wafers are then cut up and the chips packaged for mounting on the cards that are integrated into electronic systems such as personal computers. The Smart Cut process was developed and is patented by SOITEC corporation from France.

See also

• silicon-on-insulator
• Soitec