Enhancing SOI with thin film diamond

In the continuing thrust to extend Moorepsilas law, silicon is beginning to confront several issues that require innovative materials solutions to increase transistor and interconnect speeds while dealing with the increasing thermal loads of advanced microprocessors. The unsurpassed thermal, electrical and mechanical properties of diamond can be used to solve some of the thermal issues and enhance the performance characteristics of silicon based circuits. This paper focuses on the integration of diamond with SOI technology for the manufacture of silicon on diamond (SOD) wafers. The primary use for this technology is for thermal control but other niche markets may exist where the mechanical characteristics of diamond can also benefit MEMS devices made on SOI type substrates.