Heterogeneous materials integration: compliant substrates to active device and materials packaging

The drive for the heterogeneous integration of materials has led to significant advances in materials and device processing, and in the understanding of defect production and control during epitaxy. Heterogeneous integration is driven by microelectronic and packaging trends, and the advent of new materials, such as GaN, that do not possess native substrates. During the last decade, these objectives led to research in the development of compliant substrates. While the ideal compliant substrate concept and implementation may be flawed, this research has certainly advanced materials integration technology. This paper will provide an overview of recent results in compliant substrate experiments and interpretation, and the related advancement of materials and device integration and packaging deriving from some of this research.