Techniques for creating a local interconnect using a SOI wafer

1. A method of forming a local interconnect structure, comprising the steps of:

forming a double buried oxide (BOX) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer having a seed layer between a first BOX layer and a second BOX layer, and an active layer over the second BOX layer, wherein the seed layer is undoped and has a thickness of less than 200 nanometers;

forming at least one shallow trench isolation (STI) region in the active layer comprising an STI oxide;

forming at least one trench that extends through the STI oxide, stopping on the second BOX layer;

extending the trench through the second BOX layer down to the seed layer, wherein the trench has a footprint and a location such that a portion of the STI oxide remains lining sidewalls of the trench and that the sidewalls of the trench are lined by a combination of the STI oxide and the second BOX;

growing an epitaxial material in the trench, having the footprint and location of the trench, using the seed layer as a template for the growth, wherein the epitaxial material is doped and serves as the local interconnect structure which is buried in the double BOX SOI wafer;

depositing an insulating dielectric on the active layer and the local interconnect structure; and

forming contact studs in the insulating dielectric, wherein the contact studs are present over the STI oxide and in direct contact with both the local interconnect structure and one or more active regions of the active layer.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seed layer has a thickness of from about 15 nanometers to about 45 nanometers.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the seed layer comprises silicon.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming the double BOX SOI wafer comprises the steps of:

providing a preformed SOI wafer having a SOI layer over a first BOX layer, wherein the SOI layer serves as the seed layer, and wherein the first BOX serves as the first BOX layer in the double BOX SOI wafer;

growing a second BOX layer on a side of the SOI layer opposite the first BOX layer, wherein the second BOX layer serves as the second BOX layer in the double BOX SOI wafer; and

transferring a silicon wafer onto a side of the second BOX layer opposite the SOI layer which serves as the active layer in the double BOX SOI wafer.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

polishing the epitaxial material down to a top surface of the active layer such that a top surface of the epitaxial material and the top surface of the active layer are coplanar with one another.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

forming gates over the active regions of the active layer, one of the gates being on a first side of the local interconnect structure and another of the gates being on a second side of the local interconnect structure opposite the first side; and

burying the gates in the insulating dielectric.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial material is doped in-situ during growth of the epitaxial material in the trench.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial material is doped with phosphorous or boron.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the STI oxide which remains lining the sidewalls of the trench separates the local interconnect structure from the active layer.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

forming a patterned mask on the active layer;

using the patterned mask to form the trench in the STI region, wherein the patterned mask covers the portion of the STI oxide lining the sidewalls of the trench; and

using the patterned mask to extend the trench through second BOX layer wherein, based on a configuration of the patterned mask, the second BOX layer remains directly beneath the portion of the STI oxide lining the sidewalls of the trench.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

forming multiple trenches in the STI oxide that extend through the STI oxide down to the second BOX.