NOVELTY - A film of material having active devices from a donor substrate is formed by introducing energetic particles underneath the active devices at a selected depth. The donor substrate surface is attached to a release layer on a transfer substrate. An energy source is selectively directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action.    USE - The method is for forming a film of material having active devices from a donor substrate. It can be applied to substrate for multi-layered integrated circuit devices, three dimensional packaging of integrated semiconductor devices, photonic devices, piezoelectronic devices, microelectromechanical systems, sensors, actuators, solar cells, flat panel displays, and biological and biomedical devices.    ADVANTAGE - The inventive method utilizes a controlled cleaving process that selectively removes the thin film of material from the substrate while preventing damage to the film or other portion of the substrate. It allows for the remaining substrate portion to be re-used repeatedly for other applications. It limits energy or stress in the substrate to a value below a cleave initiation energy, thus reducing cleaving damage (e.g. pits, crystalline defects, breakage, cracks, steps, voids, or excessive roughness).    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Formation of a film of material having active devices involves providing a donor substrate having the active devices. Energetic particles are introduced underneath the active devices in a selected manner at a selected depth. The particles have a high concentration to define a donor substrate material above the selected depth. The donor substrate surface is attached to a release layer on a transfer substrate. An energy source is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at the selected depth in the substrate. The cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free a portion of the material to be removed from the substrate. The substrate is maintained at below 200degreesC.