Method for joining wafers at a low temperature and low stress

• US 20020048900A1
• Filed: 05/23/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nova Crystals Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Nova Crystals Inc. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lo, Yu-Hwa, Zhang, Jizhi
• Application Number:
  US09/887,667
• Publication Number:
  US 20020048900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/455
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/187 by direct bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2007 Bonding of semiconductor wafers to insulating substrates or to semiconducting substrates using an intermediate insulating layer H01L21/2011 takes precedence; bonding of semiconductor wafers to semiconductor wafers for junction formation H01L21/187

Abstract

The method of the present invention is used to join two dissimilar materials together, and particularly to transfer a film to a substrate when the difference in thermal expansion coefficients between the film and the substrate is very big. A hydrophilic surface is created on one material and an atmosphere reactive metal element is deposited on the surface of another material. When the materials are tightly contacted, with the reactive element pressed against the hydrophilic surface, the reactive metal element reacts with the moisture from the hydrophilic surface at room temperature. Strong bonds form during the reaction joining the two materials together. Because the procedure takes place at room temperature, extremely low stress is built in. The film joining is successful even with a big thermal expansion coefficient difference between the materials, such as exist between GaAs and silicon and between silicon and sapphire. The joined materials can sustain typical post-joining device process such as OMCVD growth, wet and dry etching, thin film deposition, and thermal annealing.

Claims

1. A method of joining two dissimilar materials together, comprising:

a) adding a reactive layer to a first material;

b) adding a hydrophilic layer to a second material;

c) joining said first and second materials together by placing said reactive layer in contact with said hydrophilic layer; and

d) pressing said joined materials tightly for a period of time sufficient for strong bonds to form between said materials.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising;

e) placing, after said step of pressing, said joined materials in vacuum to remove any residue gasses.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (a) is accomplished by evaporation and deposition.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein step (a) is accomplished by MOCVD.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) is accomplished by exposing said second material to H₂O₂.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein step (b) is accomplished by exposing said second material to a first fluid consisting essentially of NH₄OH, H₂O₂, and H₂O followed by exposing said second material to a second fluid consisting essentially of HCl, H₂O₂, and H₂O.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reactive layer includes reactive elements.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said reactive layer consists essentially of reactive elements.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said reactive layer consists of reactive elements.

10. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reactive layer includes discrete nanometer-sized islands.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reactive layer includes reactive metal elements.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said reactive metal elements are selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Zn, Ge, Mg, Fe, Ni, W, Cr, and Pd.

13. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reactive layer consists essentially of reactive metal elements.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said reactive metal elements are selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Zn, Ge, Mg, Fe, Ni, W, Cr, and Pd.

15. A method according to claim 1, wherein said reactive layer consists of reactive metal elements.

16. A method according to claim 15, wherein said reactive metal elements are selected from the group consisting of Al, Ti, Zn, Ge, Mg, Fe, Ni, W, Cr, and Pd.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said period of time is at least two hours.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps of joining and pressing are at room temperature.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said period of time is at least 65 hours.

20. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of pressing is at a pressure between about 0.1 to 10 atmospheres.

21. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first material is one of GaAs and AlGaAs.

22. A method according to claim 1, wherein said second material is Si.

23. A method according to claim 1, wherein said first material is one of GaAs and AlGaAs and said second material is Si.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein said first material is Al_0.70Ga_0.30As.

26. A method according to claim 25 wherein said ohmic layer comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Pd, W, Ti, Cr, Ge, and Zn.

27. A method according to claim 25 wherein said reactive layer comprises at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, W, Ti, Cr, Cu, In, Sn, Ge, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pd, Au, Ag, Zn, and Ni.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein said ohmic layer includes discrete nanometer-sized islands.

29. A method according to claim 28 wherein said reactive layer includes discrete nanometer-sized islands.

30. A method according to claim 25, wherein said reactive layer includes discrete nanometer-sized islands.

31. A wafer made by the process of claim 1.

25. A method of joining two dissimilar materials together, comprising:

a) adding an ohmic layer to a first material;

b) adding a reactive layer to said ohmic layer;

c) adding a hydrophilic layer to a second material;

d) joining said first and second materials together by placing said reactive layer in contact with said hydrophilic layer; and

e) pressing said joined materials tightly for a period of time sufficient for strong bonds to form between said materials.

32. A wafer made by the process of claim 25.