REUSABLE SUBSTRATES FOR ELECTRONIC DEVICE FABRICATION AND METHODS THEREOF

• US 20130095640A1
• Filed: 04/04/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lux Material Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Lux Material Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Zhang, Baoguo
• Granted Patent: US 8,841,207 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/478
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02521 Materials
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68318 Auxiliary support including means facilitating the separation of a device or wafer from the auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02366 of the substrate or of a layer on the substrate, e.g. textured ITO/glass substrate or superstrate, textured polymer layer on glass substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2457 Parallel ribs and/or grooves

Abstract

Substrates for electronic device fabrication and methods thereof. A reusable substrate with at least a plurality of grooves for electronic device fabrication includes a substrate body made of one or more substrate materials and including a top planar surface, the top planar surface being divided into a plurality of planer regions by the plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves including a plurality of bottom planar surfaces. Each of the plurality of grooves includes a bottom planar surface and two side surfaces, the bottom planar surface being selected from the plurality of bottom planar surfaces, the two side surfaces being in contact with the top surface and the bottom surface. The bottom planar surface is associated with a groove width from one of the two side surfaces to the other of the two side surfaces, the groove width ranging from 0.1 μm to 5 mm.

Claims

1. A reusable substrate with at least a plurality of grooves for electronic device fabrication, said substrate comprising:

a substrate body made of one or more substrate materials and including a top planar surface, the top planar surface being divided into a plurality of planer regions by the plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves including a plurality of bottom planar surfaces;

wherein;

each of the plurality of grooves includes a bottom planar surface and two side surfaces, the bottom planar surface being selected from the plurality of bottom planar surfaces, the two side surfaces being in contact with the top surface and the bottom surface;

the bottom planar surface is associated with a groove width from one of the two side surfaces to the other of the two side surfaces, the groove width ranging from 0.1 μ

m to 5 mm; and

the two side surfaces are associated with a groove depth from the top planar surface to the bottom planar surface, the groove depth ranging from 1 nm to 500 μ

M;

wherein;

each of the plurality of regions is surrounded by a first groove, a second groove, a third groove and a fourth groove, all of the first groove, the second groove, the third groove and the fourth groove being selected from the plurality of grooves;

the first groove and the second groove are parallel to each other and separated by a first groove interval ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm;

the third groove and the fourth groove are parallel to each other and separated by a second groove interval ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm; and

the first groove and the third groove are perpendicular to each other;

wherein;

the top planar surface is parallel to each of the plurality of bottom surfaces, the top planar surface being associated with a first surface area, the plurality of bottom surfaces together being associated with a second surface area; and

the second surface area is equal to or less than 10% of a sum of the first surface area and the second surface area.

2. A reusable substrate with at least a plurality of grooves for electronic device fabrication, said substrate comprising:

a substrate body made of sapphire and including a top planar surface, the top planar surface being divided into a plurality of planer regions by the plurality of grooves, the plurality of grooves including a plurality of bottom planar surfaces;

wherein;

each of the plurality of grooves includes a bottom planar surface and two side surfaces, the bottom planar surface being selected from the plurality of bottom planar surfaces, the two side surfaces being in contact with the top surface and the bottom surface;

the bottom planar surface is associated with a groove width from one of the two side surfaces to the other of the two side surfaces, the groove width ranging from 0.1 μ

m to 5 mm; and

the two side surfaces are associated with a groove depth from the top planar surface to the bottom planar surface, the groove depth ranging from 1 nm to 500 μ

m;

wherein;

each of the plurality of regions is surrounded by a first groove, a second groove, a third groove and a fourth groove, all of the first groove, the second groove, the third groove and the fourth groove being selected from the plurality of grooves;

the first groove and the second groove are parallel to each other and separated by a first groove interval ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm;

the third groove and the fourth groove are parallel to each other and separated by a second groove interval ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm; and

the first groove and the third groove are perpendicular to each other;

wherein;

the top planar surface is parallel to each of the plurality of bottom surfaces, the top planar surface being associated with a first surface area, the plurality of bottom surfaces together being associated with a second surface area; and

the second surface area is equal to or less than 10% of a sum of the first surface area and the second surface area.

3. The substrate of claim 2 has a thickness ranging from 5 μ

M to 10 mm.

4. The substrate of claim 2 wherein the second groove and the fourth groove are perpendicular to each other.

5. The substrate of claim 2 wherein the first groove and the fourth groove are perpendicular to each other.

6. A method for making a reusable substrate with at least a plurality of grooves for electronic device fabrication, the method comprising:

providing a substrate body made of one or more substrate materials and including a top surface;

polishing the substrate body to planarize the top surface;

coating the substrate body by forming a photoresist layer on the planarized top surface;

patterning the photoresist layer;

using the patterned photoresist layer to form the plurality of grooves in the substrate body;

dividing the top planar surface by the plurality of grooves into a plurality of planar regions, the plurality of planar regions including a plurality of planar bottom surfaces parallel to the top planar surface, each of the plurality of grooves being associated with a groove width ranging from 0.1 μ

M to 5 mm and a groove depth ranging from 1 nm to 500 mm, each of the planar regions being associated with a dimension ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm;

wherein;

the top planar surface is associated with a first surface area;

the plurality of bottom surfaces together is associated with a second surface area; and

the second surface area is equal to or less than 10% of a sum of the first surface area and the second surface area.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the process for patterning the photoresist layer includes:

soft-baking the photoresist layer;

exposing the photoresist layer to light;

developing the photoresist layer; and

hard-baking the photoresist layer.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the process for using the patterned photoresist layer to form the plurality of grooves in the substrate body includes:

etching the substrate body using inductively-coupled plasma etching.

9. A method for using a reusable substrate made of at least a first material with at least a plurality of grooves for electronic device fabrication, said method comprising:

preparing the reusable substrate including a top planar surface, the top planar surface being divided by the plurality of grooves into a plurality of planar regions, the plurality of planar regions including a plurality of planar bottom surfaces parallel to the top planar surface, each of the plurality of grooves being associated with a groove width ranging from 0.1 μ

m to 5 mm and a groove depth ranging from 1 nm to 500 μ

m, each of the planar regions being associated with a dimension ranging from 0.1 mm to 50 mm;

forming at least a first epitaxial layer made of at least a second material on the plurality of planar regions;

separating at least the first epitaxial layer from each of the plurality of planar regions; and

after at least the first epitaxial layer is separated from each of the plurality of planar regions, forming at least a second epitaxial layer made of at least a third material on the plurality of planar regions;

wherein;

the plurality of planar regions together is associated with a first surface area;

the plurality of bottom surfaces together is associated with a second surface area; and

the second surface area is equal to or less than 10% of a sum of the first surface area and the second surface area.

10. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

lapping the reusable substrate after at least the first epitaxial layer is separated from the reusable substrate;

annealing the reusable substrate;

polishing the reusable substrate; and

cleaning the reusable substrate.

11. The method of claim 9, and further comprising:

separating at least the second epitaxial layer from each of the plurality of planar regions; and

after at least the second epitaxial layer is separated from the plurality of planar regions, forming at least a third epitaxial layer on the plurality of planar regions.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the process for separating at least the first epitaxial layer from each of the plurality of planar regions is performed using at least a laser lift-off technique.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein after at least the first epitaxial layer is separated from each of the plurality of planar regions, using at least the separated first epitaxial layer to fabricate one or more light emitting diodes.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the first material has a lattice constant different from the second material.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the first material has a lattice constant different from the third material.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the second material and the third material are the same.

17. The method of claim 9 wherein the second material and the third material are different.

18. The method of claim 9 wherein the reusable substrate is made of at least one selected from a group consisting of mono-crystalline sapphire, mono-crystalline SiC, mono-crystalline GaN, mono-crystalline GaAs, mono-crystalline Si, mono-crystalline AlN, mono-crystalline ZnO, and mono-crystalline MgO.

19. The method of claim 9 wherein the second material includes one selected from a group consisting of gallium nitride and aluminum nitride.

20. The method of claim 9 wherein the third material includes one selected from a group consisting of gallium nitride and aluminum nitride.