Controlled cleavage process and resulting device using beta annealing

• US 6,162,705 A
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Issued: 12/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J., Cheung, Nathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Calvin
• Application Number:
  US09/026,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 438/460, 438/459, 438/148, 438/977, 437/62, 437/190, 118/723, 427/527, 250/309, 159/600, 159/633, 148/DIG. 135, 148/FOR 485, 359/350
• US Class Current: 438/478
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 1/0038 Processes for creating layers of materials not provided for in groups B81C1/00357 - B81C1/00373
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0191 Transfer of a layer from a carrier wafer to a device wafer
• CPC Class Codes: B81C 2201/0192 by cleaving the carrier wafer
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2236 from or into a plasma phase
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/26506 in group IV semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2658 of a molecular ion, e.g. decaborane
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/304 Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting H01L21/30625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7624 using semiconductor on insulator [SOI] technology H01L21/76297 takes precedence; manufacture of integrated circuits on insulating substrates H01L21/84; silicon on sapphire [SOS] technology H01L21/86
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7813 leaving a reusable substrate, e.g. epitaxial lift off
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 117/915 Separating from substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 156/93 Semiconductive product delaminating, e.g. delaminating emiconductive wafer from underlayer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/974 Substrate surface preparation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/977 Thinning or removal of substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/11 Methods of delaminating, per se; i.e. , separating at bonding face
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/1158 Electromagnetic radiation applied to work for delamination [e.g., microwave, uv, ir, etc.]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 156/19 Delaminating means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/21 Circular sheet or circular blank
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/24893 : including particulate material
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249956 : Void-containing component is inorganic

Abstract

A method for forming a film of material (12) from a donor substrate (10). The technique has a step of introducing energetic particles (22) through a surface of a donor substrate (10) to a selected depth (20) underneath the surface, where the particles have a relatively high concentration to define a donor substrate material (12) above the selected depth. An energy source is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action of the substrate (10) at the selected depth (20), whereupon the cleaving action provides an expanding cleave front to free the donor material from a remaining portion of the donor substrate. A step of increasing a built-in energy state of the substrate is also included.

Claims

1. A process for forming a film of material from a substrate, said process comprising steps of:

introducing particles through a surface of a substrate to a selected depth underneath said surface, said particles being at a concentration at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth;

increasing a built-in energy state of said substrate at said selected depth using an energy source;

applying energy to at least a first region of said substrate, to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in said substrate, said first region being less than the entirety of said substrate.

whereupon said cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free a portion of said material to be removed from said substrate.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles are derived from hydrogen gas, helium gas, water vapor, methane, and hydrogen compounds, and other light atomic mass particles.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles have sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate through said surface to said selected depth underneath said surface.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of providing energy sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of providing energy increases a controlled stress in said material and sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of increasing said built-in energy comprises a step of providing energy to said substrate to increase a controlled stress in said material.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said introducing step forms damage selected from atomic bond damage, bond substitution, weakening, or breaking bonds of said substrate at said selected depth.

8. The process of claim 7 wherein said damage causes stress to said substrate material.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said propagating cleave front is selected from a single cleave front or multiple cleave fronts.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said introducing step causes stress of said material region at said selected depth by a presence of said particles at said selected depth.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of increasing said built-in energy increases stress of said substrate while substantially preventing a possibility of cleaving said substrate at said selected depth.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein said energy source is selected from a thermal source or sink, a mechanical source, a chemical source, and an electrical source.

13. The process of claim 12 wherein said thermal source is provided to maintain said substrate at a temperature of about 350 degrees C. and greater.

14. The process of claim 13 wherein said substrate is maintained at said temperature for less than about 3 minutes.

15. The process of claim 13 wherein said substrate is maintained at said temperature for less than about 1 minute.

16. The process of claim 12 wherein said thermal source is provided to maintain said substrate at a temperature of about 400 degrees C. and greater.

17. The process of claim 12 wherein said chemical source is selected from particles, fluids, gases, or liquids.

18. The process of claim 17 wherein said chemical source includes a chemical reaction.

19. The process of claim 17 wherein said chemical source is flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

20. The process of claim 12 wherein said mechanical source is derived from a group selected from rotational, translational, compressional, expansional, or ultrasonic.

21. The process of claim 20 wherein said mechanical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

22. The process of claim 21 wherein said thermal source or sink is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

23. The process of claim 12 wherein electrical source is selected from an applied voltage or an applied electromagnetic field.

24. The process of claim 23 wherein said electrical source is flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

25. The process of claim 12 wherein said thermal source or sink is selected from radiation, convection, or conduction.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein said thermal source is selected from a photon beam, a fluid jet, a liquid jet, a gas jet, an electro/magnetic field, a gas jet, an electron beam, a thermo-electric heating, and a furnace.

27. The process of claim 25 wherein said thermal sink is selected from a fluid jet, a liquid jet, a gas jet, a cryogenic fluid, a super-cooled liquid, a thermoelectric cooling means, and an electro/magnetic field.

28. The process of claim 1 wherein said energy is a thermal source or sink, a mechanical source, a chemical source, and an electrical source.

29. The process of claim 28 wherein said chemical source is provided by particles.

30. The process of claim 28 wherein said chemical source includes a chemical reaction.

31. The process of claim 28 wherein said chemical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

32. The process of claim 28 wherein said mechanical source is derived from a group selected from rotational, translational, compressional, expansional, or ultrasonic.

33. The process of claim 28 wherein said mechanical source is flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

34. The process of claim 28 wherein electrical source is selected from an applied voltage or an applied electromagnetic means.

35. The process of claim 28 wherein said electrical source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

36. The process of claim 28 wherein said thermal source or sink is selected from radiation, convection, or conduction.

37. The process of claim 28 wherein said thermal source is selected from a photon beam, a liquid jet, a gas jet, an electron beam, a thermo-electric heating, and a furnace.

38. The process of claim 28 wherein said thermal sink is selected from a liquid jet, a gas jet, a cryogenic fluid, a super-cooled liquid, a thermo-electric cooling means, and a super-cooled gas.

39. The process of claim 28 wherein said thermal source is selected from flood, time-varying, spatially varying, or continuous.

40. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate is maintained at a temperature ranging between -200°

C. and 450°

C. during said introducing step.

41. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of providing said energy is maintained at a temperature below 400°

C.

42. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of providing said energy is maintained at a temperature below 350°

C.

43. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of introducing is a step(s) of beam line ion implantation.

44. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of introducing is a step(s) of plasma immersion ion implantation or ion shower.

45. The process of claim 1 further comprising a step of joining said surface of said substrate to a surface of a target substrate to form a stacked assembly.

46. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate is made of a material selected from silicon, diamond, quartz, glass, sapphire, silicon carbide, dielectric, group III/V material, plastic, ceramic material, multi-layered substrate, and processed wafer comprising active devices.

47. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate is a silicon substrate comprising an overlying layer of dielectric material, said selected depth being underneath said dielectric material.

48. The process of claim 47 wherein said dielectric material is selected from an oxide material, a nitride material, or an oxide/nitride material.

49. The process of claim 1 wherein said substrate includes an overlying layer of conductive material.

50. The process of claim 49 wherein said conductive material is selected from a metal, a plurality of metal layers, aluminum, tungsten, titanium, titanium nitride, polycide, polysilicon, copper, indium tin oxide, silicide, platinum, gold, silver, and amorphous silicon.

51. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of introducing provides a substantially uniform distribution of particles along a plane of said material region at said selected depth.

52. The process of claim 51 wherein said substantially uniform distribution is a uniformity of less than about 5%.