Smoothing method for cleaved films made using thermal treatment

• US 6,204,151 B1
• Filed: 04/12/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Malik, Igor J., Kang, Sien G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LINDSAY JR, WALTER LEE
• Application Number:
  US09/295,822
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 438/460, 438/405, 438/455, 438/695, 438/780, 438/476
• US Class Current: 438/460
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/304 Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting H01L21/30625 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76259 with separation/delamination along a porous layer

Abstract

In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a novel process for smoothing a surface of a separated film. The present process is for the preparation of thin semiconductor material films. The process includes a step of implanting by ion bombardment of the face of the wafer by means of ions creating in the volume of the wafer at a depth close to the average penetration depth of the ions, where a layer of gaseous microbubbles defines the volume of the wafer a lower region constituting a majority of the substrate and an upper region constituting the thin film. A temperature of the wafer during implantation is kept below the temperature at which the gas produced by the implanted ions can escape from the semiconductor by diffusion. The process also includes contacting the planar face of the wafer with a stiffener constituted by at least one rigid material layer. The process includes treating the assembly of the wafer and the stiffener at a temperature above that at which the ion bombardment takes place and adequate to create by a crystalline rearrangement effect in the wafer and a pressure effect in the microbubbles to create separation between the thin film and the majority of the substrate. The stiffener and the planar face of the wafer are kept in intimate contact during the stage to free the thin film from the majority of the substrate. The method also includes applying a combination of thermal treatment and an etchant to the thin film to reduce a surface roughness of the thin film to a predetermined value.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of thin semiconductor material films, wherein the process comprises subjecting a semiconductor material wafer having a planar face and whose plane, is substantially parallel to a principal crystallographic plane, the process comprising:

implanting by ion bombardment of the face of said wafer by means of ions creating in the volume of said wafer at a depth close to the average penetration depth of said ions, a layer of gaseous microbubbles defining in the volume of said wafer a lower region constituting a majority of the substrate and an upper region constituting the thin film, the temperature of the wafer during implantation being kept below the temperature at which the gas produced by the implanted ions can escape from the semiconductor by diffusion;

contacting the planar face of said wafer with a stiffener constituted by at least one rigid material layer;

treating the assembly of said wafer and said stiffener at a temperature above that at which the ion bombardment takes place and adequate to created, by a crystalline rearrangement effect in the wafer and a pressure effect in the microbubbles, a separation between the thin film and the majority of the substrate, the stiffener and the planar face of the wafer being kept in intimate contact during said stage to free the thin film from the majority of the substrate; and

applying a combination of thermal treatment and an etchant to said thin film to reduce a surface roughness of said thin film to a predetermined value, wherein said thermal treatment increases a temperature of said thin film to about 1,000 Degrees Celsius and greater, said temperature increasing about 10 Degrees Celsius per second and greater.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said ions comprise a hydrogen bearing species.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said ions are derived from hydrogen gas.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is greater than about two nanometers root mean square.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 1 nanometers root mean square.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 0.1 nanometer root mean square.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said etchant comprises a hydrogen bearing compound.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said etchant comprising a halogen bearing compound is selected from at least Cl₂, HCl, HBr, HI, and HF.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said etchant comprises a fluorine bearing compound.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said fluorine bearing compound is selected from SF₆, CF₄, NF₃, and CCl₂F₂.

11. A process for the preparation of thin semiconductor material films, wherein the process comprises subjecting a semiconductor material wafer having a planar face and whose plane, is substantially parallel to a principal crystallographic plane, the process comprising:

implanting by ion bombardment of the face of said wafer by means of ions creating in the volume of said wafer at a depth close to the average penetration depth of said ions, a layer of gaseous microbubbles defining in the volume of said wafer a lower region constituting a majority of the substrate and an upper region constituting the thin film, the temperature of the wafer during implantation being kept below the temperature at which the gas produced by the implanted ions can escape from the semiconductor by diffusion;

contacting the planar face of said wafer with a stiffener constituted by at least one rigid material layer;

treating the assembly of said wafer and said stiffener at a temperature above that at which the ion bombardment takes place and adequate to create, by a crystalline rearrangement effect in the wafer and a pressure effect in the microbubbles, a separation between the thin film and the majority of the substrate, the stiffener and the planar face of the wafer being kept in intimate contact during said stage to free the thin film from the majority of the substrate; and

applying a combination of thermal treatment and an etchant to said thin film to reduce a surface roughness of said thin film to a predetermined value, wherein said thermal treatment increases a temperature of said thin film to about 1,000 Degrees Celsius and greater, said temperature increasing about 20 Degrees Celsius per second and greater.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said ions comprise a hydrogen bearing species.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said ions are derived from hydrogen gas.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined value is greater than about two nanometers root mean square.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 1 nanometers root mean square.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined value is less than about 0.1 nanometer root mean square.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said etchant comprises a hydrogen bearing compound.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said etchant comprising a halogen bearing compound is selected from at least Cl₂, HCl, HBr, HI, and HF.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said etchant comprises a fluorine bearing compound.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said fluorine bearing compound is selected from SF₆, CF₄, NF₃, and CCl₂F₂.