Process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure in contact with one another by ion implantation

• US 6,225,190 B1
• Filed: 11/13/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (AES Corporation)
• Inventors: Di Cioccio, Lea, Bruel, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Whitehead, Jr., Carl
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROPHY, JAMIE LYNN
• Application Number:
  US08/970,077
• Time in Patent Office: 1,265 Days
• Field of Search: 438/53, 438/50, 438/407, 438/404, 438/458, 438/459
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 29/36 Carbides
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 31/22 by ion-implantation
• CPC Class Codes: C30B 33/00 After-treatment of single crystals or homogeneous polycrystalline material with defined structure C30B31/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 1/148 using semiconductive material, e.g. silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G01L 9/0073 using a semiconductive diaphragm

Abstract

A process for separating at least two elements of a structure. The two elements are in contact with one another along an interface and are fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at their interface. An ion implantation is performed in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach the interface and with an adequate dose to break the interatomic bonds. This brings about at the interface, the formation of a gaseous phase having an adequate pressure to permit the separation of the two elements.

Claims

1. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure from each other, said two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and being fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, comprising the step of:

performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds so as to separate the two elements of the structure at said interface into two solid parts.

2. The separation process according to claim 1, wherein the implanted ion dose brings about, at said interface, the formation of a gaseous phase having an adequate pressure to permit the separation of the two elements.

3. The separation process according to claim 1, comprising the actual ion implantation stage, followed by a heat treatment stage permitting the concentration of the implanted ions at said interface.

4. The separation process according to claim 1, wherein, said structure being a semiconductor structure of the silicon on an insulator type, a silicon layer constituting one of the two elements of the structure, and a silicon oxide layer constituting the other element of the structure, the implanted ions are hydrogen ions.

5. The process according to claim 1, wherein ion implantation takes place on the entire interface, so as to obtain a complete separation of the two elements of the structure.

6. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure from each other, the two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and are fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, consisting of performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds and permit a separation of the two elements, wherein ion implantation takes place on at least one area of said interface, so as to obtain a separation of the two elements of the structure in said area.

7. The process according to claim 6, wherein ion implantation takes place at a dose bringing about, at said interface, the formation of a gaseous phase, the implanted ion dose making it possible to give the gaseous phase formed in said area an adequate pressure to deform at least one of the two elements of the structure.

8. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure from each other, said two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and being fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, comprising the step of:

performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds so as to separate the two elements of the structure at said interface;

wherein the ion implantation takes place on at least one area of said interface, so as to obtain the separation of the two elements of the structure in said area;

wherein said ion implantation takes place at an implanted ion dose bringing about, at said interface, formation of a gaseous phase, said implanted ion dose making it possible to give the gaseous phase formed in said area an adequate pressure to deform at least one of the two elements of the structure; and

wherein the shape of said implanted area for deformation of said element of the structure constitutes one of a pad and a cushion.

9. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure from each other, said two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and being fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, comprising the step of:

performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds so as to separate the two elements of the structure at said interface;

wherein the ion implantation takes place on at least one area of said interface, so as to obtain the separation of the two elements of the structure in said area;

wherein said ion implantation takes place at an implanted ion dose bringing about, at said interface, formation of a gaseous phase, said implanted ion dose making it possible to give the gaseous phase formed in said area an adequate pressure to deform at least one of the two elements of the structure; and

wherein an external face of the element deformed by the pressure of the gaseous phase is made conductive, so that the structure can have a flexible electrical contact with an external element.

10. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure from each other, said two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and being fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, comprising the step of:

performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds so as to separate the two elements of the structure at said interface;

wherein the ion implantation takes place on at least one area of said interface, so as to obtain the separation of the two elements of the structure in said area;

wherein said ion implantation takes place at an implanted ion dose bringing about, at said interface, formation of a gaseous phase, said implanted ion dose making it possible to give the gaseous phase formed in said area an adequate pressure to deform at least one of the two elements of the structure; and

wherein there is a formation of electrodes positioned so as to form at least one capacitor, wherein said gaseous phase acts as a dielectric.

11. The process according to claim 10, wherein the formation of electrodes allows the capacitance of said capacitor to be measured, thus obtaining a pressure transducer.

12. The process according to claim 10, wherein the formation of electrodes allows the capacitances corresponding to the capacitors formed from an array of implanted areas to be measured, thus obtaining an array of pressure transducers.

13. A process for the separation of at least two elements of a structure, said two elements being in contact with one another along an interface and being fixed to one another by interatomic bonds at said interface, comprising the step of:

performing an ion implantation in order to introduce ions into the structure with an adequate energy for them to reach said interface and with an adequate dose to break said interatomic bonds and permit a separation of the two elements into two solid parts;

wherein ion implantation takes place on the entire interface, so as to obtain a complete separation of the two elements of the structure into the two solid parts; and

wherein said structure includes a first silicon element and a second SiO₂ element obtained by thermal growth from the first element;

said process further comprising the step of bonding the second element to a SiC mass before separating the first and second elements into the two solid parts.