Controlled cleavage process and device for patterned films using a release layer

• US 6,291,314 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1999
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J., Cheung, Nathan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): SARKAR, ASOK K
• Application Number:
  US09/335,860
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 438/455, 438/458, 438/479, 438/515, 438/977, 438/407, 438/511, 438/516, 438/526, 438/766, 438/798, 117/915
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67092 Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting, see the relevant groups in subclasses B24B or B28D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond

Abstract

A technique for forming a film of material having active devices from a donor substrate. The technique has a step of introducing energetic particles in a selected manner through a surface and active devices of a donor substrate a selected depth underneath the active devices, where the particles have a relatively high concentration to define a donor substrate material above the selected depth. The surface of the donor substrate is attached to a release layer on a transfer substrate. An energy source is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action of the substrate at the selected depth, whereupon the cleaving action provides an expanding cleave front to free the donor material from a remaining portion of the donor substrate. The transfer substrate holds the cleaved material and is used to transfer the cleaved material with active devices onto a target substrate.

Claims

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

providing a substrate comprising active devices therein;

introducing particles in a selected manner at a selected depth underneath said active devices, said particles being at a concentration at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth;

attaching said surface of said substrate to a release layer on a transfer substrate;

providing energy to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in 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;

wherein said substrate is maintained at a temperature below about 200 Degrees Celsius during said step of providing energy to said selected region of said substrate.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of neutral molecules, charged molecules, atoms, and electrons.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles are energetic.

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

5. 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.

6. 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.

7. The process of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing additional energy to said substrate to sustain said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.

8. The process of claim 1 further comprising a step of providing additional energy to said substrate to increase a controlled stress in said material and to sustain said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said introducing step forms damage selected from the group consisting of atomic bond damage, bond substitution, weakening, and breaking bonds of said substrate at said selected depth.

10. The process of claim 9 wherein said damage causes stress to said substrate material at said selected depth.

11. The process of claim 9 wherein said damage reduces an ability of said substrate material to withstand stress without a possibility of a cleaving of said substrate material.

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

13. 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.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein said devices comprise capacitors.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein said devices comprise resistors.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein said devices comprise transistors.

17. The process of claim 1 wherein said energy is provided by a source selected from the group consisting of a thermal source, a thermal sink, a mechanical source, a chemical source, and an electrical source.

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

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

20. The process of claim 1 further comprising a step of joining a cleaved surface of said substrate to a surface of a target substrate to form a stacked assembly before said providing step.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said particles comprise hydrogen gas.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said particles comprise hydrogen compounds.

21. A process for forming an integrated circuit, said process comprising steps of:

providing a substrate, said substrate comprising a substrate material, said substrate material comprising plurality of integrated circuit elements defined thereon, said substrate also comprising a dielectric layer formed overlying said integrated circuit elements and a surface that is substantially planar overlying said dielectric layer;

introducing particles in a selected manner through said planar surface of said substrate to a selected depth underneath said integrated circuit elements, said particles being at a concentration at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth;

joining said surface of said substrate to a face of a transfer substrate, said surface of said substrate being joined to a release layer defined on said transfer substrate;

providing energy to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in said substrate, whereupon said cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free said material to be removed from said substrate, said material to be removed having a detached surface at said selected depth; and

joining said detached surface to a target substrate and removing said transfer substrate from said face of said material.

22. A process for forming a film of material comprising devices, said process comprising steps of:

providing a substrate comprising active devices therein and a temperature sensitive layer therein, said temperature sensitive layer being selected from a BPSG, an aluminum, a copper, a SOG, and other thermal heat sensitive layers, said substrate comprising a stressed layer at a selected depth underneath said active devices, said stressed layer at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth;

attaching said surface of said substrate to a release layer on a transfer substrate;

providing energy to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in 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;

wherein said substrate is maintained at a temperature below about 200 Degrees Celsius during said step of providing energy to said selected region of said substrate to maintain said temperature sensitive layer.