Pre-semiconductor process implant and post-process film separation

• US 6,291,326 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): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Dung Anh
• Application Number:
  US09/335,222
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 438/455, 438/456, 438/458, 438/459, 438/460, 438/510, 438/514, 438/526, 438/315, 438/800, 438/690
• US Class Current: 438/526
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond

Abstract

A multilayercd substrate. The substrate has a plurality of particles defined in a pattern in the substrate at a selected depth underneath the surface of the substrate. The particles are at a concentration at the selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above the selected depth. The substrate material is removed after forming active devices on the substrate material using, for example, conventional semiconductor processing techniques. The pattern is defined in a manner to substantially prevent a possibility of detachment of the substrate material to be removed during conventional thermal processes of greater than about room temperature or greater than about 200 degrees Celsius.

Claims

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

introducing a pattern of particles in a selected manner at 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, said pattern of particles being relatively fixed in said substrate material to prevent a substantial separation of the substrate material during a high temperature process;

forming a plurality of active devices onto said substrate material, said active devices including transistors, said forming including said high temperature process; and

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.

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 further comprising a step of annealing said implanted substrate after said introducing step to fix a relative position of said particles in said substrate.

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 encrgy 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 a step(s) of plasma immersion ion implantation.

20. 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 before said providing step.

21. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles comprise hydrogen gas.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles comprise hydrogen compounds.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein said particles comprise deuterium gas.