Method and system for generating a plurality of donor wafers and handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer

• US 6,448,152 B1
• Filed: 07/16/2001
• Issued: 09/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J., Kang, Sien G., Malik, Igor J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sherry, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarkar, Asok Kumar
• Application Number:
  US09/906,865
• Time in Patent Office: 421 Days
• Field of Search: 438/455, 438/458, 438/459, 438/465, 438/510, 438/515, 438/526, 438/690, 438/800, 700/121
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32024 Remote ordering, electronic selection article and fitting to form of client
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76254 with separation/delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut, Unibond

Abstract

A method for generating a plurality of donor wafers and handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer. For example, a plurality of donor wafers with different silicon layer thicknesses along with a plurality of handle wafers with different oxide layer thicknesses are fabricated. Subsequently, a customer may place an order for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers which share defined parameters. Therefore, a prefabricated donor wafer and handle wafer are selected based on the customer'"'"'s defined parameters and then bonded together. Next, the donor wafer is cleaved from the handle wafer wherein the handle wafer retains the silicon layer of the donor wafer. The silicon layer thickness of the handle wafer may be altered to meet the customer'"'"'s parameters. For example, an epitaxial smoothing process may decrease the silicon layer thickness while an epitaxial thickening process may increase the silicon layer thickness.

Claims

1. A method for generating a plurality of donor wafers and handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a desired layer thickness;

selecting a donor wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of donor wafers having different thickness of a first material layer;

selecting a handle wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of handle wafers having different thickness of a second material layer;

bonding said donor wafer and said handle wafer together; and

modifying the thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness.

2. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

generating said plurality of donor wafers and said plurality of handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said first material layer comprises silicon.

4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said second material layer comprises silicon dioxide.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said donor wafer and said handle wafer are utilized to create a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer.

6. The method as described in claim 5 wherein said thickness of said first material layer falls within the range of substantially equal to or less than 1.5 micrometers and greater than zero.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said first material layer has an exposed surface having a roughness of less than 2 angstroms root mean square (RMS).

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process.

9. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process.

10. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process, an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process, and annealing process.

11. A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a system to perform the steps of:

receiving a desired layer thickness;

selecting a donor wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of donor wafers having different thickness of a first material layer;

selecting a handle wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of handle wafers having different thickness of a second material layer;

bonding said donor wafer and said handle wafer together; and

modifying the thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness.

12. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 further comprising the step of:

generating said plurality of donor wafers and said plurality of handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer.

13. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said first material layer comprises silicon.

14. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said second material layer comprises silicon dioxide.

15. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said donor wafer and said handle wafer are utilized to create a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer.

16. The computer readable medium as described in claim 15 wherein said first material layer thickness falls within the range of substantially equal to or less than 1.5 micrometers and greater than zero.

17. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said first material layer has an exposed surface having a roughness of less than 2 angstroms root mean square (RMS).

18. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process.

19. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process.

20. The computer readable medium as described in claim 11 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said first material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process, an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process, and annealing process.

21. A method for generating a plurality of donor wafers and handle wafers prior to an order being placed by a customer, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a plurality of donor wafers and a plurality of handle wafers prior to an order being placed by said customer;

receiving a desired layer thickness;

selecting a donor wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of donor wafers having different thickness of a material layer;

selecting a handle wafer based upon said desired layer thickness from a plurality of handle wafers having different thickness of an oxide layer;

bonding said donor wafer and said handle wafer together; and

modifying the thickness of said material layer to attain said desired layer thickness.

22. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said material layer comprises silicon.

23. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said oxide layer comprises silicon dioxide.

24. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said donor wafer and said handle wafer are utilized to create a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer.

25. The method as described in claim 24 wherein said thickness of said material layer falls within the range of substantially equal to or less than 1.5 micrometers and greater than zero.

26. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said material layer has an exposed surface having a roughness of less than 2 angstroms root mean square (RMS).

27. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process.

28. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process.

29. The method as described in claim 21 wherein said step of modifying said thickness of said material layer to attain said desired layer thickness comprises the step of performing an epitaxial (EPI) smoothing process, an epitaxial (EPI) thickening process, and annealing process.