Method and system for source switching and in-situ plasma bonding

• US 7,078,317 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Issued: 07/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Original Assignee: Silicon Genesis
• Inventors: Henley, Francois J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): GOODWIN, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US10/913,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20060030167A1
• Time in Patent Office: 711 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 438/455
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32082 Radio frequency generated discharge H01J37/32357, H01J37/32366, H01J37/32394 and H01J37/32403 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32165 Plural frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32706 Polarising the substrate

Abstract

A system for in-situ plasma treatment. The system has a processing chamber, e.g., plasma chamber. The system has a first susceptor coupled within the chamber and a second susceptor facing the first susceptor and being within the chamber. The system has one or more power sources. Preferably, a first power source is characterized by a first frequency. The first power source is coupled to the first susceptor and the second susceptor. A second power source is characterized by a second frequency. The second power source is coupled to the first susceptor and the second susceptor. A switching device is coupled to the first power source and is coupled the second power source. The switching device is configured to selectively apply the first frequency to the first susceptor while the second frequency is applied to the second susceptor and is alternatively configured to selectively apply the first frequency to the second susceptor while the second frequency is applied to the first susceptor.

Claims

1. A method for in-situ plasma treatment of substrates, the method comprising:

positioning a first face of a first substrate to face a second face of a second substrate;

maintaining a predetermined gap between the first face and the second face;

initiating a plasma within the predetermined gap using a first bias characterized by a first frequency, the first bias being applied to the first substrate while the second substrate is maintained at a first potential;

maintaining the plasma within a vicinity of the first face and the second face to initiate a plasma treatment on either or both the first face and the second face; and

switching the first bias on the first substrate to the second substrate while the first substrate is switched to a second potential.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second potentials are the same.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first potential is a ground potential.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second potential is a ground potential.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first potential is characterized by a second frequency.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the second frequency is less than the cyclotron frequency of ions of the plasma.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the second potential is characterized by a second frequency.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first potential and second potential are respectively characterized by a second frequency and third frequency.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the switching coincides with a level of the first bias being about a level of the first potential.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the level of the first bias and the level of the first potential are at a ground voltage level.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first substrate and the second substrate comprising at least one of silicon wafers, germanium wafers, Group III/V materials wafers, and glass wafers.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching the first bias on the second substrate to the first substrate while the second substrate is maintained at a first potential.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the first face is substantially planar and the second face is substantially planar.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined gap ranges from about 1 mm to about 20 mm.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the predetermined gap is less than 3 cm.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising maintaining a pressure in a range of about 0.01 Torr to about 0.7 Torr.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein further comprising maintaining a pressure in a range of about 0.02 Torr to about 0.5 Torr.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the plasma comprises a species of at least one of argon (Ar), oxygen (O2), hydrogen (H2), helium (He), nitrogen (N2), air without water (H2O) vapor, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the vicinity is located on and in contact with the first face.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the first frequency at least the cyclotron frequency of ions of the plasma.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein a major portion of the first face is parallel to a major portion of the second face.