Method for the manufacture of electronic devices on substrates and devices related thereto

• US 7,960,246 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2005
• Issued: 06/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Umicore S.A.
• Original Assignee: IMEC International, Umicore S.A.
• Inventors: Geens, Wim, Poortmans, Jef, Flamand, Giovanni
• Primary Examiner(s): Stark; Jarrett J
• Application Number:
  US11/146,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20050272222A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,199 Days
• Field of Search: 438/458, 257/E21.567
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: B64G 1/443 Photovoltaic cell arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/2007 Bonding of semiconductor wafers to insulating substrates or to semiconducting substrates using an intermediate insulating layer H01L21/2011 takes precedence; bonding of semiconductor wafers to semiconductor wafers for junction formation H01L21/187
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68318 Auxiliary support including means facilitating the separation of a device or wafer from the auxiliary support
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68363 used in a transfer process involving transfer directly from an origin substrate to a target substrate without use of an intermediate handle substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0508 the interconnection means having a particular shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/182 Special manufacturing methods for polycrystalline Si, e.g. Si ribbon, poly Si ingots, thin films of polycrystalline Si
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/1896 for thin-film semiconductors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/546 Polycrystalline silicon PV cells
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing electronic devices and devices produced by those methods are disclosed. One such method includes releasably bonding a first surface of a device substrate to a face of a first carrier substrate using a first bonding agent to produce a first composite substrate, where the face of the first carrier substrate includes a pattern of trenches. The method also includes processing the device substrate to manufacture an electronic device on a second surface of the device substrate. The method further includes releasing the device substrate from the first carrier substrate by a releasing agent.

Claims

1. A method for the manufacture of an electronic device comprising:

releasably bonding a first surface of a device substrate to a surface of a first carrier substrate using a first bonding agent to produce a first composite substrate;

while the device substrate is bonded to the first carrier substrate, processing the device substrate to manufacture an electronic device at a second surface of the device substrate; and

releasing the device substrate from the first carrier substrate using a releasing agent, wherein the surface of the first carrier substrate comprises a pattern of trenches formed in the first surface of the first carrier substrate, and wherein the first carrier substrate is free of any through holes.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising thinning the device substrate after releasably bonding the device substrate to the first carrier substrate and before processing the device substrate.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device substrate has a first thickness of at least 50 μ

m before thinning and a second thickness of less than 50 μ

m after thinning.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein releasably bonding the device substrate to the first carrier substrate to produce the first composite substrate comprises:

applying a quantity of the first bonding agent on at least one of (i) the first surface of the device substrate and (ii) the surface of the first carrier substrate, wherein the trenches are at least partially free of the bonding agent after bonding;

pressing the device substrate and the first carrier substrate against each other with the bonding agent in between to form the first composite substrate; and

applying heat to the first composite substrate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first bonding agent, the device substrate and the first carrier substrate have compatible thermal expansion coefficients.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising bonding the device substrate to a second carrier substrate using a second bonding agent to produce a second composite substrate after processing the device substrate and prior to releasing the device substrate from the first carrier substrate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second bonding agent is one of a space qualified sealant and a space qualifiable sealant.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the second carrier substrate is substantially transparent.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the second carrier substrate comprises glass.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the device substrate comprises etching at least one of through holes and trenches in the device substrate using dry etching.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the device substrate comprises separating the device substrate into separated substrate parts by forming channels using at least one of mechanical processing and chemical processing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the separated substrate parts are electrically interconnected.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bonding agent comprises spin-on glass.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the releasing agent comprises hydrofluoric acid.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the device substrate and the first carrier substrate are germanium substrates.