Method of transferring a thin layer onto a target substrate having a coefficient of thermal expansion different from that of the thin layer

• US 8,252,663 B2
• Filed: 06/17/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Fournel, Franck
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Reema
• Application Number:
  US12/817,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20100323497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 438/455, 438/458, 257/E21.211
• US Class Current: 438/458
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/187 by direct bonding

Abstract

A method of transferring a thin layer from a source substrate having a surface layer of a first material along a free surface thereof to a target substrate having at least one surface layer of a second material along a free surface thereof, where the first material differs from the second material, includes forming within the surface layer of the source substrate a weakened zone delimiting a thin layer with respect to the free surface, and assembling the free surface of the source substrate to the free surface of the target substrate in a stack of alternating layers comprising the first and second materials, so that there are, on either side of an interface formed by bringing the free surfaces into intimate contact. The cumulative thicknesses of the layers of the first material are substantially equal to the cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material, the layers having thicknesses at least equal to 50 microns and at least 1000 times the depth at which the weakened zone is formed. The thin layer is detached by applying at least partially thermal energy to fracture the weakened zone.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a thin layer from a source substrate to a target substrate, wherein the source substrate includes a surface layer along a free surface thereof, the surface layer comprising a first material, and wherein the target substrate includes at least one surface layer along a free surface thereof, the one surface layer comprising a second material different from the first material, the method comprising:

forming within the surface layer of the source substrate a weakened zone delimiting a thin layer with respect to the free surface;

assembling the free surface of the source substrate with the free surface of the target substrate in a stack of alternating layers comprising the first and second materials so that layers of the first and second materials are on either side of an interface formed by bringing the free surfaces into intimate contact,

wherein a cumulative thickness of the layers of the first material on a first side of the interface is substantially equal to a cumulative thickness of the layers of the first material on an opposite side of the interface and a cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material on the first side of the interface is substantially equal to a cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material on the opposite side of the interface, each of the alternating layers having thicknesses of at least 50 microns and at least 1000 times the depth at which the weakened zone is formed in the surface layer; and

applying at least partially thermal energy to fracture the weakened zone and to detach the thin layer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternating layers on one side of the interface comprise a first part, and the alternating layers on the opposite side of the interface comprise a second part, and wherein the stack of alternating layers is produced from a combination of materials, such that each of the first and second parts have a plane of symmetry parallel to the interface.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternating layers on one side of the interface comprise a first part, and the layers on an opposite side of the interface comprise a second part, and wherein one of the first and second parts of the stack comprises two layers of the second material having substantially equal thicknesses with a layer of the first material between the two layers and having a thickness substantially equal to twice the thickness of the two layers of the second material, and the other of the first and second parts of the stack comprises two layers of the first material having substantially equal thicknesses with a layer of the second material between the two layers of the first material and having a thickness substantially equal to twice the thickness of the two layers of the first material.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the first part includes a double layer of the first material sandwiched between two identical layers of the second material and the second part includes a double layer of the second material sandwiched between two identical layers of the first material.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein, after fracturing the weakened zone, a separation is provoked at a bonding interface within the stack of alternating layers associated with the target substrate.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein separation is provoked at an interface with a low bonding energy formed within the stack of alternating layers.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein the stack of alternating layers associated with the source substrate is used in a new stack after forming a new weakened zone delimited with respect a free surface liberated by detaching the thin layer.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein forming the weakened zone comprises performing ionic implantation.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first material comprises silicon.

10. A method of transferring a thin layer from a source substrate to a target substrate, wherein the source substrate includes a surface layer along a free surface thereof, the surface layer comprising a first material, and wherein the target substrate includes at least one surface layer along a free surface thereof, the one surface layer comprising a second material different from the first material, the method comprising:

forming within the surface layer of the source substrate a weakened zone delimiting a thin layer with respect to the free surface;

assembling the free surface of the source substrate with the free surface of the target substrate in a stack of alternating layers comprising the first and second materials so that layers of the first and second materials are on either side of an interface formed by bringing the free surfaces into intimate contact,

wherein a cumulative thickness of the layers of the first material on a first side of the interface is substantially equal to a cumulative thickness of the layers of the first material on an opposite side of the interface and a cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material on the first side of the interface is substantially equal to a cumulative thickness of the layers of the second material on the opposite side of the interface, each of the alternating layers having thicknesses of at least 50 microns and at least 1000 times the depth at which the weakened zone is formed in the surface layer; and

applying at least partially thermal energy to fracture the weakened zone and to detach the thin layer,

wherein the stack of alternating layers comprises only layers formed of one or the other of the first and second materials.