Substrate recycling method and recycled substrate

• US 9,373,496 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd. (Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Seoul Viosys Co., Ltd. (Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Heo, Jeong Hoon, Hong, Su Yeon, Choi, Joo Won, Kim, Chang Yeon, Kim, Young Wug, Ryu, Sang Wan
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, BRADLEY
• Application Number:
  US14/085,876
• Publication Number:
  US 20140138702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 438/689
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02013 Grinding, lapping
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02019 Chemical etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02032 by reclaiming or re-processing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0093 Wafer bonding; Removal of the growth substrate

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention provide a substrate recycling method and a recycled substrate. The method includes separating a substrate having a first surface from an epitaxial layer, performing a first etching of the first surface using electrochemical etching, and performing, after the first etching, a second etching of the first surface using chemical etching, dry etching, or performing, after the first etching, chemical mechanical polishing of the first surface.

Claims

1. A substrate recycling method, the method comprising:

separating a substrate comprising a first surface from an epitaxial layer;

performing a first etching of the first surface using electrochemical etching; and

performing, after the first etching, a second etching of the first surface using chemical etching or dry etching, or performing, after the first etching, chemical mechanical polishing of the first surface,

wherein;

the first surface comprises a sacrificial layer; and

the substrate further comprises an etching stop layer disposed under the sacrificial layer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises an n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer, and the etching stop layer comprises an undoped gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the sacrificial layer is removed and the etching stop layer is exposed by the chemical etching, dry etching, or chemical mechanical polishing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first etching forms pores in the sacrificial layer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface comprises a protrusion and a recess, the protrusion comprising a flatter surface than the recess.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the protrusion comprises a stripe shape, an island shape, or a mesh shape.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming an etching stop layer on a side surface of the substrate.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises an initial substrate, the initial substrate comprising sapphire or gallium nitride.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein electrochemical etching is performed using an oxalic acid solution and an applied voltage in the range of 10 V to 100 V.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second etching is performed using chemical etching, the chemical etching being performed using a solution containing NaOH or KOH.

11. A substrate recycling method, the method comprising:

separating a substrate comprising a surface layer from an epitaxial layer;

modifying the surface layer by forming pores within the surface layer; and

removing the modified surface layer from the substrate,

wherein the separated surface layer comprises a protrusion and a recess, the protrusion comprising a flatter surface than the recess.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the modified surface layer is removed by chemical etching, chemical mechanical polishing, or dry etching.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming an etching stop layer under the surface layer.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the surface layer comprises an n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer, and the etching stop layer comprises an undoped gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is removed and the undoped gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is exposed by the chemical etching, chemical mechanical polishing, or dry etching.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the pores are formed by electrochemical etching.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the electrochemical etching is performed in two stages by changing an applied voltage.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the n-type gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is removed by chemical mechanical polishing, and the exposed undoped gallium nitride-based semiconductor layer is planarized by dry etching.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the protrusion comprises a stripe shape, an island shape, or a mesh shape.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising before removing the surface layer, forming a planarized layer on the surface layer.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the surface layer is removed together with the planarized layer by dry etching.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the substrate comprises an initial substrate, the initial substrate comprising sapphire substrate or gallium nitride.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein the pores are formed by electrochemical etching in an oxalic acid solution to which a voltage in the range of 10 V to 100 V is applied.

24. The method of claim 11, wherein the surface layer comprises flat areas and rough areas arranged in a regular pattern thereon.