POROUS SEMICONDUCTOR LAYER TRANSFER FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT STRUCTURE

• US 20180068886A1
• Filed: 09/02/2016
• Published: 03/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2016
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: HAMMOND, Richard, GOKTEPELI, Sinan
• Application Number:
  US15/256,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20180068886A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76256 using silicon etch back techniques, e.g. BESOI, ELTRAN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76259 with separation/delamination along a porous layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/7806 involving the separation of the active layers from a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/84 the substrate being other than a semiconductor body, e.g. being an insulating body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1203 the substrate comprising an insulating body on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI three-dimensional layout H01L27/0688
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package

Abstract

An integrated radio frequency (RF) circuit structure may include an active device on a front-side surface of a semiconductor device layer. A backside surface opposite the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer may be supported by a backside dielectric layer. The integrated RF circuit structure may also include a handle substrate on a front-side dielectric layer that is on a front-side of the active device and a least a portion of the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer. The integrated RF circuit structure may further include the backside dielectric layer on the backside surface of the semiconductor device layer. The backside dielectric layer may be arranged distal from the front-side dielectric layer.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an integrated circuit structure, comprising:

etching a bulk semiconductor wafer to create a porous semiconductor layer;

epitaxially growing a semiconductor device layer on the porous semiconductor layer;

fabricating an active device on the semiconductor device layer;

depositing a front-side dielectric on the active device;

bonding a handle substrate to the front-side dielectric on the active device;

removing at least a portion of the bulk semiconductor wafer; and

selectively etching away the porous semiconductor layer, while retaining the semiconductor device layer.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the porous semiconductor layer comprises an etch stop layer.

3. The method of claim 1, in which a porosity of the porous semiconductor layer is in a range of 20% to 70%.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the porous semiconductor layer comprises a cleave plane.

5. The method of claim 1, in which etching the bulk semiconductor wafer comprises:

etching the bulk semiconductor wafer to create a first porous semiconductor layer; and

etching the bulk semiconductor wafer to create a second porous semiconductor layer, having a porosity that is greater than the porosity of the first porous semiconductor layer.

6. The method of claim 5, in which removing at least the portion of the bulk semiconductor wafer comprises:

cleaving the bulk semiconductor wafer at the second porous semiconductor layer; and

reusing the remaining portion of the bulk semiconductor wafer.

7. The method of claim 5, in which the porosity of the first porous semiconductor layer is 20%.

8. The method of claim 5, in which the porosity of the second porous semiconductor layer is 70%.

9. The method of claim 5, in which etching the bulk semiconductor wafer comprises etching the bulk semiconductor wafer to create a third porous semiconductor layer, in which the porosity of the third porous semiconductor layer is less than the porosity of the second porous semiconductor layer.

10. The method of claim 9, in which the porosity of the third porous semiconductor layer is 20%.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising integrating the integrated circuit structure into an RF front end module, the RF front end module incorporated into at least one of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile phone, and a portable computer.

12. An integrated radio frequency (RF) circuit structure, comprising:

an active device on a front-side surface of a semiconductor device layer, in which a backside surface opposite the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer is supported by a backside dielectric layer;

a handle substrate on a front-side dielectric layer that is on a front-side of the active device and a least a portion of the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer; and

the backside dielectric layer on the backside surface of the semiconductor device layer, the backside dielectric layer being arranged distal from the front-side dielectric layer.

13. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 12, in which the semiconductor device layer comprises an epitaxially grown silicon layer.

14. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 13, in which a thickness of the epitaxially grown silicon layer is in a range of 150 to 750 angstroms.

15. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 12, further comprising:

an RF enhancement layer on the front-side dielectric layer on the active device; and

the handle substrate is arranged on the RF enhancement layer.

16. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 12, further comprising a passivation layer directly on the backside-dielectric layer, the passivation layer arranged distal from the handle substrate.

17. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 12, integrated into an RF front end module, the RF front end module incorporated into at least one of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile phone, and a portable computer.

18. An integrated radio frequency (RF) circuit structure, comprising:

means for switching on a front-side surface of a semiconductor device layer, in which a backside surface opposite the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer is supported by a backside dielectric layer;

a handle substrate on a front-side dielectric layer that is on a front-side of the switching means and a least a portion of the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer; and

the backside dielectric layer on the backside surface of the semiconductor device layer, the backside dielectric layer being arranged distal from the front-side dielectric layer.

19. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 18, in which the semiconductor device layer comprises an epitaxially grown silicon layer.

20. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 19, in which a thickness of the epitaxially grown silicon layer is in a range of 150 to 750 angstroms.

21. The integrated RF circuit structure of claim 18, integrated into an RF front end module, the RF front end module incorporated into at least one of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile phone, and a portable computer.

22. A radio frequency (RF) front end module, comprising:

an integrated RF circuit structure comprising a switch transistor on a front-side surface of a semiconductor device layer, in which a backside surface opposite the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer is supported by a backside dielectric layer, a handle substrate on a front-side dielectric layer that is on a front-side of the switch transistor and a least a portion of the front-side surface of the semiconductor device layer, and the backside dielectric layer on the backside surface of the semiconductor device layer, the backside dielectric layer being arranged distal from the front-side dielectric layer; and

an antenna coupled to an output of the switch transistor.

23. The RF front end module of claim 22, in which the semiconductor device layer comprises an epitaxially grown silicon layer.

24. The RF front end module of claim 22, incorporated into at least one of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a fixed location data unit, a mobile phone, and a portable computer.