Brewer Science, Inc.

Jeremy McCutcheon

Tony D Flaim

Rama Puligadda

Xing-Fu Zhong

Robert D Brown

James E Lamb, Iii

Russell T Pagel

Susan Bailey

Jeffrey L Kohne

A process is disclosed for using two polymeric bonding material layers to bond a device wafer and carrier wafer in a way that allows debonding to occur between the two layers under low-force conditions at room temperature. Optionally, a third layer is included at the interface between the two layers of polymeric bonding material to facilitate the debonding at this interface. This process can potentially improve bond line stability during backside processing of temporarily bonded wafers, simplify the preparation of bonded wafers by eliminating the need for specialized release layers, and reduce wafer cleaning time and chemical consumption after debonding.

Dual-layer bonding material process for temporary bonding of microelectronic substrates to carrier substrates

New temporary bonding methods and articles formed from those methods are provided. In one embodiment, the methods comprise coating a device or other ultrathin layer on a growth substrate with a rigid support layer and then bonding that stack to a carrier substrate. The growth substrate can then be removed and the ultrathin layer mounted on a final support. In another embodiment, the invention provides methods of handling device layers during processing that must occur on both sides of the fragile layer without damaging it. This is accomplished via the sequential use of two carriers, one on each side of the device layer, bonded with different bonding compositions for selective debonding.

Methods of transferring device wafers or layers between carrier substrates and other surfaces

Multiple bonding layer schemes that temporarily join semiconductor substrates are provided. In the inventive bonding scheme, at least one of the layers is directly in contact with the semiconductor substrate and at least two layers within the scheme are in direct contact with one another. The present invention provides several processing options as the different layers within the multilayer structure perform specific functions. More importantly, it will improve performance of the thin-wafer handling solution by providing higher thermal stability, greater compatibility with harsh backside processing steps, protection of bumps on the front side of the wafer by encapsulation, lower stress in the debonding step, and fewer defects on the front side.

Multiple bonding layers for thin-wafer handling

New temporary bonding methods and articles formed from those methods are provided. The methods comprise bonding a device wafer to a carrier wafer or substrate only at their outer perimeters in order to assist in protecting the device wafer and its device sites during subsequent processing and handling. The edge bonds formed by this method are chemically and thermally resistant, but can also be softened, dissolved, or mechanically disrupted to allow the wafers to be easily separated with very low forces and at or near room temperature at the appropriate stage in the fabrication process.

Method for reversibly mounting a device wafer to a carrier substrate

Article including a device wafer reversibly mountable to a carrier substrate

New demounting methods and apparatuses for separating temporarily, permanently, or semi-permanently bonded substrates and articles formed from those methods and apparatuses are provided. The methods comprise demounting a device wafer from a carrier wafer or substrate that have only been strongly bonded at their outer perimeters. The edge bonds are chemically, mechanically, acoustically, or thermally softened, dissolved, or disrupted to allow the wafers to be easily separated with very low forces and at or near room temperature at the appropriate stage in the fabrication process. A clamp for facilitating separation of the bonded substrates is also provided.

Method and apparatus for removing a reversibly mounted device wafer from a carrier substrate

An improved apparatus () and method are provided for effective, high speed contact planarization of coated curable substrates such as microelectronic devices to achieve very high degrees of planarization. The apparatus () includes a planarizing unit () preferably having an optical flat flexible sheet () and a backup optical flat body (), and a curing assembly (). In operation, a substrate () having a planarizable coating () is placed within a vacuum chamber () beneath sheet () and body (). A pressure differential is created across sheet () so as to deflect the sheet into contact with a central region C of the coating (), whereupon the coating () is brought into full planarizing contact with sheet () and body () by means of a support () and vacuum chuck (); at this point the coating () is cured using assembly (). After curing, a pressure differential is established across sheet () for sequentially separating the sheet from the peripheral portion P of the coating, and then full separation of the sheet () and coating ().

Automated process and apparatus for planarization of topographical surfaces

A contact planarization apparatus includes a lower membrane assembly, an upper membrane assembly, a differential pressure assembly, and a curing or reflowing assembly. The lower membrane assembly supports a substrate to be planarized and biases it toward the upper membrane assembly under the influence of the pressure differential assembly. The upper membrane assembly planarizes the coating on the substrate under the influence of the differential pressure assembly and includes a flexible sheet which is supported above the substrate stage and below the curing or reflowing assembly via a vacuum force applied by the differential pressure assembly. The differential pressure assembly moves the lower and upper membrane assemblies relative to one another to planarize the coating on the substrate entirely through the application of vacuum and pressure forces. The differential pressure assembly includes atop pressure chamber positioned above the upper face of the upper sheet, a bottom pressure chamber positioned below the lower face of the lower sheet, and a central pressure chamber positioned generally between the lower face of the upper sheet and the upper face of the lower sheet.

Contact planarization apparatus

A dispenser ( ) for flowable, viscous material ( ) includes a housing ( ) comprising a main body ( ) and door ( ), and a reservoir ( ) for the material ( ) with an elongated, synthetic resin deformable outlet tube ( ) presenting an outlet end ( ) coupled to the reservoir ( ). A flow-controlling assembly ( ) including a tube-engaging element ( ) and an actuator linkage assembly ( ); these components together with a pneumatically operated piston ( ) within reservoir ( ) allows precise on-off operation of the dispenser ( ). In the flow-permitting position, the element ( ) is adjacent the tube ( ). When it is desired to terminate material flow, the actuator linkage assembly ( ) is operated to cause the element ( ) to move into deforming engagement with the tube ( ) against a backing surface ( ); continued movement of the element ( ) along the length of the tube ( ) in a direction away from outlet end ( ) generates a suction force causing material ( ) adjacent the end ( ) to be drawn into the confines of the tube ( ), preventing air-drying of material ( ) at end ( ).

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Rolla, MO, United States of America

Jeremy McCutcheon