Soitec

S.o.i.tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies

Commissariat &#xc0; L'&#xc9;nergie Atomique Et Aux &#xc9;nergies Alternatives

Corning Incorporated

S.o.i. Tec Silicon on Insulator Technologies, S.a.

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Nadia Ben Mohamed

Oleg Kononchuk

Didier Landru

Walter Schwarzenbach

Daniel Delprat

Christophe Maleville

Damien Massy

Eric Neyret

Ludovic Ecarnot

Jeffrey Scott Cites

Frédéric Mazen

François Rieutord

Shay Reboh

Sébastien Kerdiles

Nicolas Daval

Frederic Mazen

Alice Boussagol

Carole David

Francois Rieutord

Alex Usenko

Ta-Ko Chuang

Bich-Yen Nguyen

Marcel Broekaart

Takeshi Akatsu

Ian Cayrefourcq

Pablo Acosta Alba

Nguyet-Phuong Nguyen

Francois Boedt

Corinne Maunand Tussot

Willy Michel

Christelle Lagahe-Blanchard

Alexander Usenko

Ta Ko Chuang

Norbert Colombet

Benjamin Scarfogliere

Franck Colas

Rénald Guerin

Christophe Girard

Gabriela Suciu

Marianne Coig

Helen Grampeix

Guillaume Cattet-Guerrini, Legal Representative

François Boedt

Fleur Guittard

Christophe Malville

Lise Guerrini, Legal Representative

Sébastien Cattet

Camille Rigal

Isabelle Guerin

Eric Maze

A method for preparing a thin layer comprises a weakening step for forming a weakened zone in a central portion of a donor substrate, the weakened zone not extending into a peripheral portion of the donor substrate; a step of joining the main face of the donor substrate to a receiver substrate to form an assembly to be split; and a step of separating the assembly to be split, the separating step comprising a heat treatment resulting in the freeing of the thin layer from the donor substrate at the central portion thereof only. The method also comprises, after the separating step, a detaching step comprising the treating of the assembly to be split in order to detach the peripheral portion of the donor substrate from the receiver substrate.

Method for preparing a thin layer that includes forming a weakened zone in a central portion of a donor substrate that does not extend into a peripheral portion of the donor substrate and initiating and propagating a splitting wave in the weakened zone that does completely not propagate through the peripheral portion

A method for transferring a useful layer from a donor substrate to a carrier substrate comprises: a) providing the donor substrate, the donor substrate including a buried weakened plane; b) providing the carrier substrate; c) joining the donor substrate to the carrier substrate to form a bonded structure; and d) annealing the bonded structure in order to increase the level of weakening of the buried weakened plane. A predetermined stress is applied to the buried weakened plane during the annealing for a period of time, the predetermined stress being selected so as to initiate the splitting wave once a given level of weakening has been reached. At the end of the period of time, the given level of weakening having been reached, the predetermined stress causes initiation and self-sustained propagation of the splitting wave along the buried weakened plane, resulting in the useful layer being transferred to the carrier substrate.

Method for transferring a useful layer from a donor substrate onto a support substrate by applying a predetermined stress

A method of manufacturing a substrate for a front-facing image sensor, comprises:—providing a donor substrate comprising a semiconductor layer to be transferred,—providing a semiconductor carrier substrate,—bonding the donor substrate to the carrier substrate, an electrically insulating layer being at the bonding interface,—transferring the semiconductor layer to the carrier substrate,—implanting gaseous ions in the carrier substrate via the transferred semiconductor layer and the electrically insulating layer, and—after the implantation, epitaxially growing an additional semiconductor layer on the transferred semiconductor layer.

Method for manufacturing a substrate for a front-facing image sensor

A method for monitoring a heat treatment applied to a substrate comprising a weakened zone formed by implanting atomic species for splitting the substrate along the weakened zone, the substrate being arranged in a heating chamber, the method comprising recording sound in the interior or in the vicinity of the heating chamber and detecting, in the recording, a sound emitted by the substrate during the splitting thereof along the weakened zone. A device for the heat treatment of a batch of substrates comprises an annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber intended to receive the batch, at least one microphone configured to record sounds in the interior or in the vicinity of the heating chamber, and a processing system configured to detect, in an audio recording produced by the microphone, a sound emitted when a substrate splits.

Method for detecting the splitting of a substrate weakened by implanting atomic species

A system for fracturing a plurality of wafer assemblies, one of the wafers of each assembly comprising a plane of weakness and each assembly comprising a peripheral lateral groove comprises: a cradle for keeping the assemblies of the plurality of assemblies spaced apart and parallel to one another, along a storage axis; a separation device for applying separating forces in the peripheral groove of an assembly arranged in a fracture zone of the separating device, the separating force aiming to separate the wafers of the assembly from one another so as to initiate its fracture at the plane of weakness; and a drive device configured to move along the storage axis of the cradle opposite the separating device so as to successively place an assembly of the cradle in the fracture zone of the separation device.

System for fracturing a plurality of wafer assemblies

A method for transferring a useful layer to a carrier substrate, includes the following steps: a) providing a donor substrate including a buried weakened plane; b) providing a carrier substrate; c) joining the donor substrate, by its front face, to the carrier substrate along a bonding interface so as to form a bonded structure; d) annealing the bonded structure in order to apply a weakening thermal budget thereto and to bring the buried weakened plane to a defined level of weakening; and e) initiating a splitting wave in the weakened plane by applying a stress to the bonded structure, the splitting wave self-propagating along the weakened plane to result in the useful layer being transferred to the carrier substrate. The splitting wave is initiated when the bonded structure is subjected to a temperature between 150° C. and 250° C.

Method for transferring a useful layer onto a support substrate

A method for transferring a useful layer to a carrier substrate comprises: joining a front face of a donor substrate to a carrier substrate along a bonding interface to form a bonded structure; annealing the bonded structure to apply a weakening thermal budget thereto and bring a buried weakened plane in the donor substrate to a defined level of weakening, the anneal reaching a maximum hold temperature; and initiating a self-sustained and propagating splitting wave in the buried weakened plane by applying a stress to the bonded structure to lead to the useful layer being transferred to the carrier substrate. The initiation of the splitting wave occurs when the bonded structure experiences a thermal gradient defining a hot region and a cool region of the bonded structure, the stress being applied locally in the cool region, and the hot region experiencing a temperature lower than the maximum hold temperature.

Method for transferring a useful layer to a carrier substrate

Substrates may include a useful layer affixed to a support substrate. A surface of the useful layer located on a side of the useful layer opposite the support substrate may include a first region and a second region. The first region may have a first surface roughness, may be located proximate to a geometric center of the surface, and may occupy a majority of an area of the surface. The second region may have a second, higher surface roughness, may be located proximate to a periphery of the surface, and may occupy a minority of the area of the surface.

Substrates including useful layers

A detachable structure comprises a carrier substrate and a silicon oxide layer positioned on the substrate at a first interface. The detachable structure is notable in that: the oxide layer has a thickness of less than 200 nm; light hydrogen and/or helium species are distributed deeply and over the entire area of the structure according to an implantation profile, a maximum concentration of which is located in the thickness of the oxide layer; the total dose of implanted light species, relative to the thickness of the oxide layer, exceeds, at least by a factor of five, the solubility limit of these light species in the oxide layer.

Removable structure and removal method using the structure

A method of fabricating a semiconductor substrate includes the following activities: a) providing a donor substrate with a weakened zone inside the donor substrate, the weakened zone forming a border between a layer to be transferred and the rest of the donor substrate, b) attaching the donor substrate to a receiver substrate, the layer to be transferred being located at the interface between the donor substrate and the receiver substrate; c) detaching the receiver substrate along with the transferred layer from the rest of the donor substrate, at the weakened zone; and d) at least one step of smoothing the surface of the transferred layer, wherein the semiconductor substrate obtained from step c) is kept, at least from the moment of detachment until the end of the smoothing step, in a non-oxidizing inert atmosphere or in a mixture of non-oxidizing inert gases. Semiconductor substrates are fabricated using such a method.

Process for smoothing the surface of a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes introducing, at selected conditions, hydrogen and helium species (e.g., ions) in a temporary support to form a plane of weakness at a predetermined depth therein, and to define a superficial layer and a residual part of the temporary support; forming on the temporary support an interconnection layer; placing at least one semiconductor chip on the interconnection layer; assembling a stiffener on a back side of the at least one semiconductor chip; and providing thermal energy to the temporary support to detach the residual part and provide the semiconductor structure. The interconnection layer forms an interposer free from any through via.

Method for fabrication of a semiconductor structure including an interposer free from any through via

A useful layer is layered onto a support by a method that includes the steps of forming an embrittlement plane by implanting light elements into a first substrate, so as to form a useful layer between such plane and one surface of the first substrate; applying the support onto the surface of the first substrate so as to form an assembly to be fractured; applying a heat treatment for embrittling the assembly to be fractured; and initiating and propagating a fracture wave into the first substrate along the embrittlement plane. The fracture wave is initiated in a central area of the embrittlement plane and the propagation speed of the wave is controlled so that the velocity thereof is sufficient to cause the interactions of the fracture wave with acoustic vibrations emitted upon the initiation and/or propagation thereof, if any, are confined to a peripheral area of the useful layer.

Method for transferring a useful layer

A method for transferring a useful layer onto a carrier substrate comprises formation of an embrittlement plane by implantation of light species into a first substrate in such a manner as to define the bounds of a useful layer between the plane and a surface of the first substrate, mounting of the carrier substrate onto a surface of the first substrate so as to form an assembly to be fractured, and thermal fracture treatment of the first substrate along the embrittlement plane in such a manner as to transfer the useful layer onto a support. During the thermal fracture treatment, the degree of peripheral adhesion is reduced at an interface between the carrier substrate and the first substrate.

A process for the manufacture of a composite structure includes the following stages: a) providing a donor substrate comprising a first surface and a support substrate; b) forming a zone of weakening in the donor substrate, the zone of weakening delimiting, with the first surface of the donor substrate, a working layer; c) assembling the support substrate and the donor substrate; d) fracturing the donor substrate along the zone of weakening; and e) thinning the working layer so as to form a thinned working layer. Stage b) is carried out so that the working layer exhibits a thickness profile appropriate for compensating for the nonuniformity in consumption of the working layer during stage e).

Method for producing a composite structure

A method for transferring a layer from a single-crystal substrate, called a donor substrate, onto a receiver substrate, includes supplying the single-crystal donor substrate, the substrate having a notch oriented in a first direction of the crystal and a weakness region bounding the layer to be transferred, bonding of the single-crystal donor substrate onto the receiver substrate, the main surface of the donor substrate opposite to the weakness region with respect to the layer to be transferred being at the bonding interface, and detachment of the donor substrate along the weakness region. In the method, the donor substrate has, on the main surface bonded to the receiver substrate, an array of atomic steps extending essentially in a second direction of the crystal different from the first direction.

Method for transferring a layer from a single-crystal substrate

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Echirolles, France

Nadia Ben Mohamed