Smoothing method for cleaved films made using thermal treatment

Abstract

In a specific embodiment, the present invention provides a novel process for smoothing a surface of a separated film. The present process is for the preparation of thin semiconductor material films. The process includes a step of implanting by ion bombardment of the face of the wafer by means of ions creating in the volume of the wafer at a depth close to the average penetration depth of the ions, where a layer of gaseous microbubbles defines the volume of the wafer a lower region constituting a majority of the substrate and an upper region constituting the thin film. A temperature of the wafer during implantation is kept below the temperature at which the gas produced by the implanted ions can escape from the semiconductor by diffusion. The process also includes contacting the planar face of the wafer with a stiffener constituted by at least one rigid material layer. The process includes treating the assembly of the wafer and the stiffener at a temperature above that at which the ion bombardment takes place and adequate to create by a crystalline rearrangement effect in the wafer and a pressure effect in the microbubbles to create separation between the thin film and the majority of the substrate. The stiffener and the planar face of the wafer are kept in intimate contact during the stage to free the thin film from the majority of the substrate. The method also includes applying a combination of thermal treatment and an etchant to the thin film to reduce a surface roughness of the thin film to a predetermined value.