Patents by Inventor Didier Landru

Didier Landru has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11424156
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed, Rénald Guerin, Norbert Colombet
  • Publication number: 20220181173
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Publication number: 20220172983
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Patent number: 11349065
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a hybrid structure comprising an effective layer of piezoelectric material having an effective thickness and disposed on a supporting substrate having a substrate thickness and a thermal expansion coefficient lower than that of the effective layer includes: a) a step of providing a bonded structure comprising a piezoelectric material donor substrate and the supporting substrate, b) a first step of thinning the donor substrate to form a thinned layer having an intermediate thickness and disposed on the supporting substrate, the assembly forming a thinned structure; c) a step of heat treating the thinned structure at an annealing temperature; and d) a second step, after step c), of thinning the thinned layer to form the effective layer. The method also comprises, prior to step b), a step a?) of determining a range of intermediate thicknesses that prevent the thinned structure from being damaged during step c).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventor: Didier Landru
  • Publication number: 20220157651
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Publication number: 20220157650
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Publication number: 20220148911
    Abstract: A process for transferring blocks from a donor to a receiver substrate, comprises: arranging a mask facing a free surface of the donor substrate, the mask having one or more openings that expose the free surface of the donor substrate, the openings distributed according to a given pattern; forming, by ion implantation through the mask, an embrittlement plane in the donor substrate vertically in line with at least one region exposed through the mask, the embrittlement plane delimiting a respective surface region; forming a block that is raised relative to the free surface of the donor substrate localized vertically in line with each respective embrittlement plane, the block comprising the respective surface region; bonding the donor substrate to the receiver substrate via each block located at the bonding interface, after removing the mask; and detaching the donor substrate along the localized embrittlement planes to transfer blocks onto the receiver substrate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Bruno Ghyselen
  • Patent number: 11276605
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Oleg Kononchuk, Didier Landru, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Publication number: 20220059370
    Abstract: A holding device for a fracturable assembly, which is intended to separate along a fracture plane defined between an upper part and a lower part of the fracturable assembly, comprises at least two protrusions configured to hold keep the fracturable assembly suspended in a substantially horizontal holding position, the protrusions being intended to be located between the upper part and the lower part, against a peripheral chamfer of the upper part; a support located below and at a distance from the, protrusions so as to gravitationally receive the lower part when the fracturable assembly is separated, and to keep it at a distance from the upper part held by the protrusions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Patent number: 11239108
    Abstract: A process for producing a donor substrate for creating a three-dimensional integrated structure comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a surface layer, referred to as an active layer, and a layer comprising a plurality of cavities extending beneath the active layer, each cavity being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition, forming an electronic device in a region of the active layer located plumb with a cavity, depositing a protective mask on the active layer so as to cover the electronic device while at the same time exposing a region of the active layer located plumb with each partition, and implanting atomic species through regions of the active layer exposed by the mask to form a weakened zone in each partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Gweltaz Gaudin, Didier Landru, Bruno Ghyselen
  • Patent number: 11219851
    Abstract: A vertical furnace includes a chamber intended for receiving a loading column, an inlet channel for fresh gas, arranged at an upper end of the chamber, the loading column comprising an upper portion, and a central portion for supporting a plurality of substrates. The vertical furnace further comprises a trapping device made of at least one material suitable for trapping all or part of the contaminants present in the fresh gas. The trapping device includes a circular part arranged on the upper part of the loading column, the circular part comprising fins regularly distributed over an upper surface of the circular part in order to increase the contact surface of the trapping device with the fresh gas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk
  • Publication number: 20210202302
    Abstract: 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 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Nadia Ben Mohamed, Oleg Kononchuk, Frédéric Mazen, Damien Massy, Shay Reboh, François Rieutord
  • Publication number: 20210118717
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for mechanically separating layers, in particular in a double layer transfer process. The present disclosure relates more in particular to a method for mechanically separating layers, comprising the steps of providing a semiconductor compound comprising a layer of a handle substrate and an active layer with a front main side and a back main side opposite the front main side, wherein the layer of the handle substrate is attached to the front main side of the active layer, then providing a layer of a carrier substrate onto the back main side of the active layer, and then initiating mechanical separation of the layer of the handle substrate, wherein the layer of the handle substrate and the layer of the carrier substrate are provided with a substantially symmetrical mechanical structure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Marcel Broekaart, Ionut Radu, Didier Landru
  • Patent number: 10950491
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignees: Soitec, COMMISSARIAT Á L'ÈNERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ÉNERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Nadia Ben Mohamed, Oleg Kononchuk, Frederic Mazen, Damien Massy, Shay Reboh, Francois Rieutord
  • Publication number: 20210057268
    Abstract: A process for producing a donor substrate for creating a three-dimensional integrated structure comprises the following steps: providing a semiconductor substrate comprising a surface layer, referred to as an active layer, and a layer comprising a plurality of cavities extending beneath the active layer, each cavity being separated from an adjacent cavity by a partition, forming an electronic device in a region of the active layer located plumb with a cavity, depositing a protective mask on the active layer so as to cover the electronic device while at the same time exposing a region of the active layer located plumb with each partition, and implanting atomic species through regions of the active layer exposed by the mask to form a weakened zone in each partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Gweltaz Gaudin, Didier Landru, Bruno Ghyselen
  • Publication number: 20210050249
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed, Rénald Guerin, Norbert Colombet
  • Patent number: 10910250
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a method for mechanically separating layers, in particular in a double layer transfer process. The present disclosure relates more in particular to a method for mechanically separating layers, comprising the steps of providing a semiconductor compound comprising a layer of a handle substrate and an active layer with a front main side and a back main side opposite the front main side, wherein the layer of the handle substrate is attached to the front main side of the active layer, then providing a layer of a carrier substrate onto the back main side of the active layer, and then initiating mechanical separation of the layer of the handle substrate, wherein the layer of the handle substrate and the layer of the carrier substrate are provided with a substantially symmetrical mechanical structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Marcel Broekaart, Ionut Radu, Didier Landru
  • Publication number: 20210028036
    Abstract: 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.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 22, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: François Rieutord, Frédéric Mazen, Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk, Nadia Ben Mohamed
  • Publication number: 20200186117
    Abstract: A process for transferring a thin layer consisting of a first material to a support substrate consisting of a second material having a different thermal expansion coefficient, comprises providing a donor substrate composed of an assembly of a thick layer formed of the first material and of a handle substrate having a thermal expansion coefficient similar to that of the support substrate, and the donor substrate having a main face on the side of the thick layer introducing light species into the thick layer to generate a plane of weakness therein and to define the thin layer between the plane of weakness and the main face of the donor substrate; assembling the main face of the donor substrate with a face of the support substrate; and detachment of the thin layer at the plane of weakness, the detachment comprising application of a heat treatment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2018
    Publication date: June 11, 2020
    Inventors: Isabelle Huyet, Cedric Charles-Alfred, Didier Landru, Alexis Drouin
  • Publication number: 20200054978
    Abstract: A vertical furnace includes a chamber intended for receiving a loading column an inlet channel for fresh gas, arranged at an upper end of the chamber, the loading column comprising an upper portion, and a central portion for supporting a plurality of substrates. The vertical furnace further comprises a trapping device made of at least one material suitable for trapping all or part of the contaminants present in the fresh gas. The trapping device includes a circular part arranged on the upper part of the loading column, the circular part comprising fins regularly distributed over an upper surface of the circular part in order to increase the contact surface of the trapping device with the fresh gas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: February 20, 2020
    Inventors: Didier Landru, Oleg Kononchuk