With Separation/delamination Along Ion Implanted Layer, E.g., "smart-cut", "unibond" (epo) Patents (Class 257/E21.568)
  • Patent number: 12165900
    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: July 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Marcel Broekaart, Ionut Radu, Didier Landru
  • Patent number: 12148644
    Abstract: In a laser irradiation apparatus 1 according to one embodiment, each of first and second flotation units 30a, 30b includes a base 31, and a porous plate 32 bonded to an upper surface of the base 31 by an adhesive layer 34, the base 31 includes a rising portion 312 protruding upward at an outer periphery facing at least the gap, and the porous plate 32 includes a cutout portion 321 configured to fit to the rising portion 312, and the adhesive layer 34 is formed along an inner wall of the rising portion 312 having fitted to the cutout portion 321.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: JSW AKTINA SYSTEM CO., LTD
    Inventor: Yuki Suzuki
  • Patent number: 12112699
    Abstract: The present specification discloses a pixel driving circuit having a reduced number of external contacts. A conventional digital driving pixel requires two contacts (Vcc, GND) related to power, a contact (row signal, column signal) for inputting two signals for digital driving, a contact (mode selection) for inputting a set value required for driving the pixel, and a contact (reset) for maintaining video data for one frame to implement a cycle function during PWM driving and for inputting a reset signal to clear previous video data before inputting new video data. However, the higher the number of contacts, the lower the efficiency of pick & place in the manufacturing process. Thus, in the present specification, a pixel driving circuit is proposed, which can be digitally driven even when the number of contacts is reduced through combination of a row signal and a column signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: SAPIEN Semiconductors Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Hoon Lee, Ji Han Kim
  • Patent number: 12087615
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a film on a support having a non-flat surface comprises: providing a donor substrate having a non-flat surface, forming an embrittlement zone in the donor substrate so as to delimit the film to be transferred, forming the support by deposition on the non-flat surface of the film to be transferred, and detaching the donor substrate along the embrittlement zone so as to transfer the film onto the support.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Bruno Ghyselen, Jean-Marc Bethoux
  • Patent number: 11756917
    Abstract: A method for processing a semiconductor wafer is provided. A semiconductor wafer includes a first main surface and a second main surface. Defects are generated inside the semiconductor wafer to define a detachment plane parallel to the first main surface. Processing the first main surface defines a plurality of electronic semiconductor components. A glass structure is provided which includes a plurality of openings. The glass structure is attached to the processed first main surface, each of the plurality of openings leaving a respective area of the plurality of electronic semiconductor components uncovered. A polymer layer is applied to the second main surface and the semiconductor wafer is split into a semiconductor slice and a remaining semiconductor wafer by cooling the polymer layer beneath its glass transition temperature along the detachment plane. The semiconductor slice includes the plurality of electronic semiconductor components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies Austria AG
    Inventors: Carsten von Koblinski, Daniel Pedone, Matteo Piccin, Roland Rupp, Chiew Li Tai, Jia Yi Wong
  • Patent number: 11557505
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes implanting gas ions in a donor wafer and bonding the donor wafer to a carrier wafer to form a compound wafer. The method also includes subjecting the compound wafer to a thermal treatment to cause separation along a delamination layer and growing an epitaxial layer on a portion of separated compound wafer to form a semiconductor device layer. The method further includes cutting the carrier wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Wolfgang Lehnert, Rudolf Berger, Rudolf Lehner, Gerhard Metzger-Brueckl, Guenther Ruhl
  • Patent number: 11173697
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for promoting the formation of uniform platelets in a monocrystalline semiconductor donor substrate by irradiating the monocrystalline semiconductor donor substrate with light. The photon-absorption assisted platelet formation process leads to uniformly distributed platelets with minimum built-in stress that promote the formation a well-defined cleave-plane in the subsequent layer transfer process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: GlobalWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gang Wang, Charles Lottes
  • Patent number: 11177155
    Abstract: A method of transferring an integrated circuit (IC) onto an alternative substrate is provided at a wafer level to enable coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) matching for a circuit layer to a different material. The method is executable relative to a wafer with a circuit layer, a first major surface, a second major surface opposite the first major surface, and a substrate affixed to the first major surface. The method includes temporarily bonding a handle to the second major surface, removing a majority of the substrate to expose the first major surface and bonding a second substrate to the first major surface with deposited bonding material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: RAYTHEON COMPANY
    Inventor: John J. Drab
  • Patent number: 10991617
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for cleaving a substrate in a semiconductor chamber. The semiconductor chamber pressure is adjusted to a process pressure, a substrate is then heated to a nucleation temperature of ions implanted in the substrate, the temperature of the substrate is then adjusted below the nucleation temperature of the ions, and the temperature is maintained until cleaving of the substrate occurs. Microwaves may be used to provide heating of the substrate for the processes. A cleaving sensor may be used for detection of successful cleaving by detecting pressure changes, acoustic emissions, changes within the substrate, and/or residual gases given off by the implanted ions when the cleaving occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: APPLIED MATERIALS, INC.
    Inventors: Felix Deng, Yueh Sheng Ow, Tuck Foong Koh, Nuno Yen-Chu Chen, Yuichi Wada, Sree Rangasai V Kesapragada, Clinton Goh
  • Patent number: 10755966
    Abstract: A method is provided for preparing semiconductor structure, e.g., a semiconductor on insulator structure, comprising a device layer having a smooth surface. The method provided involves smoothing a semiconductor substrate surface by making use of stress enhanced surface diffusion at elevated temperatures. The purpose of this method is to reach atomic scale surface smoothness (for example, smoothness in the range of between 1.0 and 1.5 angstroms as measured according to root mean square over a 30 um×30 um AFM measurement), which is required in advanced (sub 28 nm) CMOS device fabrication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: GlobaWafers Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gang Wang, Charles R. Lottes, Sasha Kweskin
  • Patent number: 10629440
    Abstract: A composite wafer includes an oxide single crystal thin film of lithium tantalate or lithium niobate transferred onto the entire face of a support wafer and is free from cracking or peeling on a bonding interface between the support wafer and the oxide single crystal thin film. A method for manufacturing a composite wafer at least includes a step of forming an ion-implanted layer in an oxide single crystal wafer, a step of subjecting at least one of the ion-implanted surface of the oxide single crystal wafer and a surface of a support wafer to a surface activation treatment, a step of bonding the ion-implanted surface of the oxide single crystal wafer to the surface of the support wafer to form a laminate, a step of subjecting the laminate to a first heat treatment at a temperature not less than 90° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shoji Akiyama
  • Patent number: 10593590
    Abstract: A method for the production of layers of solid material is contemplated. The method may include the steps of providing a solid body for the separation of at least one layer of solid material, generating defects by means of at least one radiation source, in particular a laser, in the inner structure of the solid body in order to determine a detachment plane along which the layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, and applying heat to a polymer layer disposed on the solid body in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the layer of solid material from the solid body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Siltectra GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Drescher, Jan Richter, Christian Beyer
  • Patent number: 10573627
    Abstract: Implanting ions to form a cleave layer in a semiconductor device causes damage to sensitive materials such as high-K dielectrics. In a process for forming a cleave layer and repairing damage caused by ion implantation, ions are implanted through a circuit layer of a substrate to form a cleave plane. The substrate is exposed to a hydrogen gas mixture for a first time at a first temperature to repair damage caused by the implanted ions. A cleaving process may then be performed, and the cleaved substrate may be stacked in a 3DIC structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Silicon Genesis Corporation
    Inventors: Theodore E. Fong, Michael I. Current
  • Patent number: 10546848
    Abstract: An integrated assembly includes an insulative mass with a first region adjacent to a second region. The first region has a greater amount of one or more inert interstitial elements incorporated therein than does the second region. Some embodiments include an integrated assembly which has vertically-extending channel material pillars, and which has memory cells along the channel material pillars. A conductive structure is under the channel material pillars. The conductive structure includes doped semiconductor material in direct contact with bottom regions of the channel material pillars. An insulative mass is along the bottom regions of the channel material pillars. The insulative mass has an upper region over a lower region. The lower region has a greater amount of one or more inert interstitial elements incorporated therein than does the upper region. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Billingsley, Everett A. McTeer, Christopher W. Petz, Haoyu Li, John Mark Meldrim, Yongjun Jeff Hu
  • Patent number: 10431714
    Abstract: Engineered substrates for semiconductor devices are disclosed herein. A device in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a transducer structure having a plurality of semiconductor materials including a radiation-emitting active region. The device further includes an engineered substrate having a first material and a second material, at least one of the first material and the second material having a coefficient of thermal expansion at least approximately matched to a coefficient of thermal expansion of at least one of the plurality of semiconductor materials. At least one of the first material and the second material is positioned to receive radiation from the active region and modify a characteristic of the light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Qromis, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin F. Schubert, Cem Basceri, Vladimir Odnoblyudov, Casey Kurth, Thomas Gehrke
  • Patent number: 10312135
    Abstract: A method for the production of layers of solid material is contemplated. The method may include the steps of providing a solid body for the separation of at least one layer of solid material, generating defects by means of at least one radiation source, in particular a laser, in the inner structure of the solid body in order to determine a detachment plane along which the layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, and applying heat to a polymer layer disposed on the solid body in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the layer of solid material from the solid body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: Siltectra, GmbH
    Inventors: Wolfram Drescher, Jan Richter, Christian Beyer
  • Patent number: 10224203
    Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a semiconductor epitaxial wafer having enhanced gettering ability. The method of producing a semiconductor epitaxial wafer includes: a first step of irradiating a surface of a semiconductor wafer with cluster ions to form a modified layer that is located in a surface portion of the semiconductor wafer and that includes a constituent element of the cluster ions in solid solution; and a second step of forming an epitaxial layer on the modified layer of the semiconductor wafer. The first step is performed in a state in which a temperature of the semiconductor wafer is maintained at lower than 25° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: SUMCO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryo Hirose, Ryosuke Okuyama, Kazunari Kurita
  • Patent number: 10096641
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a CMOS image sensor includes a photoelectric conversion element and an amplifier transistor. The photoelectric conversion element converts incident light into an electric signal. The amplifier transistor has a heterojunction in which a Ge layer and an SiGeSn layer are joined together, as a channel region and amplifies the electric signal resulting from conversion by the photoelectric conversion element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Keiji Ikeda, Tsutomu Tezuka
  • Patent number: 10049916
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing a germanium-on-insulator substrate is disclosed. The method comprises: providing (102) a first semiconductor substrate, and a second semiconductor substrate formed with a germanium layer; bonding (102) the first semiconductor substrate to the second semiconductor substrate using at least one dielectric material to form a combined substrate, the germanium layer being arranged intermediate the first and second semiconductor substrates; removing (104) the second semiconductor substrate from the combined substrate to expose at least a portion of the germanium layer with misfit dislocations; and annealing (106) the combined substrate to enable removal of the misfit dislocations from the portion of the germanium layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignees: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Nanyang Technological University
    Inventors: Kwang Hong Lee, Chuan Seng Tan, Yew Heng Tan, Gang Yih Chong, Eugene A. Fitzgerald, Shuyu Bao
  • Patent number: 9890472
    Abstract: The present invention provides a monolithic integrated lattice mismatched crystal template and a preparation method thereof by using low-viscosity material, the preparation method for the crystal template includes: providing a first crystal layer with a first lattice constant; growing a buffer layer on the first crystal layer; below the melting point of the buffer layer, growing a second crystal layer and a template layer by sequentially performing the growth process of a second crystal layer and the growth process of a first template layer on the buffer layer, or growing a template layer by directly performing a first template layer growth process on the buffer layer; melting and converting the buffer layer to an amorphous state, performing a second template layer growth process on the template layer grown by the first template layer growth process at the growth temperature above the glass transition temperature of the buffer layer, sequentially growing a template layer until the lattice of the template laye
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: SHANGHAI INSTITUTE OF MICROSYSTEM AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
    Inventor: Shumin Wang
  • Patent number: 9887124
    Abstract: 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).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Nadia Ben Mohamed, Eric Maze
  • Patent number: 9881832
    Abstract: A method is provided for preparing a high resistivity silicon handle substrate for use in semiconductor-on-insulator structure. The handle substrate is prepared to comprise thermally stable charge carrier traps in the region of the substrate that will be at or near the buried oxide layer (BOX) of the final semiconductor-on-insulator structure. The handle substrate comprising the stable carrier traps is manufactured by hydrogen ions implantation occurring using at least two different energies, followed by a 2-step thermal treatment. The thermally stable defect structures prepared thereby is stable to anneal at temperatures of at least 1180° C. The defect structure comprises 3-dimensional network of nano-cavities interconnected by dislocations. This wafer can be used as a handle wafer for fabricating silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and further fabricating radio frequency (RF) semiconductor devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: SunEdison Semiconductor Limited (UEN201334164H)
    Inventor: Alex Usenko
  • Patent number: 9870940
    Abstract: Methods of forming nanosheets for a semiconductor device are provided including providing a silicon on insulator (SOI) handle wafer, the SOT handle wafer including a silicon layer and a dielectric layer on the silicon layer; providing a first donor wafer; bonding the SOI handle wafer and the first donor wafer together to provide a bonded structure; debonding the bonded structure to provide an intermediate wafer including a plurality of silicon or non-silicon nanosheets and a plurality of dielectric layers alternately stacked; and bonding the intermediate wafer to a second donor wafer to provide a final wafer including a plurality of silicon or non-silicon layers and a plurality of dielectric layers alternately stacked, wherein the final wafer includes at least one more pair of silicon or non-silicon and dielectric layers than the intermediate wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-E Wang, Mark Rodder, Borna Obradovic
  • Patent number: 9859371
    Abstract: A semiconductor device comprising a substrate having a region protruding from the substrate surface; a relaxed semiconductor disposed on the region; an additional semiconductor disposed on the relaxed semiconductor; and low density dielectric disposed next to and at least partially underneath the relaxed semiconductor and adjacent to the protruding region of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Karthik Balakrishnan, Kangguo Cheng, Pouya Hashemi, Alexander Reznicek
  • Patent number: 9798251
    Abstract: A method of manufacturing an object holder for use in a lithographic apparatus, the object holder including one or more electrically functional components, the method including: using a composite structure including a carrier sheet different from a main body of the object holder and a layered structure including one or a plurality of layers and formed on the carrier sheet; connecting the composite structure to a surface of the main body such that the layered structure is between the carrier sheet and the surface of the main body; and removing the carrier sheet from the composite structure, leaving the layered structure connected to the main body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2017
    Assignee: ASML NETHERLANDS B.V.
    Inventors: Raymond Wilhelmus Louis LaFarre, Satish Achanta, Matteo Filippi, Yogesh Karade, Antonius Johannes Maria Nellissen, Ronald Van Der Wilk, Hendrikus Christoffel Maria Van Doremalen, Wilhelmus Jacobus Johannes Welters
  • Patent number: 9793154
    Abstract: The present invention is a method for manufacturing a bonded SOI wafer including: performing a thermal oxidation treatment including at least one of a thermal oxidation during temperature-rising and a thermal oxidation during temperature-falling with the use of a batch type heat treatment furnace, thereby forming a silicon oxide film in such a way that the oxide film buried in the delaminated bonded SOI wafer has a concentric oxide film thickness distribution, and subjecting the bonded SOI wafer after delaminating a bond wafer to a reducing heat treatment to make a film thickness range of the buried oxide film being smaller than a film thickness range before the reducing heat treatment. This provides a method for manufacturing a bonded SOI wafer which can suppress a variation of a radial distribution of a buried oxide film thickness caused by a reducing heat treatment performed after delaminating the SOI layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroji Aga, Norihiro Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9773694
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing a bonded wafer, includes: ion-implanting a gas ion such as a hydrogen ion from a surface of a bond wafer, thereby forming an ion-implanted layer; bonding the bond wafer and a base wafer; producing a bonded wafer having a thin-film on the base wafer by delaminating the bond wafer along the ion-implanted layer; and performing an RTA treatment on the bonded wafer in a hydrogen gas-containing atmosphere; wherein a protective film is formed onto the surface of the thin-film in a heat treatment furnace in the course of temperature-falling from the maximum temperature of the RTA treatment before the bonded wafer is taken out from the heat treatment furnace; and then the bonded wafer with the protective film being formed thereon is taken out from the heat treatment furnace, and is then cleaned with a cleaning liquid which can etch the protective film and the thin-film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Norihiro Kobayashi, Hiroji Aga
  • Patent number: 9768261
    Abstract: A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The semiconductor structure includes: a substrate; a fin structure protruding from the substrate, the fin structure extending along a first direction; isolation features disposed on both sides of the fin structure; a gate structure over the fin structure and extending on the isolation features along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and wherein the gate structure includes a first segment and a second segment, the second segment being over the first segment and including a greater dimension in the first direction than that of the first segment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Cheng-Ta Wu, Yi-Hsien Lee, Wei-Ming You, Ting-Chun Wang
  • Patent number: 9761649
    Abstract: A thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate is disclosed. In one aspect, the substrate includes a buffer layer formed over a substrate, a storage capacitor formed in the buffer layer and including a first electrode and a second electrode surrounding and insulated from the first electrode and a driving TFT formed over the buffer layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 12, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Display Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangjin Park, Myungho Kim, Sanghui Park, Keunchang Lee, Jaesung Cha, Taehyeok Choi
  • Patent number: 9698289
    Abstract: A method for detaching a self-supporting layer of silicon of crystalline orientation <100>, particularly with the aim of applications in the field of photovoltaics, wherein the method includes the steps of: a) Implanting ionic species in a substrate made of silicon having a crystalline orientation <100> so as to create an embrittlement plane in the substrate, delimiting on both sides a self-supporting layer and a negative of the substrate, and b) Applying a heat treatment to the substrate implanted at step a) with a temperature ramp greater than 30° C./s so as to detach the self-supporting layer of silicon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT À L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventors: Carole Braley, Frédéric Mazen
  • Patent number: 9590118
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides, in a first aspect, a semiconductor device structure, including an SOI substrate comprising a semiconductor base substrate, a buried insulating structure formed on the semiconductor base substrate and a semiconductor film formed on the buried insulating structure, wherein the buried insulating structure comprises a multilayer stack having a nitride layer interposed between two oxide layers. The semiconductor device structure further includes a semiconductor device formed in and above an active region of the SOI substrate, and a back bias contact which is electrically connected to the semiconductor base substrate below the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Elliot John Smith, Sven Beyer, Nigel Chan, Jan Hoentschel
  • Patent number: 9576844
    Abstract: A composite wafer is manufactured by providing a carrier wafer including graphite and a protective layer, forming a bonding layer, and bonding the carrier wafer to a semiconductor wafer through the bonding layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Rudolf Berger, Hermann Gruber, Wolfgang Lehnert, Guenther Ruhl, Raimund Foerg, Anton Mauder, Hans-Joachim Schulze, Karsten Kellermann, Michael Sommer, Christian Rottmair, Roland Rupp
  • Patent number: 9548237
    Abstract: A method comprising the following steps: providing a support substrate and a donor substrate, forming an embrittlement region in the donor substrate so as to delimit a first portion and a second portion on either side of the embrittlement region, assembling the donor substrate on the support substrate, fracturing the donor substrate along the embrittlement region. In addition, the method comprises a step consisting of forming a compressive stress layer in the donor substrate so as to delimit a so-called confinement region interposed between the compressive stress layer and the embrittlement region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: SOITEC
    Inventors: Gweltaz Gaudin, Oleg Kononchuk, Ionut Radu
  • Patent number: 9543189
    Abstract: A method of processing a laminated wafer in which a first wafer is laminated on a second wafer, the method including: a laminated wafer forming step of forming the laminated wafer by laminating the first wafer on the second wafer; a modified layer forming step of forming a modified layer within the first wafer by positioning a focusing point of a laser beam within the first wafer and moving the first wafer in a horizontal direction relative to the focusing point while applying the laser beam, the modified layer forming step being performed before or after the laminated wafer forming step is performed; and a separating step of separating part of the first wafer from the laminated wafer with the modified layer as a boundary, the separating step being performed after the laminated wafer forming step and the modified layer forming step are performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2014
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2017
    Assignee: Disco Corporation
    Inventors: Seiji Harada, Satoshi Kobayashi, Yasuyoshi Yubira
  • Patent number: 9508918
    Abstract: A piezoelectric device is manufactured in which the material of a supporting substrate can be selected from various alternative materials. Ions are implanted into a piezoelectric substrate to form an ion-implanted portion. A temporary supporting substrate is formed on the ion-implanted surface of the piezoelectric substrate. The temporary supporting substrate includes a layer to be etched and a temporary substrate. The piezoelectric substrate is then heated to be divided at the ion-implanted portion to form a piezoelectric thin film. A supporting substrate is then formed on the piezoelectric thin film. The supporting substrate includes a dielectric film and a base substrate. The temporary supporting substrate is made of a material that produces a thermal stress at the interface between the temporary supporting substrate and the piezoelectric thin film less than the thermal stress at the interface between the supporting substrate and the piezoelectric thin film.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2016
    Assignee: Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Takashi Iwamoto
  • Patent number: 9492986
    Abstract: A laminate including a supporting member which is light transmissive; a supported substrate supported by the supporting member; an adhesive layer provided on a surface of the supported substrate which surface faces toward the supporting member; and a release layer which is made of an inorganic material and is provided between the supporting member and the supported substrate, the release layer having a property that changes when the release layer absorbs light coming through the supporting layer, and the release layer having a flat surface which faces the adhesive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: TOKYO OHKA KOGYO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Inao, Yasushi Fujii, Atsushi Matsushita, Koki Tamura, Atsushi Kubo
  • Patent number: 9368552
    Abstract: A method of fabricating a resistive memory array includes forming a plurality of insulators and a conductive structure on a first substrate, performing a resistor-forming process to transform the insulators into a plurality of resistors, polishing the conductive structure to expose a plurality of contact points respectively electrically connected to the resistors, providing a second substrate having a plurality of transistors and a plurality of interconnect pads, bonding respectively the interconnect pads and the contact points, and removing the first substrate from the resistors and the conductive structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2016
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ku-Feng Lin, Hung-Chang Yu, Kai-Chun Lin, Yue-Der Chih
  • Patent number: 9337105
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device is provided. The method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming transistors on a semiconductor substrate, each of the transistors having a gate structure and source/drain regions, forming an oxide film on the transistors, forming a mask film pattern on the oxide film, the mask film pattern comprising a first pattern having a first width and a second pattern having a second width different from the first width, removing a part of the oxide film using the mask film pattern to form first and second trenches, filling the first and second trenches with a nitride film, removing the rest part of the oxide film to form third and fourth trenches, and forming conductive contacts by filling the third and fourth trenches. A top width of each of the third trenches is equal to the first width, and a top width of each of the fourth trenches is equal to the second width.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yong-Bum Kwon, Sung-Sam Lee
  • Patent number: 9312340
    Abstract: A group III nitride composite substrate with a diameter of 75 mm or more includes a support substrate having a thickness ts of 0.1 mm or more and 1 mm or less and a group III nitride film having a thickness tf, thinner than the thickness ts, of 0.01 mm or more and 0.25 mm or less that are bonded to each other. An absolute value |??| of a difference ?? in thermal expansion coefficient determined by subtracting a thermal expansion coefficient ?s of the support substrate from a thermal expansion coefficient ?f of the group III nitride film is 2.2×10?6 K?1 or less. A Young's modulus Es and the thickness ts of the support substrate, a Young's modulus Ef and the thickness tf of the group III nitride film, and the difference ?? in thermal expansion coefficient satisfy a relation: ts2/tf?6Ef·|??|/Es.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2016
    Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd.
    Inventors: Makoto Kiyama, Keiji Ishibashi, Akihiro Hachigo, Naoki Matsumoto, Fumitake Nakanishi
  • Patent number: 9093580
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a solar cell, wherein a solar cell is manufactured by combining a damage removal etching process, a texturing process and an edge isolation process. The method is advantageous in that RIE and DRE are conducted, and then DRE/PSG and/or an edge isolation removal process are simultaneously conducted, so that the movement of a substrate (that is, a wafer) is minimized, thereby reducing the damage rate of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: HANWHA CHEMICAL CORPORATION
    Inventors: Deoc Hwan Hyun, Jae Eock Cho, Dong Ho Lee, Gui Ryong Ahn, Hyun Cheol Ryu, Yong Hwa Lee, Gang II Kim
  • Patent number: 9041147
    Abstract: According to a semiconductor substrate (40), a space (A) between a plurality of Si thin film (16), which are provide apart from one another on the insulating substrate (30), is (I) larger than a difference between elongation of part of the insulating substrate which part corresponds to the space (A) and elongation of each of Si wafers (10) when a change is made from room temperature to 600° C. and (II) smaller than 5 mm. This causes an increase in a region of each of a plurality of semiconductor thin films which region has a uniform thickness, and therefore prevents transferred semiconductor layers and the insulating substrate from being fractured or chipped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Masahiro Mitani
  • Patent number: 9041165
    Abstract: A method for the formation of an at least partially relaxed strained material layer, comprises providing a seed substrate; patterning the seed substrate; growing a strained material layer on the patterned seed substrate; transferring the strained material layer from the patterned seed substrate to an intermediate substrate; and at least partially relaxing the strained material layer by a heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: SOITEC
    Inventors: Fabrice Letertre, Bruce Faure, Pascal Guenard
  • Patent number: 8993461
    Abstract: A method for curing defects associated with the implantation of atomic species into a semiconductor layer transferred onto a receiver substrate, wherein the semiconductor layer is thermally insulated from the receiver substrate by a low thermal conductivity layer having thermal conductivity that is lower than that of the transferred semiconductor layer. The method includes applying a selective electromagnetic irradiation to the semiconductor layer to heat that layer to a temperature lower than its temperature of fusion to cure defects without causing an increase in the temperature of the receiver substrate beyond 500° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2015
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Ionut Radu, Christophe Gourdel, Christelle Vetizou
  • Patent number: 8987922
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a bond pad above the substrate, a guard ring above the substrate, and an alignment mark above the substrate, between the bond pad and the guard ring. The device may include a passivation layer on the substrate, a polymer layer, a post-passivation interconnect (PPI) layer in contact with the bond pad, and a connector on the PPI layer, wherein the connector is between the bond pad and the guard ring, and the alignment mark is between the connector and the guard ring. The alignment mark may be at the PPI layer. There may be multiple alignment marks at different layers. There may be multiple alignment marks for the device around the corners or at the edges of an area surrounded by the guard ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Yuan Yu, Hsien-Wei Chen, Wen-Hsiung Lu, Hung-Jen Lin
  • Patent number: 8962352
    Abstract: A method for calculating a warpage of a bonded SOI wafer includes: assuming that the epitaxial growth SOI wafer is a silicon single crystal wafer having the same dopant concentration as dopant concentration of the bond wafer; calculating a warpage A that occurs at the time of performing the epitaxial growth relative to the assumed silicon single crystal wafer; calculating a warpage B caused due to a thickness of the BOX layer of the epitaxial growth SOI wafer; determining a measured value of a warpage of the base wafer before bonding as a warpage C; and calculating a sum of the warpages (A+B+C) as the warpage of the bonded SOI wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Yokokawa, Hiroji Aga, Yasushi Mizusawa
  • Patent number: 8956951
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an SOI wafer includes performing a flattening heat treatment on an SOI wafer under an atmosphere containing an argon gas, in which conditions of SOI wafer preparation are set so that a thickness of an SOI layer of the SOI wafer to be subjected to the flattening heat treatment is 1.4 or more times thicker than that of a BOX layer, and the thickness of the SOI layer is reduced to less than a thickness 1.4 times the thickness of the BOX layer by performing a sacrificial oxidation treatment on the SOI layer of the SOI wafer after the flattening heat treatment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 17, 2015
    Assignee: Shin-Etsu Handotai Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Yokokawa, Masahiro Kato, Masayuki Imai
  • Patent number: 8951887
    Abstract: The invention relates to a process for fabricating a semiconductor that comprises providing a handle substrate comprising a seed substrate and a weakened sacrificial layer covering the seed substrate; joining the handle substrate with a carrier substrate; optionally treating the carrier substrate; detaching the handle substrate at the sacrificial layer to form the semiconductor structure; and removing any residue of the sacrificial layer present on the seed substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 10, 2015
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Fabrice Letertre, Didier Landru
  • Patent number: 8946053
    Abstract: A method for reducing irregularities at a surface of a layer transferred from a source substrate to a glass-based support substrate, by generating a weakening zone in the source substrate; contacting the source substrate and the glass-based support substrate; and splitting the source substrate at the weakening zone; wherein the glass-based substrate has a thickness of between 300 ?m and 600 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Soitec
    Inventors: Daniel Delprat, Carine Duret, Nadia Ben-Mohamed, Fabrice Lallement
  • Patent number: 8946051
    Abstract: It is an object to provide a method for manufacturing an SOI substrate in which crystal defects of a single crystal semiconductor layer are reduced even when a single crystal semiconductor substrate in which crystal defects exist is used. Such an SOI substrate can be manufactured through the steps of forming a single crystal semiconductor layer which has an extremely small number of defects over a single crystal semiconductor substrate by an epitaxial growth method; forming an oxide film on the single crystal semiconductor substrate by thermal oxidation treatment; introducing ions into the single crystal semiconductor substrate through the oxide film; bonding the single crystal semiconductor substrate into which the ions are introduced and a semiconductor substrate to each other; causing separation by heat treatment; and performing planarization treatment on the single crystal semiconductor layer provided over the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Eriko Nishida
  • Patent number: 8946054
    Abstract: A method for separating a layer for transfer includes forming a crack guiding layer on a substrate and forming a device layer on the crack-guiding layer. The crack guiding layer is weakened by exposing the crack-guiding layer to a gas which reduces adherence at interfaces adjacent to the crack guiding layer. A stress inducing layer is formed on the device layer to assist in initiating a crack through the crack guiding layer and/or the interfaces. The device layer is removed from the substrate by propagating the crack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Stephen W. Bedell, Cheng-Wei Cheng, Devendra K. Sadana, Katherine L. Saenger, Kuen-Ting Shiu