# US 10,312,135 B2 · Combined wafer production method with laser treatment and temperature-induced stresses

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- Number: US 10,312,135 B2
- Document ID: US10312135B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/028,332
- Filed: 2014-10-08
- Published: 2016-09-01
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2013-10-08
- Assignees: Siltectra GmbH
- Applicants: Siltectra, GmbH
- Inventors: Wolfram Drescher; Jan Richter; Christian Beyer
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312135B2

## CPC

- H10P 90/1924: {with separation/delamination along a porous layer}
- B23K 26/0624: {using ultrashort pulses, i.e. pulses of 1 ns or less}
- B23K 26/359: by providing a line or line pattern, e.g. a dotted break initiation line
- B23K 26/40: taking account of the properties of the material involved
- B23K 26/53: for modifying or reforming the material inside the workpiece, e.g. for producing break initiation cracks
- B28D 5/0005: {by breaking, e.g. dicing}
- B28D 5/0011: {with preliminary treatment, e.g. weakening by scoring}
- H10F 71/139: {using temporary substrates}
- H10F 71/1395: {for thin-film devices}
- H10P 10/12: {Bonding of semiconductor wafers or semiconductor substrates to semiconductor wafers or semiconductor substrates (preparing SOI wafers using bonding H10P90/1914)}
- H10P 34/42: with electromagnetic radiation, e.g. laser annealing (laser cutting H10P54/20)
- H10P 90/00: Preparation of wafers not covered by a single main group of this subclass, e.g. wafer reinforcement
- H10P 90/1916: {with separation or delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut}
- H10W 10/181: {Semiconductor-on-insulator [SOI] isolation regions, e.g. buried oxide regions of SOI wafers}
- H10W 42/121: {protecting against mechanical damage (H10W76/00, H10W74/00 take precedence)}
- H10W 46/00: Marks applied to devices, e.g. for alignment or identification
- B23K 26/0006: {taking account of the properties of the material involved (B23K26/32, B23K26/40 take precedence)}
- B23K 2103/50: {Inorganic materials other than metals or composite materials}
- B23K 2103/56: {being semiconducting}
- C30B 33/06: Joining of crystals
- H10W 46/503: {Located in scribe lines}
- Y02E 10/50: Photovoltaic [PV] energy
- Y02E 10/547: Monocrystalline silicon PV cells
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B23K: SOLDERING OR UNSOLDERING; WELDING; CLADDING OR PLATING BY SOLDERING OR WELDING; CUTTING BY APPLYING HEAT LOCALLY, e.g. FLAME CUTTING; WORKING BY LASER BEAM
- B28D: WORKING STONE OR STONE-LIKE MATERIALS
- H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for the production of layers of solid material comprising:
providing a solid body for the separation of at least one layer of solid material, the solid body having a first level surface portion and a second level surface portion, the first level surface portion being aligned substantially or exactly parallel to the second level surface portion, wherein the first level surface and the second level surface are opposing main surfaces of said solid material;
then generating defects by means of laser beams of multiphoton excitation caused by at least one laser acting 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, the laser beams penetrating into the solid body via the second level surface portion, the wavelength of the laser beams being chosen such that the absorption of the solid body is less than 0.1 cm−1;
then providing a receiving layer for holding the layer of solid material on the solid body, the receiving layer being disposed on the second level surface portion and the receiving layer being in the form of a polymer layer;
then subjecting the receiving layer to temperature conditions in order to generate mechanical stresses in the solid body, including cooling of the receiving layer to a temperature below ambient temperature, the cooling taking place such that at least part of the polymer layer undergoes a glass transition and due to stresses a crack propagates in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the layer of solid material from the solid body; and
wherein the defects are generated in different concentrations in the detachment plane.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising at least one radiation source for providing the radiation to be introduced into the solid body being configured such that the rays irradiated by it generate the defects at predetermined locations within the solid body.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising the radiation source being set up such that the rays irradiated by the radiation source generate the detachment plane penetrate into the solid body to a defined depth of less than 200 μm.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising the radiation source being set up such that the rays irradiated by the radiation source to generate the detachment plane penetrate into the solid body to a defined depth of more than 100 μm.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising the radiation source being a femtosecond laser.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising energy of the femtosecond laser being chosen such that the damage propagation within the solid body is smaller than 3 times the Rayleigh length.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising the wavelength of the femtosecond laser being chosen such that the absorption of the solid body is less than 10 cm−1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 further comprising the defects respectively resulting from multiphoton excitation brought about by the femtosecond laser.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 further comprising the radiation source having a pulse duration of less than 10 ps.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the solid body being disposed on a holding layer for holding the solid body, the holding layer being disposed on the first level surface portion of the solid body, the first level surface portion of the solid body being spaced apart from the second level surface portion of the solid body, the detachment plane being aligned parallel to the first level surface portion and/or the second level surface portion.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the solid body including silicon carbide and/or gallium arsenite and/or a ceramic material and the polymer layer, the polymer layer and/or a holding layer being made at least partially of PDMS, the holding layer being disposed on an at least partially level surface of a stabilisation device which is made at least partially of at least one metal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the stresses in the solid body being set up such that the crack initiation and/or the crack propagation can be controlled in order to generate a pre-determined topography of the surface that is produced in the crack plane.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the solid body being a semiconductor material or a ceramic material.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising the solid body being made of at least one semiconductor material or a ceramic material.

### Claim 15

A method for the production of layers of solid material comprising:
at a first instance in time, providing a solid body for the separation of at least one layer of solid material, the solid body having a first level surface portion and a second level surface portion, the first level surface portion being aligned substantially or exactly parallel to the second level surface portion, wherein the first level surface and the second level surface are opposing main surfaces of said solid material;
thereafter at a second instance in time occurring after the first instance, generating defects in the solid body with at least one laser producing laser beams of multiphoton within the inner structure of the solid body to produce a detachment plane along which the layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, the laser beams penetrating into the solid body via the second level surface portion, the wavelength of the laser beam being chosen such that the absorption of the solid body is less than 0.1 cm−1;
thereafter at a third instance in time occurring after the second instance, providing a receiving layer for holding the layer of solid material on the solid body, the receiving layer being disposed on the second level surface portion and the receiving layer being in the form of a polymer layer;
thereafter at a fourth instance in time occurring after the second instance, subjecting the receiving layer to temperature conditions in order to generate mechanical stresses in the solid body, including cooling of the receiving layer to a temperature below ambient temperature, the cooling taking place such that at least part of the polymer layer undergoes a glass transition and a crack propagates in the solid body along the detachment plane due to stresses, the crack separating the layer of solid material from the solid body; and
wherein the defects are generated in different concentrations in the detachment plane.