Apparatus and methods to remove unbonded areas within bonded substrates using localized electromagnetic wave annealing

A method for bonding an unbonded region of a partially-bonded substrate pair, the method comprising:

• generating electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength;
• focusing the electromagnetic radiation onto a surface of a first substrate or a second substrate to generate thermal energy locally on and irradiate the surface, the first substrate being partially-bonded to the second substrate forming a bonded substrate pair and defining at least one incomplete bonded area at a bond interface of the bonded substrate pair;
• and
• controlling movement of the bonded substrate pair while focusing the electromagnetic radiation onto the surface so as to generate a scan pattern on the surface;
• wherein the wavelength is selected to effect a phonon or electron excitation within the bonded substrate pair;
• whereby a portion of the thermal energy from the irradiated surface is transferred to the bond interface of the bonded substrate pair and the incomplete bonded area at the bond interface and further through to the non-irradiated substrate to cause the phonon or electron excitation of the first and second substrates that absorb the thermal energy, the absorbed thermal energy activating the first and second substrates causing opposite sides of the incomplete bonded area to form one or more bonds, thereby eliminating the incomplete bonded area.