# US 10,872,757 B2 · Semiconductor substrate processing method

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- Number: US 10,872,757 B2
- Document ID: US10872757B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/535,389
- Filed: 2019-08-08
- Published: 2020-02-20
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2018-08-14
- Assignees: Disco Corporation
- Applicants: Disco Corporation
- Inventors: Kazuya Hirata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872757B2

## CPC

- H10P 90/12: {Preparing bulk and homogeneous wafers}
- H10P 95/11: {Separation of active layers from substrates}
- H10P 90/00: Preparation of wafers not covered by a single main group of this subclass, e.g. wafer reinforcement
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A semiconductor substrate processing method includes: a peeling layer forming step of forming a peeling layer by irradiating a first semiconductor substrate with a laser beam having a wavelength capable of passing through the first semiconductor substrate while positioning a focal point of the laser beam within the first semiconductor substrate; a second semiconductor substrate forming step of forming a second semiconductor substrate by epitaxial growth on an upper surface of the first semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling layer forming step; a peeling step of peeling off the first semiconductor substrate from the peeling layer; and a grinding step of grinding and removing the first semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling step.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor substrate processing method comprising:
a peeling layer forming step of forming a peeling layer at a designated depth within a first semiconductor substrate by irradiating the first semiconductor substrate with a laser beam having a wavelength capable of passing through the first semiconductor substrate while positioning a focal point of the laser beam within the first semiconductor substrate;
a second semiconductor substrate forming step of forming a second semiconductor substrate by epitaxial growth on an upper surface of the first semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling layer forming step thereby forming a two-layer structure semiconductor substrate;
a peeling step of peeling off the first semiconductor substrate from the peeling layer; and
a grinding step of grinding and removing the first semiconductor substrate from the two-layer structure semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling step.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the first semiconductor substrate is a low-resistance polycrystalline SiC substrate, and the second semiconductor substrate is a high-resistance polycrystalline SiC substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the peeling layer forming step includes forming a plurality of peeling layers by repeatedly irradiating the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of peeling layers continuously extend in an X-axis direction at intervals of a predetermined index amount in a Y-axis direction.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the peeling step includes immersing the two-layer structure semiconductor substrate in water and actuating an ultrasonic vibrator.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 1, wherein the peeling step includes applying an impact to the peeling layer.

### Claim 6

A semiconductor substrate processing method comprising:
a peeling layer forming step of forming a peeling layer by irradiating a first semiconductor substrate with a laser beam having a wavelength capable of passing through the first semiconductor substrate while positioning a focal point of the laser beam within the first semiconductor substrate;
a second semiconductor substrate forming step of forming a second semiconductor substrate by epitaxial growth directly on the first semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling layer forming step thereby forming a two-layer structure semiconductor substrate;
a peeling step of peeling off the first semiconductor substrate from the peeling layer; and
a grinding step of grinding and removing the first semiconductor substrate from the two-layer structure semiconductor substrate after performing the peeling step.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein the first semiconductor substrate is a low-resistance polycrystalline SiC substrate, and the second semiconductor substrate is a high-resistance polycrystalline SiC substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein the peeling layer forming step includes forming a plurality of peeling layers by repeatedly irradiating the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the plurality of peeling layers continuously extend in an X-axis direction at intervals of a predetermined index amount in a Y-axis direction.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein the peeling step includes immersing the two-layer structure semiconductor substrate in water and actuating an ultrasonic vibrator.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor substrate processing method according to claim 6, wherein the peeling step includes applying an impact to the peeling layer.