# US 11,908,723 B2 · Silicon handler with laser-release layers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,908,723 B2 - Document ID: US11908723B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/541,946 - Filed: 2021-12-03 - Published: 2023-06-08 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-03 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Akihiro Horibe; Qianwen Chen; Risa Miyazawa; Michael P. Belyansky; John Knickerbocker; Takashi Hisada - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908723B2 ## CPC - H10P 72/53: {using optical controlling means} - H10P 72/74: {using temporarily an auxiliary support} - H10P 72/745: {the bond interface between the auxiliary support and the wafer comprises three or more layers} - H10P 72/7412: {the auxiliary support including means facilitating the separation of a device or wafer from the auxiliary support} - H10P 72/7422: {used to protect an active side of a device or wafer} - H10P 72/744: {Details of chemical or physical process used for separating the auxiliary support from a device or a wafer} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract Handler wafers and methods of handling a wafer include positioning a handler, which is attached to a wafer by a bonding layer that comprises a debonding layer, an optical enhancement layer, and an anti-reflection layer. The handler is debonded from the wafer using a laser that emits laser energy at a wavelength that is absorbed by the debonding layer and that is confined to the debonding layer by the optical enhancement layer, such that the material of the debonding layer ablates when exposed to the laser energy to release the wafer. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for handling a wafer, comprising: positioning a handler, which is attached to a wafer by a bonding layer that comprises a debonding layer, an optical enhancement layer, an optical boundary layer, and an anti-reflection layer; and debonding the handler from the wafer using a laser that emits laser energy at a wavelength that is absorbed by the debonding layer, that is confined to the debonding layer by the optical enhancement layer, and that is reflected back to the debonding layer by the optical boundary layer, such that the material of the debonding layer ablates when exposed to the laser energy to release the wafer. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the debonding layer includes a metallic material that is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, nickel, rhodium, palladium, platinum, and lutetium. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the debonding layer includes a metallic material that is selected from the group consisting of beryllium, titanium, chromium, manganese, and cobalt. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the debonding layer includes a metallic material that is selected from the group consisting of zirconium, niobium, tungsten, and rhenium. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the debonding layer includes a metal that has an extinction coefficient at the wavelength of at least 5. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the metal of the debonding layer has an extinction coefficient at the wavelength of at least 10. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the wavelength is selected from a range between 1200 nm and 6000 nm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the wavelength is selected from a range between 1200 nm and 2500 nm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical enhancement layer is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon, amorphous germanium, and polycrystalline germanium. ### Claim 10 A method for handling a wafer, comprising: bonding a handler to a wafer using a bonding layer that comprises a debonding layer, an optical enhancement layer, an optical boundary layer, and an anti-reflection layer; positioning the handler; and debonding the handler from the wafer using a laser that emits laser energy at a wavelength that is absorbed by the debonding layer, that is confined to the debonding layer by the optical enhancement layer, and that is reflected back to the debonding layer by the optical boundary layer, such that the material of the debonding layer ablates when exposed to the laser energy to release the wafer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein bonding the handler to the wafer includes applying an adhesive layer to the bonding layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the adhesive layer is a polyimide layer. ### Claim 13 A handler wafer, comprising: a handler layer formed from a material that is transparent at a wavelength of light; a bonding layer that includes: a debonding layer that absorbs the wavelength of light, being formed from a material that has a real index of refraction greater than 3.0 and an extinction coefficient greater than 5.0 at the wavelength; an optical enhancement layer being formed from a material that is transparent at the wavelength and that has an index of refraction greater than 2.0, to confine an energy at the wavelength of light to the debonding layer; and an optical boundary layer positioned on an opposite side of the debonding layer from the handler layer that reflects the energy at the wavelength of light back to the debonding layer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The handler wafer of claim 13, wherein the debonding layer includes a metallic material that is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, nickel, rhodium, palladium, platinum, and lutetium. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The handler wafer of claim 14, wherein the metal of the debonding layer has an extinction coefficient at the wavelength of at least 10. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The handler wafer of claim 13, wherein the wavelength is selected from a range between 1200 nm and 6000 nm. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The handler wafer of claim 16, wherein the wavelength is selected from a range between 1200 nm and 2500 nm. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The handler wafer of claim 13, wherein the optical enhancement layer is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon, amorphous germanium, and polycrystalline germanium. ### Claim 19 (depends on 13) The handler wafer of claim 13, further comprising an antireflective layer between the optical enhancement layer and the handler layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 13) The handler wafer of claim 13, wherein the handler layer is formed from a semiconductor material that includes silicon. ### Claim 21 A handler wafer, comprising: a handler layer formed from a material that is transparent at a wavelength of light; a bonding layer that includes: a debonding layer that absorbs the wavelength of light, being formed from a material that has a real index of refraction greater than 3.0 and an extinction coefficient greater than 5.0 at the wavelength; an optical enhancement layer being formed from a material that is transparent at the wavelength and that has an index of refraction greater than 2.0, to confine an energy at the wavelength of light to the debonding layer; and an optical boundary layer being formed from a material that has a real index of refraction less than 2.0, positioned on an opposite side of the debonding layer from the handler layer that reflects the energy at the wavelength of light back to the debonding layer. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The handler wafer of claim 21, wherein the bonding layer further comprises an adhesive layer. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The handler wafer of claim 22, wherein the adhesive layer is formed from polyimide. ### Claim 24 A handler wafer, comprising: a handler layer formed from silicon; a bonding layer that includes: a debonding layer that absorbs a wavelength of light from a debonding laser, selected from a range between 1200 nm and 2500 nm, being formed from a metallic material that is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, iron, nickel, rhodium, palladium, platinum, and lutetium; an optical enhancement layer being formed from a material selected from the group consisting of amorphous silicon, amorphous germanium, and polycrystalline silicon, to confine a laser energy at the wavelength of light to the debonding layer; an optical boundary layer on an opposite side of the debonding layer from the handler layer, to reflect the laser energy at the wavelength of light into the debonding layer and to provide adhesive attachment to a wafer; and an antireflective layer between the optical enhancement layer and the handler layer.