Method for detecting the splitting of a substrate weakened by implanting atomic species

A device for heat treatment of a batch of substrates each comprising a weakened zone formed by implanting atomic species for splitting the substrate along the weakened zone, the device comprising:

• an annealing furnace comprising a heating chamber configured to simultaneously receive the whole of the batch;
• at least one microphone configured to record sounds in the interior or in the vicinity of the heating chamber;
• a processing system configured to detect, in an audio recording produced by the at least one microphone, an acoustic signature emitted when a substrate splits along the weakened zone, to determine that splitting of each substrate along each respective weakened zone has occurred based on the detected acoustic signature, the processing system further configured to determine the number of substrates having split and to compare the number of substrates having split to the number of substrates in the batch;
• and
• a system for controlling the furnace, the system for controlling the furnace being configured to stop the heat treatment once all the substrates of the batch have been detected to have split.

A method for monitoring a heat treatment applied to a substrate comprising a weakened zone formed by implanting atomic species with a view to splitting said substrate along said weakened zone, the substrate being arranged in a heating chamber, the method comprising:

• recording sound in the interior or in the vicinity of the heating chamber;
• detecting, in said recording, an acoustic signature emitted by the substrate during the splitting thereof along the weakened zone;
• determining, based on the detected acoustic signature, that a splitting of the substrate along the weakened zone has occurred;
• processing a signal related to the sound to determine a sound intensity;
• and
• based on the determined sound intensity, computing an energy released during the splitting of a substrate.

A method for monitoring a heat treatment applied to a substrate comprising a weakened zone formed by implanting atomic species with a view to splitting said substrate along said weakened zone, the substrate being arranged in a heating chamber, the method comprising:

• recording sound in the interior or in the vicinity of the heating chamber;
• detecting, in said recording, an acoustic signature emitted by the substrate during the splitting thereof along the weakened zone;
• determining, based on the detected acoustic signature, that a splitting of the substrate along the weakened zone has occurred;
• processing a signal related to the detected acoustic signature to determine a maximum frequency corresponding to a peak sound intensity;
• and
• based on the determined maximum frequency, computing a speed of a splitting wave propagating through a substrate.