# US 2021/0242044 A1 · Substrate bonding device, calculation device, substrate bonding method, and calculation method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0242044 A1 - Document ID: US20210242044A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/235,780 - Filed: 2021-04-20 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-10-25 - Assignees: Nikon Corporation - Applicants: Nikon Corporation - Inventors: Hajime MITSUISHI; Isao SUGAYA; Masaki TSUNODA; Kazuhiro SUZUKI; Takashi SHIOMI; Minoru FUKUDA - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210242044A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/0428: {Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting} - H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like} - H10P 72/53: {using optical controlling means} - H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks} - H10P 72/7614: {characterised by a plurality of individual support members, e.g. support posts or protrusions} - H10P 72/78: using vacuum or suction, e.g. Bernoulli chucks - H10P 95/00: Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass - B32B 43/006: {Delaminating} - H10P 72/0406: {for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like} - H10P 72/0604: {Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring} - Y10T 156/1132: Using vacuum directly against work during delaminating - Y10T 156/1179: with poking during delaminating [e.g., jabbing, etc.] - Y10T 156/1944: Vacuum delaminating means [e.g., vacuum chamber, etc.] - Y10T 156/1983: Poking delaminating means - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - B32B: LAYERED PRODUCTS, i.e. PRODUCTS BUILT-UP OF STRATA OF FLAT OR NON-FLAT, e.g. CELLULAR OR HONEYCOMB, FORM - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Provided is a substrate bonding apparatus comprising: a first holding unit for holding a first substrate; and a second holding unit for holding a second substrate, wherein the substrate bonding apparatus is configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate by, after forming a contact region between a part of the first substrate and a part of the second substrate, expanding the contact region to form an initially bonded region and releasing the second substrate having the initially bonded region formed thereon from the second holding unit. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A substrate bonding apparatus comprising: a first holding unit for holding a first substrate; and a second holding unit for holding a second substrate, wherein the substrate bonding apparatus is configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate by, after forming a contact region between a part of the first substrate and a part of the second substrate, expanding the contact region to form an initially bonded region and releasing the second substrate having the initially bonded region formed thereon from the second holding unit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit for setting the initially bonded region, the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region based on information related to distortion of the second substrate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region so that an amount of positional misalignment between the first substrate and the second substrate bonded to each other is equal to or smaller than a threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region based on an occurrence position of warping and a magnitude of warping in a bonding surface of the second substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information related to distortion includes information of at least one of an occurrence position of warping, a magnitude of warping, a direction of warping, an amplitude of warping, a magnitude of deflection, a direction of deflection, and an amplitude of deflection in the second substrate. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the information related to distortion includes information of at least one of a maximum value and an average value of amplitude of warping in an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a measuring unit for measuring a characteristic of a local curve of the second substrate wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region based on the characteristic of the local curve of the second substrate measured by the measuring unit. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising an estimating unit for estimating a characteristic of a local curve of the second substrate based on information related to the local curve of the second substrate included in the information related to distortion of the second substrate, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region based on the characteristic of the local curve of the second substrate estimated by the estimating unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the information related to the local curve includes at least one of information indicating a type of the second substrate, information indicating a manufacturing process, information indicating a stress distribution, and information indicating a configuration of a structure formed on a surface. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a determining unit for determining that the initially bonded region is formed, the second holding unit is configured to release the second substrate when the determining unit determines that the initially bonded region is formed. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region for each bonding of the first substrate and the second substrate, and output set information to the determining unit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the determining unit includes an observing unit for observing expansion of the contact region between the first substrate and the second substrate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region for each manufacturing lot of the first substrate and for each manufacturing lot of the second substrate, and output set information to the determining unit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region for each type of the first substrate and for each type of the second substrate, and output set information to the determining unit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the setting unit is configured to set the initially bonded region for each manufacturing process of the first substrate and for each manufacturing process of the second substrate, and output set information to the determining unit. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding unit has: an adsorbing portion for adsorbing at least an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate; and a protruding portion configured to protrude toward the second substrate for pressing and deforming a center portion of the second substrate, wherein a protruding amount of the protruding portion is variable. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the protruding portion is detachable, and wherein the protruding portion includes a plurality of protruding portions and the protruding amount is variable by exchanging the plurality of protruding portions having different heights. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the protruding amount is variable by the protruding portion moving toward the second substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 18, comprising: a control unit; and a displacing unit for changing relative positions of the first holding unit and the second holding unit, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the protruding portion and the displacing unit so that the protruding amount becomes smaller as the bonded region expands. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the control unit is configured to control at least one of the protruding portion and the displacing unit so that the bonded region expands with a deformation angle in an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate being kept constant as when the second substrate is deformed by the second holding unit. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the protruding amount is set so that an amount of nonlinear distortion occurring in the second substrate is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold when the second substrate is deformed by the second holding unit. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the protruding amount is set based on information related to distortion of the second substrate. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the adsorbing portion includes a plurality of adsorbing regions independently isolated from each other, and wherein, as the bonded region expands, adsorption in the plurality of adsorbing regions is sequentially released from a center side toward an outer circumferential side of the second holding unit. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding unit is configured to hold an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate but not hold an inner circumferential portion of the second substrate until the initially bonded region is formed, and release the outer circumferential portion of the second substrate when the initially bonded region is formed. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The substrate bonding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second holding unit is configured to release the second substrate in a state in which the contact region has expanded to half or more of a radius of the first substrate. ### Claim 26 A substrate bonding apparatus comprising: a first holding unit for holding a first substrate; and a second holding unit for holding a second substrate, wherein the substrate bonding apparatus is configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate by, after forming a contact region between a part of the first substrate and a part of the second substrate, expanding the contact region while at least an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate is held by the second holding unit and then releasing the outer circumferential portion of the second substrate from the second holding unit, and wherein the second holding unit is configured to hold the outer circumferential portion of the second substrate so that restoring of a curve in the outer circumferential portion of the second substrate is suppressed when the second substrate is released. ### Claim 27 A substrate bonding apparatus comprising: a first holding unit for holding a first substrate; and a second holding unit for holding a second substrate, wherein the substrate bonding apparatus is configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate by releasing the second substrate from the second holding unit while a contact region formed between a part of the first substrate and a part of the second substrate is expanding, and wherein a timing of releasing the second substrate from the second holding unit is different from a timing of releasing a substrate, other than the second substrate, from the second holding unit. ### Claim 28 A calculator for calculating a parameter that is used when bonding a first substrate and a second substrate by, while respectively holding the first substrate and the second substrate that is convexly deformed, bringing the first substrate and the second substrate into contact with each other and then unholding the second substrate, wherein the calculator is configured to calculate at least one of a convex amount for convexly deforming the second substrate, a adsorbing area for adsorbing an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate in order to hold the second substrate, an adsorbed position of the second substrate in a radial direction, and a timing of unholding the second substrate, based on information related to distortion of the second substrate. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) A substrate bonding apparatus comprising the calculator according to claim 28, wherein the substrate bonding apparatus is configured to bond the first substrate and the second substrate by using a parameter calculated by the calculator. ### Claim 30 A substrate bonding method comprising: holding a first substrate on a first holding unit; holding a second substrate on a second holding unit, after forming a contact region between a part of the first substrate and a part of the second substrate, expanding the contact region to form an initially bonded region; and by releasing the second substrate having the initially bonded region formed thereon from the second holding unit, bonding the first substrate and the second substrate. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The substrate bonding method according to claim 30, further comprising setting the initially bonded region based on information related to distortion of the second substrate, wherein the setting of the initially bonded region includes setting the initially bonded region so that an amount of positional misalignment between the first substrate and the second substrate bonded to each other is equal to or smaller than a threshold. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The substrate bonding method according to claim 31, wherein the setting of the initially bonded region includes setting the initially bonded region based on an occurrence position of warping and a magnitude of warping in a bonding surface of the second substrate. ### Claim 33 (depends on 30) The substrate bonding method according to claim 30, further including: determining that the initially bonded region is formed; when it is determined that the initially bonded region is formed, by releasing the second substrate having the initially bonded region formed thereon from the second holding unit, bonding the first substrate and the second substrate. ### Claim 34 A calculation method for calculating a parameter that is used when bonding a first substrate and a second substrate by, while respectively holding the first substrate and the second substrate that is convexly deformed, bringing the first substrate and the second substrate into contact with each other and then unholding the second substrate, wherein the calculation method comprises calculating at least one parameter of a convex amount for convexly deforming the second substrate, a adsorbing area for adsorbing an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate in order to hold the second substrate, a adsorbed position of the second substrate in a radial direction, and a timing of unholding the second substrate, based on information related to distortion of the second substrate. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) A substrate bonding method comprising: calculating a parameter by the calculation method according to claim 34; and bonding the first substrate and the second substrate by using the calculated parameter.