# US 2026/0096397 A1 · Step ramp grading yield enhancement for hybrid bonding

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- Number: US 2026/0096397 A1
- Document ID: US20260096397A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/902,673
- Filed: 2024-09-30
- Published: 2026-04-02
- Earliest claimed: 2024-09-30
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Partha MUKHOPADHYAY; H. Jim FULFORD
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260096397A1

## CPC

- H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects}
- H10W 80/041: {Thermally treating}
- H10P 74/207: {Electrical properties, e.g. testing or measuring of resistance, deep levels or capacitance-voltage characteristics}
- H10W 80/102: {Controlling the environment during the bonding, e.g. the temperature or pressure}
- H10W 80/312: {characterised by the direct bonding of electrically conductive pads}
- H10W 80/327: {characterised by the direct bonding of insulating parts, e.g. of silicon oxide layers}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

Step ramp grading yield enhancement for hybrid bonding is provided. A device may provide a plurality of first contacts on a first substrate. A device may provide a plurality of second contacts on a second substrate, the plurality of second contacts configured to align with the plurality of first contacts. A device may anneal the first substrate and the second substrate to electrically couple the plurality of first contacts to the plurality of second contacts, wherein at least one of an annealing time or an annealing temperature is based on a recess depth of the plurality of first contacts from a surface of the first substrate.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method comprising:
providing a plurality of first contacts on a first substrate;
providing a plurality of second contacts on a second substrate, the plurality of second contacts configured to align with the plurality of first contacts, respectively; and
annealing the first substrate and the second substrate to electrically couple the plurality of first contacts to the plurality of second contacts, respectively,
wherein at least one of an annealing time or an annealing temperature is based on a recess depth of the plurality of first contacts from a surface of the first substrate.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first substrate is a wafer, and further comprising:
selecting the second substrate based on:
the recess depth of the plurality of first contacts; and
a recess depth of the plurality of second contacts from a surface of the second substrate.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein the second substrate is a panel comprising a plurality of dies and further comprising:
selecting an arrangement of the plurality of dies based on the recess depth of the plurality of first contacts and the recess depth of the plurality of second contacts.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the annealing time is based on a variation of the recess depth between a first set of the first contacts disposed at a first portion of the first substrate and a second set of the first contacts disposed at a second portion of the first substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, wherein:
the first set of contacts are disposed at a peripheral portion of the first substrate; and
the second set of contacts are disposed at a central portion of the first substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the annealing time comprises a plurality of dwell times corresponding to a plurality of the annealing temperatures, the annealing temperatures sequenced according to a descending order.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of the annealing temperatures are predefined, and lengths of the dwell times or ramp rates between the dwell times are determined according to a measurement of the recess depth of the first substrate and a recess depth of the second substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the dwell times or the ramp rates are adjusted based on an alignment between the first substrate and the second substrate.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
testing, subsequent to annealing, the first substrate and the second substrate for:
an indication of alignment of the plurality of first contacts with the plurality of second contacts; and
an indication of a yield of a semiconductor product comprising the first substrate and the second substrate;
ingesting, by a machine learning model trained with alignment data, yield data, ramp profile curve data, and electrical test data for a plurality of bonded wafers, the indication of alignment and the indication of the yield;
executing the machine learning model to generate a prediction of an adjustment to the annealing time or the annealing temperature; and
annealing a third substrate comprising third contacts and a fourth substrate comprising fourth contacts to electrically couple the third contacts with the fourth contacts according to an adjusted annealing time, adjusted according to the prediction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the testing consists of non-destructive testing.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the testing comprises destructive testing.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
bonding the first substrate to the second substrate prior to annealing the respective substrates.

### Claim 13

A method comprising:
determining a first recess depth of a plurality of first contacts of a first substrate;
determining a second recess depth of a plurality of second contacts of a second substrate;
bonding the first substrate to the second substrate to form a bonded structure; and
annealing the bonded structure to electrically couple the plurality of first contacts to the plurality of second contacts, wherein an annealing time is based on the first recess depth and the second recess depth.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
determining, a variation between the first recess depths, wherein the annealing time is further based on the variation.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein:
the annealing time comprises a plurality of dwell times corresponding to a plurality of annealing temperatures; and
the determination of the annealing time comprises determining a duration of the plurality of dwell times.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14 wherein a ramp rate between the dwell times is adjusted based on the first recess depth, the second recess depth, and the variation.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13 wherein the dwell times are determined based on an alignment between the first substrate and the second substrate.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising determining a plurality of dwell times of the annealing time, the determination comprising:
ingesting, by a machine learning model trained with yield data, dwell time data, and electrical test data for a plurality of bonded wafers, the first recess depth and the second recess depth; and
executing the machine learning model to determine at least one of the plurality of dwell times.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising selecting the second substrate based on:
the recess depth of the plurality of first contacts; and
a recess depth of the plurality of second contacts from a surface of the second substrate,
wherein the second substrate comprises a cut die.

### Claim 20

A method comprising:
determining a first recess depth of a plurality of first contacts of a first substrate;
determining a second recess depth of a plurality of second contacts of a second substrate;
determining, a variation between the first recess depths;
ingesting, by a machine learning model trained to corelate a first plurality of dwell times with yield data for bonded structures, data comprising the first recess depth, the second recess depth, and the variation;
determining, by the machine learning model based on the ingested data, an annealing time comprising a second plurality of dwell times; and
annealing the first substrate and the second substrate according to the annealing time to electrically couple the plurality of first contacts to the plurality of second contacts.