Process for restoring rejected wafers in line for reuse as new
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDavid R. Hanson, Hance H. Huston, III, Kris V. Srikrishnan
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Abstract
A process applicable to the restoration of defective or rejected semiconductor wafers to a defect-free form uses etchants and a variation of the Smart-Cut.RTM. process. Because of the use of the variation on the Smart-Cut.RTM. process, diffusion regions are removed without significantly affecting the specifications of the semiconductor wafer. Therefore, a defective or rejected wafer can be restored to near original condition for use in semiconductor manufacturing.
Claims14
A method of forming a substrate portion comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer comprising a substrate, said substrate having at least one of a metal portion and an oxide portion and at least a diffusion region;
- removing the at least one of the metal portion and the oxide portion;
- implanting ions into said substrate to form a buried layer therein, said buried layer being deeper than said diffusion region;
- heating said wafer to a temperature;
- and
- separating said wafer along said buried layer to remove a top surface layer of said wafer,
- whereby underlying portions of said wafer remain to form said substrate portion.
A method of forming a semiconductor substrate portion upon which semiconductor structures can be subsequently formed, comprising the steps of:
- providing a wafer comprising a semiconductor substrate, said semiconductor substrate having at least one of a metal portion and an oxide portion and at least a diffusion region;
- removing the at least one of the metal portion and the oxide portion;
- planarizing the semiconductor wafer;
- implanting hydrogen ions into said semiconductor substrate to form a buried layer therein, said buried layer being deeper than said diffusion region;
- heating said wafer to a temperature;
- separating said wafer along said buried layer to remove a top surface layer of said wafer;
- and
- polishing said semiconductor substrate portion after the step of separating,
- whereby underlying portions of said wafer remain to form said semiconductor substrate portion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.