In situ plasma wafer bonding method

A method for in situ plasma bonding of wafers for silicon dioxide, silicon, silicon nitride or other materials where an insulating interface is desired, comprising the steps of:

• (i) cleaning the wafers,
• (ii) rinsing and drying the cleaned wafers,
• (iii) placing the wafers into a plasma chamber equipped with a bonding apparatus,
• (iv) exposing the wafers to an oxygen plasma and reducing the surface species of the candidate material, and
• (v) without breaking vacuum, placing the wafer surfaces together and into contact.

A method for in situ plasma bonding of wafers for silicon dioxide, silicon, silicon nitride or other materials where an insulating interface is desired, comprising the steps of:

• (i) RCA cleaning the wafers omitting the HF dip for oxide surfaces;
• (ii) rinsing and drying the cleaned wafers,
• (iii) placing the wafers into a plasma chamber equipped with a bonding apparatus,
• (iv) exposing the wafers to 100 Watt RF oxygen plasma for at least 5 seconds, and
• (v) without breaking vacuum, placing the wafer surfaces together and into contact.

A method for in situ plasma bonding of wafers for silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, or other materials where a direct contact without an interface is desired,

• (i) for silicon, cleaning the wafers,
• (ii) optionally rinsing and drying the cleaned wafers,
• (iii) placing the wafers into a plasma chamber equipped with a bonding apparatus,
• (iv) exposing the wafers to a plasma which reduces the surface species of the candidate material, and
• (v) without breaking vacuum, placing the wafer surfaces together and into contact.

A method for in situ plasma bonding of wafers for silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, or other materials where a direct contact without an interface is desired, comprising the steps of:

• (i) for silicon, cleaning the wafers,
• (ii) optionally rinsing and drying the cleaned wafers,
• (iv) placing the wafers into a plasma chamber equipped with a bonding apparatus,
• (iv) exposing the wafers to a plasma selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, argon with hydrogen, NH4, and H/HE, and
• (v) without breaking vacuum, placing the wafer surfaces together and into contact.

A method for in situ plasma bonding of wafers for silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, or other materials where a direct contact without an interface is desired,

• (i) for silicon, RCA cleaning the wafers utilizing a HF dip or using another conventional state of the art cleaning method,
• (ii) optionally rinsing and drying the wafers,
• (iii) placing the wafers into a plasma chamber equipped with a bonding apparatus,
• (iv) exposing the wafers to 100 Watt RF plasma for at least 5 seconds, said plasma selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, argon with hydrogen, NH4, and H/He, and
• (v) without breaking vacuum, placing the wafer surfaces together and into contact.