Method and structure for manufacturing bonded substrates using multiple photolithography tools

A method of manufacturing bonded substrate structures, the method comprising:

• providing a first substrate comprising a first surface region;
• using a first set of alignment marks to process the first surface region of the first substrate to form a first pattern region and a first set of alignment marks, utilizing a first photolithographic stepper characterized by a first tolerance criteria for alignment;
• providing a second substrate comprising a second surface region;
• using a second set of alignment marks to process the second surface region of the second substrate through at least one masking process to form a second pattern region using a second photolithographic stepper characterized by a second tolerance criteria for alignment;
• determining a masking process having a third tolerance criteria for alignment, the third tolerance criteria allowing for a change from the second photographic stepper to the first photographic stepper;
• forming a third set of alignment marks on the second substrate using the second photolithographic stepper;
• processing the second substrate for at least the determined masking process and producing a third pattern region and a fourth set of alignment marks, using the first photolithographic stepper;
• and
• joining the first substrate to the second substrate to form a composite substrate structure with alignment of the substrates determined by registration of the first set of alignment marks on the first substrate with at least a portion of the fourth set of alignment marks on the second substrate.

A method of manufacturing bonded substrate structures, the method comprising:

• providing a first substrate comprising a first surface region;
• processing the first surface region of the first substrate to form a first pattern region and a first set of alignment marks using a first photolithographic stepper characterized by a first tolerance criteria for alignment;
• providing a second substrate comprising a second surface region;
• defining a second set of alignment marks on the second surface region using the first photolithographic stepper;
• defining a third set of alignment marks on the second surface region using a second photolithographic stepper characterized by a second tolerance criteria for alignment, wherein the third set of alignment marks are referenced to the second set of alignment marks;
• processing the second surface region of the second substrate through at least one masking process to form a second pattern region using the second photolithographic stepper;
• determining a masking process having a third tolerance criteria for alignment, the third tolerance criteria allowing for a change from the second photolithographic stepper to the first photolithographic stepper;
• processing the second substrate through at least the determined masking process producing a third pattern region and a fourth set of alignment marks using the first photolithographic stepper;
• and
• joining the first substrate to the second substrate to form a composite substrate structure with alignment of the substrates determined by registration of at least a portion of the first set of alignment marks on the first substrate with at least a portion of the fourth set of alignment marks on the second substrate.