Method for separating thin layers of solid material from a solid body

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11201081-B2
Application number	US-201916563442-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 6, 2019
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Dec 14, 2021
Grant date	Dec 14, 2021

Abstract

Providing a solid body to be split into a number of layers of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a first detachment plane ( 8 ) along which a first layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, providing a receiving layer for holding the layer of solid material on the solid body, applying heat to the receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the detachment plane, which crack separates the first layer of solid material from the solid body, then providing a second receiving layer for holding another layer of solid material on the solid body reduced by the first layer of solid material, introducing or generating defects in the solid body in order to determine a second detachment plane ( 9 ) along which a second layer of solid material is separated from the solid body, applying heat to the second receiving layer in order to generate, in particular mechanically, stresses in the solid body, due to the stresses a crack propagating in the solid body along the second detachment plane, which crack separates the second layer of solid material from the solid body.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing layers of solid material, the method comprising:
introducing or generating defects in a solid body to define a first detachment plane along which a first layer of solid material is to be separated from the solid body;
applying a first polymer layer to the first layer of solid material on the solid body;
cooling the first polymer layer such that at least part of the first polymer layer undergoes a glass transition to generate stresses in the solid body, the stresses causing a first crack to propagate in the solid body along the first detachment plane, wherein the first layer of solid material is separated from the solid body along the first crack;
after separating the first layer of solid material from the solid body, introducing or generating defects in the solid body to define a second detachment plane along which a second layer of solid material is to be separated from the solid body;
applying a second polymer layer to the second layer of solid material on the solid body;
cooling the second polymer layer such that at least part of the second polymer layer undergoes a glass transition to generate stresses in the solid body, the stresses causing a second crack to propagate in the solid body along the second detachment plane, wherein the second layer of solid material is separated from the solid body along the second crack.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after cooling the first polymer layer and before introducing or generating the defects in the solid body to define the second detachment plane, machining a surface of the solid body exposed by separating the first layer of solid material from the solid body.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing or generating the defects in the solid body to define the first detachment plane and/or the second detachment plane comprises:
introducing ions via a radiation source; and
aligning the radiation source such that the ions penetrate into the solid body.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the radiation source is aligned such that the ions penetrate the solid body to a defined depth.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the defined depth is less than 100 μm.

6. The method of claim 3 , wherein introducing the ions comprises:
applying a predetermined dose of the ions to the solid body, the predetermined dose being less than 10 15 cm −2 ; and
tempering the solid body to prevent coalescence of the ions within the solid body.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein introducing or generating the defects in the solid body to define the first detachment plane and/or the second detachment plane comprises:
introducing laser rays from a radiation source into the solid body at predetermined locations.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the radiation source is configured such that the laser rays penetrate the solid body to a defined depth of less than 100 μm.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the radiation source is configured such that the laser rays penetrate the solid body to a defined depth of less than 50 μm.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the radiation source is configured such that the laser rays penetrate the solid body to a defined depth of less than 20 μm.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solid body comprises silicon and/or gallium and/or a ceramic material.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first polymer layer and/or the second polymer layer is made at least partially of PDMS.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing at least one of the first polymer layer and the second polymer layer on an at least partially level surface of a stabilization device made at least partially of at least one metal.

14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
controlling the stresses in the solid body such that crack initiation and/or crack propagation within the solid body generates a defined topography of a surface produced along the first crack and/or along the second crack.

15. A method for producing layers of solid material, the method comprising:
introducing or generating defects in a solid body to define a first detachment plane along which a first layer of solid material is to be separated from the solid body;
providing a first receiving layer for holding the first layer of solid material on the solid body;
applying heat to the first receiving layer to generate stresses in the solid body, the stresses causing a first crack to propagate in the solid body along the first detachment plane, wherein the first layer of solid material is separated from the solid body along the first crack;
after separating the first layer of solid material from the solid body, introducing or generating defects in the solid body to define a second detachment plane along which a second layer of solid material is to be separated from the solid body;
providing a second receiving layer for holding the second layer of solid material on the solid body;
applying heat to the second receiving layer to generate stresses in the solid body, the stresses causing a second crack to propagate in the solid body along the second detachment plane, wherein the second layer of solid material is separated from the solid body along the second crack,
wherein introducing or generating the defects in the solid body to define the first detachment plane and/or the second detachment plane comprises:
introducing ions via a radiation source; and
aligning the radiation source such that the ions penetrate into the solid body.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the radiation source is aligned such that the ions penetrate the solid body to a defined depth.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the defined depth is less than 100 μm.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein introducing the ions comprises:
applying a predetermined dose of the ions to the solid body, the predetermined dose being less than 10 15 cm −2 ; and
tempering the solid body to prevent coalescence of the ions within the solid body.

Assignees

• Siltectra Gmbh

Inventors

• Drescher Wolfram
• Richter Jan

Classifications

• H10P90/1914

  using bonding · CPC title

• H10W10/181

  Semiconductor-on-insulator [SOI] isolation regions, e.g. buried oxide regions of SOI wafers · CPC title

• H10P90/1916 Primary

  with separation or delamination along an ion implanted layer, e.g. Smart-cut · CPC title

• C30B33/06

  Joining of crystals · CPC title

• B23K26/53

  for modifying or reforming the material inside the workpiece, e.g. for producing break initiation cracks · CPC title