Roentgen integrated metrology for hybrid bonding process control in ultra high 3d integration

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024387448-A1
Application number	US-202418419733-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 23, 2024
Priority date	May 15, 2023
Publication date	Nov 21, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hybrid bonding apparatus includes a hybrid bonder that has a bonder head and is configured to bond a first semiconductor structure to a second semiconductor structure via hybrid bonding. The hybrid bonding apparatus also includes an X-ray probe having an X-ray source and a detector. The bonder head is positioned in a measurement gap between the X-ray source and the detector or positioned in a measurement space opposite to both the X-ray source and the detector. The X-ray probe is configured to irradiate X-rays through the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure, in whole or in part, to measure relative positions of the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure. The hybrid bonder is configured to align the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure based on the relative positions of the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of hybrid bonding, the method comprising:
positioning a first bonding surface of a first semiconductor structure at a first distance from a second bonding surface of a second semiconductor structure, wherein the first bonding surface of the first semiconductor structure faces the second bonding surface of the second semiconductor structure; measuring relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the first distance via an X-ray probe; bringing the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface closer to a second distance that is smaller than the first distance; measuring the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the second distance via the X-ray probe; adjusting relative positions of the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure based on X-ray images of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface; bringing the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface into physical contact; and bonding the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure via hybrid bonding.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
analyzing a bonding interface between the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure via the X-ray probe after the hybrid bonding.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
performing defect analysis, via the X-ray probe, of at least one interface defect selected from the group consisting of a void, a gap, delamination, foreign material, a crack, aberrant copper pad size, a missing pad, and misalignment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting the relative positions of the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure comprises:
removing out-of-plane tilt based on the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the first distance and at the second distance so that the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface are parallel to each other.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
removing at least one in-plane misalignment selected from the group consisting of a translational misalignment and a rotational misalignment.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
after removing the out-of-plane tilt, re-measuring the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the second distance via the X-ray probe; and removing the at least one in-plane misalignment based on the re-measuring.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
after removing the out-of-plane tilt misalignment, bringing the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface closer to a third distance that is smaller than the second distance; measuring the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the third distance via the X-ray probe; and removing the at least one in-plane misalignment based on the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the third distance.

8 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
removing at least one relative distortion from the group consisting of a barrel distortion and a pin cushion distortion.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
measuring the relative positions of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface via the X-ray probe in real time.

10 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
(a) bringing the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface closer to a smaller distance; (b) adjusting the relative positions of the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure, based on real-time X-ray images or real-time non-imaging X-ray measurement signals of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface at the smaller distance; and repeating (a) and (b) until the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface are brought into physical contact.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the X-ray probe is configured to irradiate X-rays that penetrate, in whole or in part, through the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the X-ray probe includes at least one selected from the group consisting of an X-ray imaging system and an X-ray non-imaging system, where the X-ray imaging system is configured to generate images of the first bonding surface and the second bonding surface via at least one mechanism selected from the group consisting of scintillation, direct imaging of X-rays, X-ray absorption imaging, X-ray phase contrast imaging, X-ray interferometric fringe difference imaging, and small angle scatter dark field imaging, and the X-ray non-imaging system is configured to generate an X-ray measurement signal via at least one mechanism selected from the group consisting of X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, small angle X-ray scatter (SAXS), wide angle X-ray scatter (WAXS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (NEXAFS), X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES), total external reflectance X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), X-ray K-edge subtraction, X-ray standing wave analysis, and X-ray reflectivity.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
loading and aligning the second semiconductor structure into a measurement space, attaching the first semiconductor structure to a bonder head of a hybrid bonder; and aligning the first semiconductor structure and the second semiconductor structure with alignment marks via an electromagnetic radiation other than X-rays.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein:
the measurement space is a measurement gap between an X-ray source of the X-ray probe and a detector of the X-ray probe or is disposed opposite the X-ray source of the X-ray probe and opposite the detector of the X-ray probe.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the first semiconductor structure includes a die, a wafer, a plurality of stacked dies or a plurality of stacked thinned wafers; and the second semiconductor structure includes a die or a wafer.

16 . A method of bonding inspection, the method comprising:
providing a bonded structure that comprises a first semiconductor structure and a second semiconductor structure bonded to each other via a bonding interface; irradiating the bonded structure with X-rays configured to penetrate through the bonded structure; and generating an X-ray image or an X-ray measurement signal of the bonding interface via at least one mechanism selected from the group consisting of scintillation, direct imaging of X-rays, X-ray absorption imaging, X-ray phase contrast imaging, X-ray interferometric fringe difference imaging, small angle scatter dark field imaging, X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, small angle X-ray scatter (SAXS), wide angle X-ray scatter (WAXS), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure analysis (NEXAFS), X-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy (XANES), total external reflectance X-ray fluorescence (TXRF), X-ray K-edge subtraction, X-ray standing wave analysis, and X-ray reflectivity.

17 . The method of claim 16 , further comprising:
performing defect analysis, with the X-ray image or the X-ray measurement signal of the bonding interface, of at least one interface defect selected from the group consisting of a void, a gap, delamination, foreign material, a crack, aberrant copper pad size, a missing pad, and misalignment.

18 . A hybrid bonding apparatus, compr

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Machuca Francisco
• Papanu James S
• Tian Xinkang
• Sitaram Arkalgud

Classifications

• H10W80/312 Primary

  characterised by the direct bonding of electrically conductive pads · CPC title

• H10W80/327

  characterised by the direct bonding of insulating parts, e.g. of silicon oxide layers · CPC title

• H10W80/163

  using active alignment, e.g. detecting marks and correcting position · CPC title

• H10W72/90

  Bond pads, in general · CPC title

• H10P74/203

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title