Method of delaminating a thin film using non-thermal techniques

[0002] (1) Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention generally relates to fabrication of semiconductor devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to fabrication of integrated circuits that utilize pre-fabricated transistor layers.

[0004] (2) Description of Related Art

[0005] Modern integrated circuits are generally made up of a silicon substrate containing millions of active and passive devices including transistors, capacitors, resistors, etc. Until recently, the semiconductor industry's focus was on reducing the two dimensions, (X-Y) in a Cartesian system of coordinates, of the transistors to reduce the size of the integrated circuit. However, as integration in two dimension has become more and more difficult due to limitations of lithography tools, the exploitation of the third dimension (z dimension in a Cartesian a system of coordinates) has become increasingly attractive.

[0006] FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional integrated circuit 100 that includes a substrate 102 (typically made of silicon) onto which a very large number of active devices (transistors 104) are fabricated. Transistors 104 are intercoupled therebetween and to other devices, therefore forming various circuits, by way of an interconnect system that includes metal lines (106). The metal lines may further be connected to other circuits. The various circuits formed are further coupled, by well-known techniques, to bond pads 108 of the integrated circuit. Transistors 104 are therefore located on a single layer of silicon at the bottom of the integrated circuit. When the dimension of the gates of transistors 104 goes some way beyond 193 nanometers, which is the shortest wave length of the light used presently in the present day photolithography process, integration of transistors becomes problematic as lithography tools that are utilized in the process of fabrication of these transistors reach the limit of their performance. One solution to increasing integration without further having to minimize transistors' gates dimensions and thus without resorting to new lithography tools, is to build up further layers of transistors in a third dimension (Z dimension) as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0007] FIG. 2 illustrates an integrated circuit that includes a first silicon substrate (base substrate 202) onto which are built a first layer (film) 205 of active devices 204. A second layer (film) 206 of active devices 208 may be envisioned as being further built in the Z dimension (vertically in the Figure). Interconnect lines 207 intercouple the active devices 208 of second layer 206 to the active devices 204 of first layer 205. The second layer 206 of active devices 208 may be coupled to the outside world via bond pads 210.

[0008] In the imaging area (imaging) attempts have been made to integrate transistors in the third dimension. For example, some digital cameras use chips that have at the bottom thereof (at the base silicon substrate) transistors for logical operations and on top of those transistors are built image sensors. For example, image sensor arrays may be built in the third dimension and used as light sensors. However, these transistors do not have good conducting properties, and therefore their performance is weak.

[0009] The second layer transistors are not made of a single-crystal silicon but are made of a polycrystalline silicon or amorphous silicon. The problem in providing a second layer of active devices (transistors) made of single silicon crystal is that the fabrication of the second level of transistors requires processing steps that are performed well beyond the temperature that the interconnect system may withstand. For example, at 400° or 450° Celsius, the metal lines begin to melt. It is desirable to provide an integrated circuit that utilizes at least two layers of transistors that offer competitive performance at lower costs. It is desirable to provide an integrated circuit with a second level of transistors in the z dimension made of a single crystal.

[0010] The present invention provides a method for forming an integrated circuit. A semiconductor film is formed onto a first substrate. A metal film is formed onto a second substrate. The second substrate is bonded with the metal film onto the semiconductor film of the first substrate. A first layer of transistors is formed onto the semiconductor film. The second substrate is removed at a temperature within a low temperature range. The semiconductor film with the first layer of transistors is bonded to a second layer of transistors of a third substrate.

[0011] The features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following Detailed Description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:

[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a conventional integrated circuit;

[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view through an integrated circuit with two layers of transistors, one above the other;

[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a first substrate onto which hydrogen is implanted;

[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view through the first substrate with a film formed as a result of the ion implantation;

[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view through the first substrate with a layer of oxide formed on top of the film;

[0017] FIG. 6 illustrates a second substrate with a layer of metal formed on top of the second substrate;

[0018] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the first substrate with a film and a layer of oxide on which the second substrate with the metal film are bonded;

[0019] FIG. 8 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 7 turned upside down with the first substrate debonded;

[0020] FIG. 9 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 8 with active devices formed onto the film and subjected to a process of low-temperature annealing;

[0021] FIG. 10 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 9 with the film debonded from the second substrate;

[0022] FIG. 11 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a third substrate with a layer of transistors onto which the film with its transistor is bonded; and

[0023] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart diagram in connection with the embodiment of the process according to the present invention described herein.

[0024] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, one having ordinary skill in the art should recognize that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known circuits, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail to avoid obscuring the present invention.

[0025] FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a first substrate 300, made of a semiconductor, into which ions are implanted to form a thin film at a top portion 302 of the substrate. In one embodiment of the present invention described herein, the ions used for implantation are hydrogen ions. The energy of the hydrogen is chosen as a function of the thickness desired for the film. The higher the energy of the ions the thicker the film. The hydrogen ions may have a concentration of 1E16-1E17 hydrogen/cm².

[0026] FIG. 4 illustrates a cross sectional view of substrate 300 with film 301 formed by way of the ion implantation process. Film 301 is demarcated by damaged surface 304 created by the implantation of hydrogen ions. The damaged surface 304 causes weakening of the bonds otherwise existing between what is now film 301 and the rest of first substrate 303. Later, when substrate 300 is heated at a certain temperature (typically 400° Celsius) film 301 detaches from substrate 300.

[0027] FIG. 5 illustrates a layer of oxide 305 formed onto the film 301. Layer of oxide 305 is deposited onto film 301 so that later in the process, when the first substrate with film 301 and oxide film 305 is bonded to a second substrate with a metal film (not shown), the oxide 305 facilitates debonding of the film 301 from the second substrate with the metal film.

[0028] The oxide layer may be formed by deposition of a TEOS oxide. Alternatively, the oxide film may be thermally grown on surface 303 of the substrate 300 (FIG. 3) before hydrogen implantation. The hydrogen introduced later on in the process during hydrogen implantation, reacts with the metal at the metal-oxide interface, and passivates the bonds that cause adherence of the metal film (not shown) to the oxide 305.

[0029] FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view through a second substrate 310 onto which a metal film 312 is formed typically by sputtering. The metal film may be made of a noble metal such as platinum (tungsten) by way of example. The metal film could have any thickness from a few hundred Angstroms to a few thousand Angstroms or more. The metal film is bonded to a thin film of oxide (311) necessary to ensure that the metal does not form a silicide during later high temperature processing. This film can be deposited (TEOS) for example, or can be thermally grown on the silicon substrate 310. The metal film is utilized for its properties according to which if another structure is bonded to the metal film, and then later a hydrogen annealing step is performed to the bonded structures, it is easier to delaminate the other structures bonded to the metal film at the interface between the metal film and the other structure. The hydrogen bonds to the metal of this interface, terminating the adhesion bonds between metal and oxide. Debonding may be performed smoothly by way of hydrogen annealing at a lower temperature that may not damage certain structures, such as active devices, later built on film 301.

[0030] FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view of first substrate 300 with the first film 301 and oxide film 305 onto which the second substrate 310 with the metal film 312 are placed. The two substrates 300 and 310 with their respective films are then bonded by way of annealing (heating at a temperature of approximately 400° Celsius). One of the properties of noble metals such as platinum (tungsten) is that films, made of these metals are much easier debonded from silicon films such as 301 upon low-temperature hydrogen annealing, which is performed later in the process. When hydrogen is introduced in the environment, later on in the process (FIG. 8), hydrogen diffuses through layer 301 and 312 causing the interface between these two layers to delaminate.

[0031] Next, in the process according to one embodiment of the present invention, the assembly illustrated in FIG. 7 is heated at a temperature of approximately 400° Celsius that causes the film 301, with rough layer of oxide 305 to bond to metal film 312. The increased temperature of 400° Celsius also causes the rest of first substrate 303 to delaminate from the thin film 301. The reason is that the bonds between film 301 and the rest of first substrate 303 are weakened as a result of the hydrogen implantation discussed in connection with the cross-sectional view of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3. The remaining assembly, which includes thin film 301, oxide layer 305, oxide layer 311, metal layer 312, and the second substrate 310, is then flipped over such that film 301 is at the top of the assembly as shown in FIG. 8. The film 301 of FIG. 8 is then polished by a process of Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP), for example, and then active devices are formed in film 301 by conventional methods including etching, making trenches, ion implantation, forming the gate-oxide, etc.

[0032] FIG. 9 illustrates the assembly of FIG. 8 with first layer 314 of transistors 316 formed onto film 301. The remaining part 318 of film 301 has a thickness of approximately 2 micrometers while first layer 314 of transistors 316 also has a thickness of approximately 2 micrometers.

[0033] FIG. 9 also illustrates the assembly subjected to a low temperature process of annealing. In one embodiment of the process of the present invention described herein, the low-temperature process of annealing is a process of hydrogen incorporation. The process described below describes hydrogen annealing as the method of hydrogen inclusion. However, other methods, such as hydrogen implantation, might also be used. Hydrogen annealing has the net effect of causing silicon film 301 to delaminate from the second substrate 310. The interface between silicon film 301 and the silicon substrate 310 with metal film 312 is replaced by bonds between hydrogen atoms that penetrate between metal layer 312 and oxide films 305. This new interface is easier to break down when the assembly is heated to a temperature of approximately 400° Celsius for 30 minutes during hydrogen annealing. One advantage of the process according to the present invention is that hydrogen annealing is performed at a relatively low temperature at which transistors 316 of first layer 314 are not damaged.

[0034] FIG. 10 illustrates two parts of the assembly resulting from the process of hydrogen annealing. The diffusion of hydrogen at the interface between film 301 (oxide film 305) and metal layer 312 reduces or eliminates the bonds between these two layers. Silicon film 301 (oxide film 305) and the metal layer 312, thus terminate on hydrogen instead of terminating on another layer, causing second substrate 310 to detach from its bonding with film 301 via metal 312.

[0035] The hydrogen annealing process is known in the art. A subject to be annealed is heated in a hydrogen ambient medium. The hydrogen atoms diffuse through film 301 and get to metal 312 causing the interface (between 301 and 312) to delaminate. The film of oxide 305 facilitates the debonding between the metal layer 312 and the film 301 as noble metals delaminate very well from oxide.

[0036] A third substrate 320 (carrier wafer) (shown in dotted lines) is then placed onto the transistor layer 314. The temperature of 400° Celsius causes bonding of the carrier wafer 320 to the transistors layer 314. The carrier wafer 320 that is used for supporting the transistor layer 314 may be the final substrate, or may be a temporary substrate (when this layer is later delaminated and bonded to another layer of transistors of a third substrate) (not shown).

[0037] After the second substrate 310 has been removed by way of the hydrogen annealing process, any remaining portion of metal or of oxide film 305 is stripped off the film 301 by way of etching (dry etched in a fluorine based chemistry or can be polished off).

[0038] The embodiment of process according to the present invention then continues with placing film 301 bonded to carrier 320 on a layer 350 of transistors 352 of a third substrate 360 shown in FIG. 11. Transistors 352 are interconnected by lines 354. The new assembly illustrated in FIG. 11 is then heated at a temperature of 400° Celsius at which the film 301 bonds to the film 350 and the carrier 320 debonds from the film 301 of transistors 316.

[0039] Typically, the carrier wafer 320 is made of transparent 15 materials such as quartz to allow alignment of the transistors of the two layers 314 and 350. The alignment between the two layers of transistors may be performed by well-known methods in the art. After alignment, the carrier 320 is debonded from the first transistor layer 314. At this stage the carrier 320 had served its purpose and can be stripped off.

[0040] The embodiment described above describes a system which incorporates two layers of transistors. It should be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the process described herein may be used on a single layer of transistors to allow patterning of the underside of this single layer of transistor also. The underside patterning may be performed at the step corresponding to FIG. 9. In this case, the substrate 320 in FIG. 10 becomes the final substrate, and transistors are fabricated on the now-exposed surface of 301, after the removal of the oxide layer 305.

[0041] FIG. 12 illustrates a flowchart diagram in connection with one embodiment of a process for making an integrated circuit according to the present invention. The process starts at block 1202 from where it passes to block 1204. At block 1204 a semiconductor film is formed onto a first substrate. The process then passes to block 1206 where a metal film is formed onto a second substrate. The process continues to block 1208 where a second substrate is bonded with a metal film onto the semiconductor film of the first substrate. At block 1210 a first layer of transistors is formed onto the semiconductor film. The process continues to block 1212 where the second substrate is removed at a temperature within a low temperature range. The process then passes to block 1214 where the semiconductor film with the first layer of transistors is bonded to a second layer of transistors of a third substrate.

[0042] While the present invention has been particularly described with reference to the various figures, it should be understood that the figures are for illustration only and should not be taken as limiting the scope of the invention. Many changes and modifications may be made to the invention, by one having ordinary skill in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.