A substrate bonding apparatus that bonds a first substrate and a second substrate together, comprising a joining section that joins the first substrate and second substrate together aligned to each other for stacking; a detecting section that detects an uneven state on at least one of the first substrate and second substrate prior to joining by the joining section; and a determining section that determines whether the uneven state detected by the detecting section satisfies a predetermined condition, wherein the joining section does not join the first substrate and the second substrate if it is determined by the determining section that the uneven state does not satisfy the predetermined condition.

According to one embodiment, a controller is configured to calculate a matching rate of grid shapes between each semiconductor wafer of a first semiconductor wafer group and each semiconductor wafer of a second semiconductor wafer group, and generate pairing information, into which combinations of semiconductor wafers used in calculation of matching rates are registered when the matching rates fall within a predetermined range. Further, the controller is configured to select a first semiconductor wafer to be held by a first semiconductor wafer holder from the first semiconductor wafer group, and select a second semiconductor wafer from semiconductor wafers of the second semiconductor wafer group, which are paired with the first semiconductor wafer, with reference to the pairing information.

Techniques and mechanisms for forming a bond between wafers using a compliant layer. In an embodiment, a layer or layers of one or more compliant materials is provided on a first surface of a first wafer, and the one or more compliant layers are subsequently bonded to a second surface of a second wafer. The bonded wafers are heated to an elevated temperature at which a compliant layer exhibits non-elastic deformations to facilitate relaxation of stresses caused by wafer distortions. In another embodiment, a material of the compliant layer exhibits viscoelastic behavior at room temperature, wherein stress is mitigated by allowing wafer distortion to relax at room temperature.

A method for bonding a first substrate to a second substrate on mutually facing contact surfaces of the substrates, wherein the first substrate is mounted on a first chuck and the second substrate is mounted on a second chuck, and wherein a plate is arranged between the second substrate and the second chuck, wherein the second substrate with the plate is deformed with respect to the second chuck before and/or during the bonding. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a corresponding device and a corresponding plate.

Provided are a wafer bonding apparatus for accurately detecting a bonding state of wafers in a wafer bonding process and/or in a wafer bonding system including the wafer bonding apparatus. The wafer bonding apparatus includes a first supporting plate including a first surface and vacuum grooves for vacuum-absorption of a first wafer disposed on the first surface, a second supporting plate including a second surface facing the first surface. A second wafer is on the second surface. The wafer bonding apparatus and/or the wafer bonding system include a bonding initiator at a center portion of the first supporting plate, and an area sensor on the first supporting plate and configured to detect a propagation state of bonding between the first wafer and the second wafer.

A substrate bonding apparatus includes a substrate susceptor to support a first substrate, a substrate holder over the substrate susceptor to hold a second substrate, the substrate holder including a plurality of independently moveable holding fingers, and a chamber housing to accommodate the substrate susceptor and the substrate holder.

A production of voids between substrates is prevented when the substrates are bonded together, and the substrates are bonded together at a high positional precision while suppressing a strain. A method for bonding a first substrate and a second substrate includes a step of performing hydrophilization treatment to cause water or an OH containing substance to adhere to bonding surface of the first substrate and the bonding surface of the second substrate, a step of disposing the first substrate and the second substrate with the respective bonding surfaces facing each other, and bowing the first substrate in such a way that a central portion of the bonding surface protrudes toward the second substrate side relative to an outer circumferential portion of the bonding surface, a step of abutting the bonding surface of the first substrate with the bonding surface of the second substrate at the respective central portions, and a step of abutting the bonding surface of the first substrate with the bonding surface of the second substrate across the entirety of the bonding surfaces, decreasing a distance between the outer circumferential portion of the first substrate and an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate with the respective central portions abutting each other at a pressure that maintains a non-bonded condition.

An apparatus and method is provided for controlling a propagation of a bond wave during semiconductor processing. The apparatus has a first chuck to selectively retain a first workpiece. A second chuck selectively retains a second workpiece. The first and second chucks selectively secure at least a periphery of the respective first workpiece and second workpiece. An air vacuum is circumferentially located in a region between the first chuck and second chuck. The air vacuum is configured to induce a vacuum between the first workpiece and second workpiece to selectively bring the first workpiece and second workpiece together from a propagation point. The air vacuum can be localized air vacuum guns, a vacuum disk, or an air curtain positioned about the periphery of the region between the first chuck and second chuck. The air curtain induces a lower pressure within the region between the first and second chucks.

A substrate stacking apparatus that stacks first and second substrates on each other, by forming a contact region where the first substrate held by a first holding section and the second substrate held by a second holding section contact each other, at one portion of the first and second substrates, and expanding the contact region from the one portion by releasing holding of the first substrate by the first holding section, wherein an amount of deformation occurring in a plurality of directions at least in the first substrate differs when the contact region expands, and the substrate stacking apparatus includes a restricting section that restricts misalignment between the first and second substrates caused by a difference in the amount of deformation. In the substrate stacking apparatus above, the restricting section may restrict the misalignment such that an amount of the misalignment is less than or equal to a prescribed value.

An apparatus and method is provided for controlling a propagation of a bond wave during semiconductor processing. The apparatus has a first chuck to selectively retain a first workpiece. A second chuck selectively retains a second workpiece. The first and second chucks selectively secure at least a periphery of the respective first workpiece and second workpiece. An air vacuum is circumferentially located in a region between the first chuck and second chuck. The air vacuum is configured to induce a vacuum between the first workpiece and second workpiece to selectively bring the first workpiece and second workpiece together from a propagation point. The air vacuum can be localized air vacuum guns, a vacuum disk, or an air curtain positioned about the periphery of the region between the first chuck and second chuck. The air curtain induces a lower pressure within the region between the first and second chucks.