Method for separating a removable composite structure by means of a light flux
11469367 · 2022-10-11
Assignee
Inventors
Cpc classification
H10N30/05
ELECTRICITY
H10N70/041
ELECTRICITY
H10N30/072
ELECTRICITY
H01L21/268
ELECTRICITY
H01L21/76254
ELECTRICITY
H10N70/011
ELECTRICITY
International classification
H01L21/30
ELECTRICITY
Abstract
A method for separating a removable composite structure using a light flux includes supplying the removable composite structure, which successively comprises: a substrate that is transparent to the light flux; an optically absorbent layer for at least partially absorbing a light flux; a sacrificial layer adapted to dissociate subject to the application of a temperature higher than a dissociation temperature and made of a material different from that of the optically absorbent layer; and at least one layer to be separated. The method further includes applying a light flux through the substrate, the light flux being at least partly absorbed by the optically absorbent layer, so as to heat the optically absorbent layer; heating the sacrificial layer by thermal conduction from the optically absorbent layer, up to a temperature that is greater than or equal to the dissociation temperature; and dissociating the sacrificial layer under the effect of the heating.
Claims
1. A method for separating a composite structure that is dismantlable by application of a light flux, the method comprising: providing the dismantlable composite structure comprising successively: a substrate; a first thermal barrier layer; an optically absorbent layer comprising a material suitable for at least partially absorbing a light flux, the substrate and the first thermal barrier layer being substantially transparent to the light flux; a sacrificial layer suitable for dissociating under the application of a temperature higher than a dissociation temperature, made of a material different from that of the optically absorbent layer; at least one layer to be separated; applying a light flux through the substrate, the light flux being absorbed at least in part by the optically absorbent layer, so as to heat the optically absorbent layer; heating the sacrificial layer by thermal conduction from the optically absorbent layer, up to a temperature higher than or equal to the dissociation temperature; and dissociating the sacrificial layer under the effect of the heating.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein a product of a thickness of the substrate and of a coefficient of absorption of the light flux by the substrate is less than 0.1.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the product of the thickness of the optically absorbent layer and of the coefficient of absorption of the light flux by the optically absorbent layer is greater than 2.3.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising pulsing the light flux.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein a wavelength of the light flux is between 100 and 12,000 nm.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the application of the light flux, bonding the composite structure to a carrier, the dissociation of the sacrificial layer leading to a transfer of the layer to be separated to the carrier.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the carrier comprises at least one of the following materials: a semiconductor material; a metal; or a polymer.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer is in contact with the optically absorbent layer.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer is substantially transparent to the light flux.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after dissociating the sacrificial layer, substantially completely removing the sacrificial layer from the at least one layer to be separated.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the structure further comprises a second thermal barrier layer located between the sacrificial layer and the layer to be separated.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and/or the second thermal barrier layer has a linear thermal conductivity coefficient of less than 10 W m.sup.−1 K.sup.−1.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and/or the second thermal barrier layer comprises at least one of the following materials: silica (SiO.sub.2) or alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3).
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising a first film suitable for reflecting or absorbing the light flux, the first film located between the sacrificial layer and the layer to be separated.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first film comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon, silica (SiO.sub.2), silicon carbide (SiC), molybdenum, or silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4).
16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, between the sacrificial layer and the layer to be separated, a second film suitable for distributing the heat over the entire area of the structure.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second film comprises at least one of the following materials: alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), silica (SiO.sub.2), polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN), or polycrystalline silicon.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises at least one of the following materials: sapphire or quartz.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the optically absorbent layer comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), polycrystalline silicon, or polycrystalline silicon carbide (SiC).
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the sacrificial layer comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN), polycrystalline gallium nitride (GaN), or indium tin oxide (ITO).
21. The method of claim 1, wherein the layer to be separated comprises at least one of the following materials: a metal; a group IV material having a hexagonal crystal structure; a piezoelectric, ferromagnetic or ferroelectric material; or a phase-change alloy.
Description
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
(1) Other features and advantages of the present disclosure will emerge from the detailed description that follows, with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
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(12) For the sake of legibility of the figures, the illustrated elements are not necessarily shown to scale. Moreover, elements denoted by the same reference signs in the various figures are identical.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
(13) The context of the present disclosure is that of the separation of a composite structure through the dissociation of a layer of the structure under the effect of heating caused by the application of a light flux through at least part of the structure.
(14) In comparison with the structure described in the aforementioned document WO 2015/019018, the present disclosure proposes decoupling the portion of the structure that is heated by optical absorption from the portion of the structure that dissociates under the effect of the heating by forming, in the structure, an optically absorbent layer that is distinct from the sacrificial layer. In particular, unlike the optically absorbent layer, the sacrificial layer is made of a material that is substantially transparent to the light flux and capable of dissociating under the application of a temperature higher than a dissociation temperature, the temperature being reached by heating the optically absorbent layer through the absorption of the light flux.
(15) In general, as illustrated in
(16) The irradiation by the light flux is performed through the face of the substrate opposite the layer to be separated. Specifically, the layer to be separated is not necessarily transparent to the light flux; however, heating caused by at least partial absorption of the light flux could damage the layer to be separated. The sacrificial layer 3 is interposed between the optically absorbent layer 2 and the layer to be separated 4. Thus, the sacrificial layer 3 contributes to forming a thermal barrier between the optically absorbent layer 2, which heats up substantially by absorbing the light flux, and the layer to be separated 4.
(17) Preferably, the sacrificial layer 3 is in contact with the absorbent layer 2, so as to maximize the heat transfer from the absorbent layer 2 to the sacrificial layer 3.
(18) The substrate 1 is chosen from a material that is substantially transparent to the light flux to be applied in order to dissociate the sacrificial layer 3.
(19) Advantageously, the substrate 1 may be a bulk substrate or consist of a stack of layers of different materials, as long as each of the materials is substantially transparent to the light flux.
(20) According to a preferred embodiment, the substrate 1 comprises at least one of the following materials: sapphire or quartz.
(21) The material of the optically absorbent layer 2 is chosen so as to be highly absorbent at the wavelength of the light flux.
(22) Advantageously, the optically absorbent layer 2 comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), polycrystalline silicon, polycrystalline silicon carbide (SiC), or molybdenum (Mo).
(23) The sacrificial layer 3 is a layer that is distinct from the layer 2, and is advantageously made of a material that is substantially transparent to the light flux. The material of the sacrificial layer 3 is chosen so as to start dissociating from what is called a dissociation temperature. Starting from this dissociation temperature, decohesion of the chemical bonds of the material of the sacrificial layer 3 is observed, leading to separation of the composite structure 100 at the sacrificial layer 3. The material of the optically absorbent layer 2, on the other hand, is stable to a temperature above the dissociation temperature.
(24) Advantageously, the sacrificial layer 3 comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN), polycrystalline gallium nitride (GaN), or indium tin oxide (ITO). The dissociation temperature of these different materials is generally between 1000 and 2500° C.
(25) The sacrificial layer 3 is not substantially heated by absorbing the light flux, but through thermal conduction from the optically absorbent layer 2. Since the sacrificial layer 3 begins to dissociate as soon as the temperature to which it is exposed reaches the dissociation temperature of the layer 3, the thermal budget applied to the layer 4 to be separated is lower than the thermal budget, which would be applied to the layer 4 if it were in contact with the optically absorbent layer 2.
(26) Furthermore, using two distinct layers for optical absorption and dissociation means that a relatively thin sacrificial layer 3 (thinner than the sacrificial layer of the prior art) can be used. Specifically, while in the case where the sacrificial layer 3 is merged with the optical absorption layer 2, the sacrificial layer 3 must be thick enough (typically, on the order of a few hundred nanometers) to store the heat required for its own dissociation. The only function of the sacrificial layer 3 is to start to break down from a certain temperature and it may therefore be very thin (on the order of a few tens of nanometers).
(27) Since the present disclosure makes it possible to decrease the thermal budget of the layer 4 to be separated, the layer 4 may be formed from a wide variety of materials.
(28) For example, the layer 4 to be separated advantageously comprises at least one of the following materials: a metal, such as copper; a group IV material having a hexagonal crystal structure, such as graphene; a piezoelectric, ferromagnetic or ferroelectric material; or a phase-change alloy, such as GeSbTe, for example.
(29) The composite structure 100 may be obtained by successively growing the constituent layers on the substrate 1. Certain steps in the production of the composite structure 100 may also include layer transfer or bonding steps.
(30) In any event, the dissociation temperature of the sacrificial layer 3 must be higher than the temperature at which the layer 4 to be separated is deposited or bonded, in order to avoid any untimely dissociation of the sacrificial layer 3 during the production of the composite structure 100.
(31) The composite structure 100 may advantageously comprise one or more additional layers, used alone or in combination, which produce the additional effects described below with reference to
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(33) Between the substrate 1 and the optically absorbent layer 2 is arranged a first layer 5 forming a thermal barrier. The layer 5 is made of a material that is substantially transparent to the light flux and exhibits low thermal conductivity. The term “low thermal conductivity” is understood in the present text to mean a linear thermal conductivity coefficient of less than 10 W.Math.m.sup.−1.Math.K.sup.−1.
(34) A second thermal barrier layer 5 is arranged on the sacrificial layer 3. Since the layer 5 is made of a material with low thermal conductivity, it makes it possible to improve the thermal insulation of the layer 4 to be separated.
(35) Advantageously, each of the layers 5 comprises at least one of the following materials: silica (SiO.sub.2) or alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3).
(36) The layers 5 make it possible to confine the heat to the portion of the composite structure 100 that they delimit, namely the optically absorbent layer 2 and the sacrificial layer 3. Thus, the dissociation temperature of the sacrificial layer 3 is reached more quickly than in the absence of the thermal barrier layers 5.
(37) A film 6 (or a stack of films) suitable for reflecting the light flux, or for absorbing the part of the flux transmitted through the optically absorbent layer, is arranged on the second thermal barrier layer 5.
(38) The film 6 advantageously comprises at least one of the following materials: silicon, silica (SiO.sub.2), silicon carbide (SiC), molybdenum, or silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4). The film 6 may advantageously comprise a Bragg mirror-type stack. The stack may optionally perform the function of a thermal barrier and thus replace the second layer 5.
(39) The film 6 makes it possible to prevent part of the light flux from being transmitted to the layer 4 to be separated, which has the effect of decreasing the thermal budget applied to the layer 4 and of avoiding energy losses.
(40) Furthermore, a film 7 (or a stack of films) exhibiting a certain thermal inertia and suitable for distributing the heat over the entire area of the structure is arranged on the film 6.
(41) The film 7 is characterized by a product thickness×density×specific heat capacity.
(42) The film 7 comprises at least one of the following materials: alumina (Al.sub.2O.sub.3), silica (SiO.sub.2), polycrystalline aluminum nitride (AlN), or polycrystalline silicon.
(43) Finally, a seed layer 8 is arranged on the film 7, in direct contact with the layer 4 to be transferred. The seed layer 8 is chosen so as to facilitate the bonding or the deposition of the layer 4 to be separated, depending on the way in which the layer 4 is formed.
(44) The seed layer 8 may comprise at least one of the following materials: platinum, nickel, or copper.
(45) In the case where the layer 4 to be separated is to be transferred to a carrier with a view to later use, the composite structure 100 is joined to the carrier by means of the layer 4 to be separated. The decrease in the separation thermal budget described above is also beneficial to the carrier, in particular, if the latter is sensitive to temperature. The present disclosure therefore also makes it possible to use a greater variety of carriers, in particular, made of polymer material or of metal.
(46) In general, the carrier may comprise at least one of the following materials: a semiconductor material, such as silicon; a metal, such as copper; or a polymer.
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(49) Advantageously, the light flux is applied in a pulsed manner. The duration of each pulse is of the order of a few tens of nanoseconds. This duration is chosen according to the power of the laser and the temperature to be reached in the optically absorbent layer 2 in order to be able to dissociate the sacrificial layer 3.
(50) The wavelength of the laser is chosen in relation to the materials of the layers constituting the composite structure 100. In particular, the substrate 1 and the one or more thermal barrier layers 5, and the sacrificial layer 3, are substantially transparent at the wavelength of the laser, unlike the optically absorbent layer 2.
(51) In general, the wavelength of the laser may be between 100 and 12,000 nm. For a quartz substrate 1, the wavelength of the laser is advantageously on the order of 150 to 700 nm. For a silicon substrate 1, the wavelength of the laser is advantageously on the order of 1,000 to 12,000 nm.
(52) With reference to
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Example n° 1
(54) This first example relates to a composite structure for the growth of a layer of graphene to be transferred to a carrier.
(55) The composite structure comprises successively, with reference to
(56) When the structure is subjected to a beam from a pulsed laser emitting at 193 nm, with a pulse duration of 20 ns and a fluence of approximately 0.1 J.Math.cm.sup.−2, through the substrate 1, the temperature within the structure increases over the duration of each pulse. The heat generated is mainly localized in the optically absorbent layer 2. When the temperature reaches the dissociation temperature of silicon nitride (i.e., around 1900° C.), part of the sacrificial layer 3, the second thermal barrier layer 5 and the seed layer 8 become detached from the substrate 1 and from the first thermal barrier layer 5.
(57) After a laser pulse, the temperature homogenizes in the structure. Of particular interest is the temperature at the upper interface of the seed layer 8, that is to say the interface between the seed layer 8 and the graphene layer 4.
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(61) At the wavelength of 193 nm, SiC exhibits an optical absorption coefficient more than three times higher than that of silicon nitride, while being stable above the dissociation temperature of silicon nitride.
(62) The combination of an optically absorbent layer of SiC 30 nm thick and of a sacrificial layer of Si.sub.3N.sub.4 20 nm thick advantageously replaces a single optically absorbent sacrificial layer of Si.sub.3N.sub.4 100 nm thick used in the prior art.
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(65) Furthermore,
(66) The structures S1, S2 and S3 are in accordance with the present disclosure. They all successively comprise the substrate 1 of sapphire, the first thermal barrier layer 5 made of SiO.sub.2, the optically absorbent layer 2 made of SiC, the sacrificial layer 3 made of Si.sub.3N.sub.4, the second thermal barrier layer 5 and a layer of nickel, constituting a seed layer 8 for the graphene layer 4 to be separated (unless otherwise indicated, the thickness of each of the layers is that mentioned above). The structures S1 and S2 further comprise a thermal inertia layer 7 made of polycrystalline silicon between the second thermal barrier layer 5 and the seed layer 8; in the case of the structure S1, the thickness of the layer 7 is 1,000 nm; in the case of the structure S2, the thickness of the layer 7 is 500 nm.
(67) The structure S4 is not in accordance with the present disclosure: it comprises a single optically absorbent sacrificial layer of Si.sub.3N.sub.4 100 nm thick between first and second thermal barrier layers, which are identical to those of the structures Si to S3.
(68) It can be seen that the maximum temperature decreases with increasing thickness of the thermal inertia layer 7. Thus, for the structure S2, comprising a thermal inertia layer 7 that is 500 nm thick, the maximum temperature is lower than 200° C. for a pulse of 20 ns. In this case, the thermal inertia film provides 43% of additional surface heat capacity (in J.Math.K.sup.−1.Math.m.sup.−1) with respect to all of the layers 3, 5 and 8.
Example n° 2
(69) This second example relates to a composite structure allowing the deposition of a layer of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) on a silicon substrate followed by the transfer of the layer to a flexible carrier. Such a layer exhibits ferroelectric, piezoelectric and/or pyroelectric properties.
(70) The composite structure comprises successively, with reference to
(71) In order to obtain satisfactory properties, the layer 4 must be heated to 600° C.
(72) After this step, a flexible carrier in the form of a polyimide film is bonded to the PZT layer in order to transfer the layer thereto. The maximum temperature that the polyimide film can withstand is between 200 and 400° C. depending on the duration of application of the temperature.
(73) To separate the composite structure, a CO.sub.2 laser emitting infrared, for example, having a wavelength of 10.6 μm is used.
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(75) The limit temperature of 200° C. is exceeded if the pulse duration is longer than 50 ns.
(76) If the power of the laser source is not sufficient, it is possible to provide a transfer with a longer pulse (100 nm, for example) by increasing the thickness of the thermal barrier layers 5 and/or by inserting a heat distribution film 7 in order to increase the heat capacity of the layers between the sacrificial layer 3 and the bonding interface between the layer 4 of PZT and the carrier.
(77) The structures S5, S6, S7 and S8 are in accordance with the present disclosure. They all successively comprise the substrate 1 of silicon, the first thermal barrier layer 5 made of SiO.sub.2, the optically absorbent layer 2 made of molybdenum, the sacrificial layer 3 made of ITO, the second thermal barrier layer 5 and a layer 4 of PZT of 1 constituting the layer to be separated (unless otherwise indicated, the thickness of the layers is that mentioned above). The structures S5 and S6 further comprise a thermal inertia layer 7 made of polycrystalline silicon between the second thermal barrier layer and the seed layer 8; in the case of the structure S5, the thickness of the layer 7 is 1,000 nm; in the case of the structure S6, the thickness of the layer 7 is 500 nm. In comparison with the structure S8, the second thermal barrier layer of the structure S7 is thicker (1,000 nm instead of 500 nm).
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(82) Of course, the examples described above are provided only by way of illustration and are not limiting.