Method of forming a multi-layer semiconductor structure incorporating a processing handle member

Abstract

A method of forming a multi-layer semiconductor structure includes attaching a handle-member to a top surface of a first structure using a first interface. At least one region of a bottom surface of the first structure is etched to form at least a first via-hole for exposing a portion of a first conductive member defined on the first structure. A conductive material is disposed in the first via-hole such that a first end of the conductive material is in electrical communication with the first conductive member and a second end of the conductive material is exposed at the bottom surface of the first structure. A second interface is disposed over at least the second end of the conductive material, which serves as a bonding and/or electrical interface between the first conductive member defined on the first structure and a second structure of the multi-layer semiconductor device structure.

1 . A method of forming a multi-layer semiconductor structure, the method comprising: 
 disposing a first laminate over a first surface of a first semiconductor structure;    disposing a second laminate over a first surface of a handle member;    attaching the first laminate to the second laminate to provide a first semiconductor-handle complex having a substrate portion;    removing at least a fraction of the substrate portion of the first handle-semiconductor complex to provide a handle-semiconductor complex having first and second opposing surfaces;    positioning a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle-semiconductor complex over and in a contact relationship with a first surface of a second semiconductor structure; and    attaching a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle-semiconductor complex to a first surface of a second semiconductor structure.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising releasing at least a portion of one of the first and second laminates without releasing the first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle-semiconductor complex from the first surface of the second semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein attaching a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle-semiconductor complex to the first surface of the second semiconductor structure comprises bonding a second one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle-semiconductor complex to the first surface of the second semiconductor structure using a predetermined bonding material.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein disposing the first laminate over the first surface of the first semiconductor structure includes disposing a first laminate layer over the first surface of the first semiconductor structure wherein the first laminate layer is provided having a reaction rate to a predetermined release agent which is greater than a reaction rate of the predetermined bonding material to the predetermined release agent.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein disposing the first laminate further includes disposing a second laminate layer over the first laminate layer.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein disposing the first laminate further includes disposing a third laminate layer over the second laminate layer.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein disposing the first layer of the first laminate includes disposing at least one of a first layer of zirconium; and a first layer of aluminum.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein disposing the second layer of the first laminate includes at least one of: 
 disposing a layer comprising copper over the layer of zirconium;    disposing a layer comprising gold over the layer of zirconium;    disposing a layer comprising tungsten over the layer of zirconium; and    disposing a layer comprising a metal alloy over the layer of zirconium.    
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein disposing the third laminate layer of the first laminate includes at least one of: 
 disposing a layer comprising an inorganic dielectric over the second laminate layer;    disposing a layer comprising copper over the second laminate layer; and    disposing a layer comprising a polymer over the second laminate layer.    
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein disposing the second laminate over the first surface of the handle member further includes disposing a first laminate layer over the first surface of the handle member.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein disposing the second laminate further includes disposing a second laminate layer over the first laminate layer.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein disposing the second laminate further includes disposing a third laminate layer over the second laminate layer.  
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein: 
 a first one of the first and second layers of the first laminate corresponds to a release layer; and    a first one of the first and second layers of the second laminate corresponds to a release layer.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein attaching the first laminate to the second laminate comprises at least one of: 
 attaching the first laminate to the second laminate using a temperature activated method;    attaching the first laminate to the second laminate using a mechanically activated method; and    attaching the first laminate to the second laminate using an electrically activated method.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein releasing at least one of the first and second laminates comprises disposing the multi-layer semiconductor structure into a solution chemically reactive with the at least one layer of at least one of the first and second laminates.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein releasing at least one of the first and second laminates comprises destroying the structural integrity of at least one layer of at least one of the first and second laminates.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disposing the first laminate over the first surface of the first semiconductor structure includes disposing the first laminate over a first surface of at least a portion of a first semiconductor wafer.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein disposing the first laminate over the first surface of the first semiconductor structure includes disposing the first laminate over a first surface of at least a portion of a first semiconductor die element.  
     
     
         19 . A laminate adapted for releasably coupling a handle member to a semiconductor structure, the laminate comprising: 
 a first layer adapted to attach to a first surface of the semiconductor structure;    a second layer disposed over the first layer; and    a third layer disposed over the second layer, wherein at least one of the first, second and third layers includes a material having a predetermined reaction rate to a selected release agent.    
     
     
         20 . The laminate of  claim 19 , wherein the first layer corresponds to a fusing layer.  
     
     
         21 . The laminate of  claim 20 , wherein a first one of the second and third layers corresponds to a release layer.  
     
     
         22 . The laminate of  claim 21 , wherein the third layer corresponds to the release layer.  
     
     
         23 . The laminate of  claim 22  wherein the third layer is adapted to attach to a first surface of a handle member.  
     
     
         24 . The laminate of  claim 22 , wherein the third layer comprises a first one of zirconium and aluminum.  
     
     
         25 . The laminate of  claim 24 , wherein the first layer comprises copper.  
     
     
         26 . The laminate of  claim 25  wherein the second layer comprises tantalum (Ta).  
     
     
         27 . The laminate of  claim 19  wherein: 
 the third layer comprises tantalum (Ta);    the second layer comprises one of Zirconium (Zr) and aluminum (Al); and    the first layer comprises copper (Cu).    
     
     
         28 . A method of providing a multi-layer semiconductor structure, the method comprising: 
 providing a first semiconductor structure having first and second opposing surfaces; and    disposing a laminate layer over a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the first semiconductor structure to provide a first semiconductor structure having a laminate layer disposed thereon.    
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein providing a first semiconductor structure having first and second opposing surfaces comprises: 
 providing a semiconductor structure comprised of a plurality of thin film semiconductor layers.    
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising disposing a handle member over the laminate wherein disposing a handle member over the laminate layer comprises: 
 providing a handle substrate;    disposing a film layer over at least one surface of the handle substrate.    
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30  wherein the film layer is provided from one of: silicon nitride; and silicon dioxide.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising disposing a laminate over a surface of the handle member.  
     
     
         33 . The method of claim wherein disposing a laminate layer comprises providing a laminate layer comprised of two layers with a first one of the layers corresponding to a release layer and second one of the layers corresponding to one of: a polymer having an adhesive characteristic which allows the laminate layer to adhere to the surface of the thin film semiconductor structure; 
 an inorganic material; and copper.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28  wherein disposing a laminate layer comprises providing a laminate layer comprised of a single layer having an adhesive characteristic which allows the laminate layer to adhere to the surface of the semiconductor structure and having a characteristic such that the layer releases from the surface of the semiconductor structure in response to being exposed to a release agent.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising disposing a handle member over the laminate wherein disposing the laminate layer comprises providing a laminate layer comprised of a single layer having an adhesive characteristic which allows the laminate layer to adhere to a surface of the handle member and having a characteristic such that the layer releases from the surface of the semiconductor structure in response to being exposed to a release agent.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the semiconductor structure corresponds to a die-to-die semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the semiconductor structure corresponds to a wafer-to-wafer semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         38 . A method of providing a multi-layer semiconductor structure, the method comprising: 
 providing a handle member having first and second opposing surfaces; and    disposing a laminate over a first one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the handle member to provide a handle member having a laminate disposed thereon.    
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising: 
 providing a first semiconductor structure; and    attaching the laminate to a surface of the first semiconductor structure to provide a first semiconductor structure having a handle member coupled thereto.    
     
     
         40 . A multi-layer semiconductor structure comprising: 
 a first semiconductor structure having first and second opposing surfaces; and    a laminate layer over one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the first semiconductor structure to provide a first semiconductor structure having a laminate layer disposed thereon wherein said laminate layer comprises two layers with a first one of the layers corresponding to a release layer and second one of the layers corresponding to one of: 
 a polymer having an adhesive characteristic which allows the laminate layer to adhere to the surface of the thin film semiconductor structure;  
 an inorganic material; and  
 copper.  
   
     
     
         41 . The structure of  claim 40  wherein the first semiconductor structure corresponds to a die-to-die semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         42 . The structure of  claim 40  wherein the first semiconductor structure corresponds to a wafer-to-wafer semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         43 . The structure of  claim 41  wherein the first semiconductor substrate corresponds to a first thin-film substrate.  
     
     
         44 . A multi-layer semiconductor structure comprising: 
 a first semiconductor structure having first and second opposing surfaces; and    a laminate layer over one of the first and second opposing surfaces of the first semiconductor structure to provide a first semiconductor structure having a laminate layer disposed thereon wherein said laminate layer comprises a single layer having an adhesive characteristic which allows the laminate layer to adhere to the surface of the semiconductor structure and having a characteristic such that the layer releases from the surface of the semiconductor structure in response to being exposed to a release agent.    
     
     
         45 . The structure of  claim 44  wherein the first semiconductor structure corresponds to a die-to-die semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         46 . The structure of  claim 44  wherein the first semiconductor structure corresponds to a wafer-to-wafer semiconductor structure.  
     
     
         47 . The structure of  claim 44  wherein the first semiconductor substrate corresponds to a first thin-film substrate.