Cleaving process to fabricate multilayered substrates using low implantation doses

Abstract

A method of forming substrates, e.g., silicon on insulator, silicon on silicon. The method includes providing a donor substrate, e.g., silicon wafer. The method also includes forming a cleave layer on the donor substrate that contains the cleave plane, the plane of eventual separation. In a specific embodiment, the cleave layer comprising silicon germanium. The method also includes forming a device layer (e.g., epitaxial silicon) on the cleave layer. The method also includes introducing particles into the cleave layer to add stress in the cleave layer. The particles within the cleave layer are then redistributed to form a high concentration region of the particles in the vicinity of the cleave plane, where the redistribution of the particles is carried out in a manner substantially free from microbubble or microcavity formation of the particles in the cleave plane. That is, the particles are generally at a low dose, which is defined herein as a lack of microbubble or microcavity formation in the cleave plane. The method also includes providing selected energy to the donor substrate to cleave the device layer from the cleave layer at the cleave plane, whereupon the selected energy is applied to create a controlled cleaving action to remove the device layer from a portion of the cleave layer in a controlled manner.

1 - 23 . (canceled) 
   
   
       24 . A method of forming substrates, the method comprising:
 providing a donor substrate;   forming a cleave layer comprising a cleave plane on the donor substrate, the cleave layer comprising silicon germanium;   forming a device layer on the cleave layer, the device layer comprising epitaxial silicon;   introducing particles into the cleave layer to add stress to the cleave plane, where the particles are introduced in a manner substantially free from microbubble or microcavity formation of the particles along the cleave plane within the cleave layer;   redistributing a portion of the hydrogen particles within the cleave layer to form a higher concentration region of the particles in a region in a vicinity of the cleave plane, where the distribution is carried out in a manner substantially free from microbubble or microcavity formation of the particles along the cleave plane within the cleave layer;   providing selected energy from a mechanical source to the donor substrate to cleave the device layer at the cleave plane, whereupon the selected energy is applied at an edge or corner region of the donor substrate to create a controlled cleaving action to remove the device layer from a portion of the cleave layer in a controlled manner.   
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising bonding the device layer of the donor substrate to a handle wafer after introducing the particles. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the particles comprise hydrogen. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the particles comprise helium. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the mechanical source comprises a pressurized jet of fluid. 
   
   
       29 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising introducing a higher concentration of particles at the edge or corner region of the donor substrate. 
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the particles are introduced to the edge or corner regions in multiple implantation steps. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the selected energy is applied in a time varying-manner. 
   
   
       32 . A method of forming substrates, the method comprising:
 providing a donor substrate;   forming a cleave layer comprising a cleave plane on the donor substrate, the cleave layer comprising silicon germanium;   forming a device layer on the cleave layer, the device layer comprising epitaxial silicon;   introducing hydrogen particles into the cleave layer to add stress to the cleave plane, where the particles are introduced in a manner substantially free from microbubble or microcavity formation of the particles along the cleave plane within the cleave layer;   redistributing a portion of the hydrogen particles within the cleave layer to form a higher concentration region of the particles in a region in a vicinity of the cleave plane, where the distribution is carried out in a manner substantially free from microbubble or microcavity formation of the particles along the cleave plane within the cleave layer;   providing selected energy from a thermal source to the donor substrate to cleave the device layer at the cleave plane, whereupon the selected energy is applied to create a controlled cleaving action to remove the device layer from a portion of the cleave layer in a controlled manner.   
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising bonding the device layer of the donor substrate to a handle wafer after introducing the particles. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising introducing helium particles to the cleave layer. 
   
   
       35 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the thermal source is applied as flood. 
   
   
       36 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the thermal source is applied as time-varying. 
   
   
       37 . The method of  claim 33  wherein the thermal source is applied as spatially varying. 
   
   
       38 . The method of  claim 32  further comprising introducing a higher concentration of particles at an edge or corner region of the donor substrate. 
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the particles are introduced to the edge or corner regions in multiple implantation steps. 
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the thermal source is applied as spatially varying to the edge or corner region. 
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 32  wherein the cleave layer comprises a graded concentration of the silicon germanium. 
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the graded concentration is greater near the device layer and decreases toward the donor substrate.