Processing substrates using a temporary carrier

Abstract

A technique comprising: securing a device substrate ( 8 ) to a carrier ( 1 ) using one or more adhesive elements ( 6 ); forming electronic elements ( 10 ) on the device substrate with the device substrate thus secured to the carrier; and thereafter reducing the adhesion strength of at least one of the one or more adhesive elements to facilitate the release of the substrate from the carrier.

1 . A method, comprising: securing a device substrate to a carrier using one or more adhesive elements; forming electronic elements on the device substrate with the device substrate thus secured to the carrier; and thereafter reducing the adhesion strength of at least one of the one or more adhesive elements to facilitate the release of the substrate from the carrier. 
     
     
         2 . A method, comprising: securing a substrate to a carrier using one or more adhesive elements; processing the substrate with the substrate thus secured to the carrier; and thereafter reducing the adhesion strength of at least one of the one or more adhesive elements to facilitate the release of the substrate from the carrier, wherein the substrate is secured to the carrier using an adhesive unit comprising adhesive layers supported on opposite sides of a support element; and comprising preferentially reducing the adhesion strength of the adhesive layer between the support element and one of the substrate and carrier, and removing said one of the substrate and carrier from the adhesive unit without removing the other of the substrate and the carrier from the adhesive unit. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising: comprising preferentially reducing the adhesion strength of the adhesive layer between the support element and the substrate, and removing the substrate from the adhesive unit without removing the adhesive unit from the carrier. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , comprising: thereafter reducing the adhesion strength of the adhesive layer between the support element and the carrier, and removing the adhesive unit from the carrier. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2 , comprising: reducing the adhesion strength of the adhesive layer between the support element and said one of the substrate and the carrier by heating the adhesive unit to a first temperature, and reducing the adhesion strength of the adhesive layer between the support element and the other of the substrate and the carrier by heating the adhesive unit to a second temperature higher than the first temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature by at least about 20 degrees C. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 6 , wherein the second temperature is higher than the first temperature by at least about 40 degrees C. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the first temperature is in the range of 85 to 95 degrees C. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the second temperature is in the range of 130 to 170 degrees C. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein the adhesive layers exhibit an adhesion strength of at least 3 Newtons/20 mm before the heating. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein processing the substrate comprises forming one or more electronic elements on the device substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising: reducing the adhesion strength of at least one of the adhesive elements or at least one of the adhesive layers by heating or by irradiation. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate or device substrate is a flexible substrate, and the carrier is a glass carrier. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate or device substrate exhibits a co-efficient of thermal expansion of greater than about 10 ppm of expansion per degree C. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate or device substrate is more flexible than the carrier.