Oxygen plasma conversion process for preparing a surface for bonding
US8557679B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 30, 2010 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 25, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L21/76254
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A process for preparing a surface of a material that is not bondable to make it bondable to the surface of another material. A non-bondable surface of a semiconductor wafer is treated with oxygen plasma to oxidize the surface of the wafer and make the surface smoother, hydrophilic and bondable to the surface of another substrate, such as a glass substrate. The semiconductor wafer may have a barrier layer thereon formed of a material, such as SixNy or SiNxOy that is not bondable to another substrate, such as a glass substrate. In which case, the oxygen plasma treatment converts the surface of the barrier layer to oxide, such as SiO2, smoothing the surface and making the surface hydrophilic and bondable to the surface of another substrate, such as a glass substrate. The converted oxide layer may be stripped from the barrier layer or semiconductor wafer with an acid, in order to remove contamination on the surface of the barrier layer or semiconductor wafer, the stripped surface may undergo a second oxygen plasma treatment to further smooth the surface, and make the surface hydrophilic and bondable to the surface of another substrate.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.