Patent EP0371861A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0371861A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
High density semiconductor structure and method of making the same
Assignee: Nortel Networks Ltd
•
Filing: 1989-11-27
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2009-11-27
Abstract
Abstract A method of forming a high density semiconductor structure including one or more buried metal layers. One or more metal layers (30) may be formed on a first semiconductor substrate (10),with the metal layer or layers being insulated from one another and from the substrate. One or more metal layers may be formed on the surface of a second substrate which may or may not be a semiconductor substrate. The topmost metal layers, either or both of which may have an insulating layer thereon, are placed in contact and heated in an oxidizing ambient atmosphere to form a bond therebetween. One or more vias connect the buried metal layers to the active devices in the substrates. The buried metal layers may form buried power and ground planes and buried metallization patterns for device interconnection.
Inventors
- 👤 Arnold Reisman
- 👤 Iwona Turlik
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 20:47
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/031; H10W20/032; H10W20/038; H10W20/20; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P95/90; H10W20/052; H10W20/0526; H10W20/071; H10W20/074; H10W20/075; H10W20/093; H10W20/094; H10W20/097
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 41
Claim 1
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first semiconductor substrate (10); (b) providing a second substrate; (c) forming at least one metal layer (30)on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate (10) and said second substrate; (d) placing said first semiconductor substrate (10) and said second substrate against one another with said at least one metal layer therebetween; and (e) heating in an oxidizing ambient atmosphere to bond said first semiconductor substrate to said second substrate and form a buried metal layer semiconductor device.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
92 words
A method of forming a semiconductor device comprising the steps of: (a) providing a first semiconductor substrate (10); (b) providing a second substrate; (c) forming at least one metal layer (30)on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate (10) and said second substrate; (d) placing said first semiconductor substrate (10) and said second substrate against one another with said at least one metal layer therebetween; and (e) heating in an oxidizing ambient atmosphere to bond said first semiconductor substrate to said second substrate and form a buried metal layer semiconductor device.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate and said second substrate comprises the steps of: forming at least a first metal layer on said first semiconductor substrate; and forming at least a second metal layer on said second substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate and said second substrate comprises the steps of: forming a first insulating layer (25) on said first semiconductor substrate; and forming a first metal layer on said first insulating layer (25).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate and said second substrate comprises the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said first semiconductor substrate, said plurality of metal layers being insulated from one another and from said first semiconductor substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
55 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate and said second substrate comprises the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second substrate, said plurality of metal layers being separated from one another by insulating layers.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of providing a second substrate comprises the step of providing a second semiconductor substrate.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein said second substrate is a second semiconductor substrate, and wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer on at least one of said first semiconductor substrate and said second substrate comprises the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second semiconductor substrate, said plurality of metal layers being insulated from one another and from said second semiconductor substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of Claim 3 wherein the step of providing a first semiconductor substrate comprises the step of providing an epitaxial layer (20) on a first substrate (15); wherein the step of forming a first insulating layer on said first semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming a first insulating layer on said epitaxial layer; and wherein said heating step is followed by the step of removing said first substrate.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
70 words
The method of Claim 4 wherein the step of providing a first semiconductor substrate comprises the step of providing an epitaxial layer on a first substrate; wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said first semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said epitaxial layer; and wherein said heating step is followed by the step of removing said first substrate.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
60 words
The method of Claim 7 wherein said second semiconductor substrate comprises an epitaxial layer on a second substrate, wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming an insulating layer on said epitaxial layer; and wherein said heating step is followed by the step of removing said second substrate.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
62 words
The method of Claim 7 wherein said second semiconductor substrate comprises an epitaxial layer on a second substrate; wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said epitaxial layer; and wherein said heating step is followed by the step of removing said second substrate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the placing step is preceded by the step of forming an insulating layer on said at least one metal layer.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of Claim 2 wherein the placing step is preceded by the step of forming an insulating layer on at least one of said first and said second metal layers.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
34 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein said heating step comprises the step of heating in an oxidizing ambient atmosphere to form an oxide insulating layer and a bond between said first and second substrates.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 1 further comprising the step of: forming an electrical connection between said at least one metal layer and said first semiconductor substrate.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
24 words
The method of Claim 3 further comprising the step of: forming an electrical connection between said first metal layer and said first semiconductor substrate.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 16 wherein the step of forming an electrical connection comprises the step of forming an electrical connection through said first insulating layer.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 4 further comprising the step of: forming electrical connections between selective ones of said plurality of metal layers and said first semiconductor substrate.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of Claim 5 further comprising the step of: forming electrical connections between selective ones of said plurality of metal layers and said first semiconductor substrate.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the step of forming at least one metal layer comprises the step of forming at least one patterned metal layer.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of Claim 4 wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said first semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming at least one patterned metal layer among said plurality of metal layers.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
36 words
The method of Claim 5 wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second substrate comprises the step of forming at least one patterned metal layer among said plurality of metal layers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method of Claim 7 wherein the step of forming a plurality of metal layers on said second semiconductor substrate comprises the step of forming at least one patterned metal layer among said plurality of metal layers.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
36 words
A buried metal layer semiconductor device comprising: a substrate (10); a first metal layer (30) on said substrate; a first insulating layer (25) on said metal layer and a semiconductor layer on said first insulating layer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
36 words
A buried metal layer semiconductor device comprising: a substrate (10); a first metal layer (30) on said substrate; a first insulating layer (25) on said metal layer and a semiconductor layer on said first insulating layer.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
25 words
The buried metal layer semiconductor device of Claim 24 wherein said first metal layer comprises second and third metal layers having an oxide bond therebetween.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
26 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 25 wherein said oxide bond is sufficiently thick to form a second insulating layer between said second and third metal layers.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
15 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 24 wherein said semiconductor layer is an epitaxial semiconductor layer.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
20 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 24 further comprising means for electrically connecting said first metal layer with said semiconductor layer.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
27 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 24 wherein said first insulating layer includes at least one metal via for connecting said first metal layer with said semiconductor layer.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
16 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 24 wherein said first metal layer is a patterned metal layer.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
19 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 26 wherein said second insulating layer is an oxide of said second metal layer.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
13 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 24 wherein said substrate is a semiconductor substrate.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
52 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate; a semiconductor layer; a plurality of metal layers between said substrate and said semiconductor layer, said plurality of metal layers being insulated from one another; and means for electrically connecting selective ones of said plurality of metal layers to one another and to said semiconductor layer.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
52 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a substrate; a semiconductor layer; a plurality of metal layers between said substrate and said semiconductor layer, said plurality of metal layers being insulated from one another; and means for electrically connecting selective ones of said plurality of metal layers to one another and to said semiconductor layer.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
14 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 33 wherein said substrate comprises a second semiconductor substrate.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
15 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 33 wherein said semiconductor layer is an epitaxial semiconductor layer.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
25 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 33 wherein said means for electrically connecting comprises a plurality of vias between said metal layers and said semiconductor layer.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
21 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 33 wherein at least one of said plurality of metal layers is a patterned metal layer.
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
25 words
The semiconductor device of Claim 33 wherein at least one of said plurality of metal layers comprises two metal layers having an oxide bond therebetween.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
Maintenance schedule is calculated for granted US utility patents.