Patent FR982290A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5769991A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5769991A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for wafer bonding
Assignee: Sony Corp
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Filing: 1994-02-23
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Granted: 1998-06-23
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Expires: 2014-02-23
Abstract
Abstract A method of wafer bonding with less elongation and contraction of wafers at the time of and after the bonding of the wafers is disclosed. In the method of wafer bonding, wafers are bonded together with sticking force of their surfaces to form a bonded wafer. The bonding is done by selecting the pressure of the gas between the wafers to be lower than the atmospheric pressure, for instance, and also selecting the kind of gas between the wafers to H 2 , for instance.
Inventors
- 👤 Yoshihiro Miyazawa
- 👤 Yasunori Ohkubo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 21:44
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P72/00; H10P72/04; H10P72/0428; H10P90/00; H10P90/19; H10P90/1904; H10P90/1906; H10P90/1914; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/012; Y10S148/135; Y10S148/159; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/909
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
176 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a first chuck for holding a first wafer, a second chuck for holding a second wafer and moving said second wafer to said first wafer, said chamber including a pressure application bar for contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: setting a pressure of gas between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of said wafers to be below atmospheric pressure; filling a space between said first and said second wafers before the start of sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; moving said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second chuck, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure application bar.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
176 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a first chuck for holding a first wafer, a second chuck for holding a second wafer and moving said second wafer to said first wafer, said chamber including a pressure application bar for contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: setting a pressure of gas between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of said wafers to be below atmospheric pressure; filling a space between said first and said second wafers before the start of sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; moving said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second chuck, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure application bar.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of wafer bonding according to claim 1, wherein the pressure of gas between said wafers is 0.2 to 0.5 atm. before starting a sticking of the surfaces.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gas pressure in said chamber between said wafers before the start of sticking is in range of about 0.2 to about 0.5 atm.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
16 words
The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said gas pressure is about 0.3 atm.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said gas having a lower viscosity than air is hydrogen.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, further including preliminary steps of preliminarily treating surfaces of said wafers to be rich in OH to enhance a bond force between them.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
44 words
The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pressure applied by the pressure application bar is applied with a push bar having a contact area of about 1 to about 10 mm in diameter at a pressure of about 0.5 to 5N.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said contact area is about 5 mm and said pressure is about 2N.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said pressure is about 2N.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a first chuck for holding a first wafer, a second chuck for holding a second wafer and moving said second wafer to said first wafer, said chamber including a pressure application bar for contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: filling a space between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; moving said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second chuck, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure application bar.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
151 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a gas inlet and a gas outlet, a first chuck for holding a first wafer, a second chuck for holding a second wafer and moving said second wafer to said first wafer, said chamber including a pressure application bar for contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: filling a space between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; moving said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second chuck, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure application bar.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of wafer bonding according to claim 10, wherein the pressure of gas between said wafers before the start of the sticking of the surfaces is lower than atmospheric pressure.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
239 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together at least a pair of wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a means for inputting a selected gas into said chamber and a means for exhausting a gas from said chamber to thereby establish a pretermined gas atmospere and gas pressure within said chamber, a first holding means for holding a first wafer, a second holding means for releasably holding a second wafer and capable of positioning said second wafer to said first wafer for bonding, said chamber including a means for pressure contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: setting a gas pressure between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of said wafers to be below atmospheric pressure; filling a space between said first and said second wafers before the start of sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; positioning said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second wafer holding means, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure contacting means with a push bar having a contact area of about 1 to about 10 mm in diameter at a pressure of about 0.5 to 5N.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
239 words
A method of wafer bonding for forming a bonded wafer by bonding together at least a pair of wafers with sticking forces of surfaces of said wafers, said method being carried out in cooperation with an apparatus having a chamber with a means for inputting a selected gas into said chamber and a means for exhausting a gas from said chamber to thereby establish a pretermined gas atmospere and gas pressure within said chamber, a first holding means for holding a first wafer, a second holding means for releasably holding a second wafer and capable of positioning said second wafer to said first wafer for bonding, said chamber including a means for pressure contacting at least one of said first and said second wafers, the method including the steps of: setting a gas pressure between said first and said second wafers before starting a sticking of said wafers to be below atmospheric pressure; filling a space between said first and said second wafers before the start of sticking of surfaces of said wafers with a gas having a lower viscosity than air; positioning said second wafer to face said first wafer and releasing said second wafer from said second wafer holding means, and applying pressure on said second wafer by said pressure contacting means with a push bar having a contact area of about 1 to about 10 mm in diameter at a pressure of about 0.5 to 5N.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said pressure in said chamber between said wafers before the start of sticking is in range of about 0.2 to about 0.5 atm.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as set forth in claim 13, wherein said pressures is about 0.3 atm.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said gas having a lower viscosity than air is hydrogen.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method as set forth in claim 12, further including the preliminary steps of preliminarily treating surfaces of said wafers to be rich in OH to enhance a bond force between them.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein the step of preliminarily treating said surfaces includes a step of treating said surfaces with an ammonia-hydrogen peroxide blend solution.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method as set forth in claim 17, wherein the step of preliminarily treating said surfaces further includes a step of treating said surfaces with fluoric acid.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said contact area is about 5 mm and said pressure is about 2N.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said contact pressure is about 2N.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-06-22 | 2001-12-22 | 2002-06-23 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-06-22 | 2005-12-22 | 2006-06-23 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-06-22 | 2009-12-22 | 2010-06-23 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |