Method for low temperature bonding and bonded structure

摘要

A method for bonding at low or room temperature includes steps of surface cleaning and activation by cleaning or etching. The method may also include removing by-products of interface polymerization to prevent a reverse polymerization reaction to allow room temperature chemical bonding of materials such as silicon, silicon nitride and SiO2. The surfaces to be bonded are polished to a high degree of smoothness and planarity. VSE may use reactive ion etching or wet etching to slightly etch the surfaces being bonded. The surface roughness and planarity are not degraded and may be enhanced by the VSE process. The etched surfaces may be rinsed in solutions such as ammonium hydroxide or ammonium fluoride to promote the formation of desired bonding species on the surfaces.

主权项

1. A bonding method, comprising:
forming a planarized insulating material on a semiconductor wafer; etching the planarized insulating material in a reaction space; terminating the planarized insulating material with a nitrogen-containing species by at least one of:
a nitrogen-containing plasma during the etching, anda nitrogen-containing solution after the etching; bringing a first material into direct contact with the terminated and planarized insulating material outside the reaction space; and forming a chemical bond between the terminated and planarized insulating material and the first material.