Debonding Temporarily Bonded Semiconductor Wafers

摘要

Described methods and apparatus provide a controlled perturbation to an adhesive bond between a device wafer and a carrier wafer. The controlled perturbation, which can be mechanical, chemical, thermal, or radiative, facilitates the separation of the two wafers without damaging the device wafer. The controlled perturbation initiates a crack either within the adhesive joining the two wafers, at an interface within the adhesive layer (such as between a release layer and the adhesive), or at a wafer/adhesive interface. The crack can then be propagated using any of the foregoing methods, or combinations thereof, used to initiate the crack.

主权项

1. A method for debonding a device wafer from a carrier wafer, a first side of the carrier wafer temporarily bonded to the device wafer by an adhesive layer, the method comprising:
initiating a crack near an edge of the adhesive layer by applying a perturbation using a crack initiator; and applying a controlled force perpendicular to the first side of the carrier wafer, the controlled force flexing the first side of the carrier wafer away from the device wafer to control propagation of the crack.