Carrier-Substrate Adhesive System
Abstract: A system and method for creating three-dimensional nanostructures is disclosed. The system includes a substrate bonded to a carrier using a bonding agent. The bonding agent may be vaporizable or sublimable. The carrier may be a glass or glass-like substance. In some embodiments, the carrier may be permeable having one or a plurality of pores through which the bonding agent may escape when converted to a gaseous state with heat, pressure, light or other methods. A substrate is bonded to the carrier using the bonding agent. The substrate is then processed to form a membrane. This processing may include grinding, polishing, etching, patterning, or other steps. The processed membrane is then aligned and affixed to a receiving substrate, or a previously deposited membrane. Once properly attached, the bonding agent is then heated, depressurized or otherwise caused to sublimate or vaporize, thereby releasing the processed membrane from the carrier.
Description
In order to keep up with the growing demands of Moore’s Law, 3D integrated circuits are an intriguing possibility. Their main challenge, however, is producing wafers with sufficiently thin structure that they can actually be produced in a space-efficient way. Yield loss becomes increasingly harsh as the wafer stack gets thicker, and the wafers themselves get thinner.
In order to produce these components, it is necessary to grind them incredibly thin - less than 50 microns, the thickness of a human hair - which in turn requires a method of supporting the wafer during the intense grinding procedure that can be removed without damaging the fragile membrane.
To solve this, a method to fixture, grind and then vaporize the supporting material in such a way that the fragile membrane releases from its support was created.