Method and apparatus for transferring parts, and method and apparatus for preparing parts.

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a component (4) on a carrier substrate (6) and a method and apparatus for transferring the component (4) from the carrier substrate (6) to a product substrate (8).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transferring components, and a method and apparatus for preparing components. Here, components are, in particular, electronic components, preferably functional components such as chips or MEMS. In this regard, the present invention relates in particular to a method and apparatus for transferring or preparing very small components that are precisely aligned, taken up, and processed.

[0002] This invention describes a method and apparatus for transferring multiple components, particularly chips, from a first substrate, i.e., a transfer substrate, to a second substrate, i.e., a product substrate. Furthermore, this invention describes a method and apparatus for preparing multiple components, particularly those of the same structure, on a transfer substrate.

[0003] In conventional technology, electronic components, in particular, are manufactured from or on component substrates. This process is usually carried out in an atmosphere, where the component surface is continuously exposed to reactive substances, such as oxygen or nitrogen. During component transfer and preparation, it is especially important that the surface to be bonded is free from contaminants.

[0004] Prior art describes apparatuses and methods capable of treating or cleaning the surfaces of components with oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds. Here, the treatment and cleaning of the component surfaces are carried out in separate apparatuses, each capable of operating under vacuum. However, each component is then removed from the apparatus and thus exposed to the atmosphere. Subsequently, each component is bonded to a product substrate in a separate apparatus. Along this path, the component surface may become contaminated again. This contamination increases the number of defective components and the processing costs.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for transferring parts, as well as a method and apparatus for preparing parts, that at least partially, and especially completely, eliminates the drawbacks described in the prior art. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for transferring parts, as well as a method and apparatus for preparing parts. In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for transferring parts, as well as a method and apparatus for preparing parts, that reduces the rate of part rejection. An object of the present invention is further to provide a method and apparatus for transferring parts, as well as a method and apparatus for preparing parts, that is particularly reliable and operates without contamination.

[0006] The above problems are solved by the features of multiple parallel independent claims. Advantageous developments of the present invention are described in each dependent claim. Furthermore, all combinations of at least two features described in the specification, claims, and / or drawings fall within the scope of the present invention. With respect to the numerical ranges described, values ​​within that range can also be considered disclosed as limit values, and any combination can be claimed.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention relates to a method for preparing components on a support substrate, comprising at least the following steps, namely, a1) Steps include preparing a component board and a2) The step of applying a bonding layer to the first surface of the component substrate, and further thereafter, b) A step of individualizing the component board into components, c) The step of placing components on a support substrate A method is provided in which a component is fixed onto a support substrate on the surface side of a first component having a bonding layer.

[0008] By applying a bonding layer particularly over the entire surface of the first surface of the prepared component substrate, it is advantageously ensured that contamination is minimized before the component substrate is individualized into individual components. Therefore, it is unnecessary to apply a bonding layer to the support substrate for bonding or fixing each component to the support substrate. Thus, it is advantageous that the application of a bonding layer to the support substrate can be omitted. By individualizing the component substrate into individual components after the bonding layer has been applied, it is ensured that the support substrate comes into contact with the bonding layer material only in the areas of the components. Furthermore, it is advantageously ensured that there is no bonding material between the components placed on the support substrate.

[0009] In this regard, only a small amount of bonding layer material is used overall to fix components onto the support substrate. Furthermore, when processing components prepared on the support substrate, especially during full-surface processing, it is ensured that the bonding layer is not removed or processed in the intermediate spaces between components. Therefore, even if the bonding layer is removed, contamination by the bonding material can be reduced. Since this method is preferably performed in or under a vacuum environment, reducing contamination by the bonding material is particularly important.

[0010] Furthermore, during placement in step c), preferably by a pick-and-place method, it can be ensured that the bonding layer is already prepared on the pre-individualized components. In this way, the alignment marks are not obscured by the bonding layer, so that the alignment marks on the support substrate can be left visible, advantageously for the accurate placement of the components on the support substrate. Thus, the support substrate as a whole is hardly contaminated. In placement in step c), all components or only a portion of the individualized components can be placed on the support substrate. If the entire individualized component is not placed from the component substrate onto the support substrate, these components can be taken up, for example, onto another support substrate, or placed or fixed onto the same support substrate in a later method step after the previously placed components have been taken up from the support substrate or debonded.

[0011] In a preferred embodiment of the method for preparing components on a support substrate, step a2) is further configured to include a protective layer on the second surface of the component substrate. In this case, the protective layer can be applied to the component substrate before, during, or simultaneously with coating the opposite substrate with the bonding layer. In this case, since the protective layer is applied before the individualization of the components, the components advantageously have both a bonding layer and a protective layer. This advantageously ensures that contamination of the support substrate and other components used in the method steps herein is minimized by the material of the protective layer. In particular, it is not advantageous for the bonding layer to be removed when the protective layer is later removed from the components prepared on the support substrate, because the bonding layer is not located on the support substrate in the intermediate space between components, and furthermore, the bonding layer applied to the first component surface is covered by the component.

[0012] In one preferred embodiment of the method for preparing components on a support substrate, step c) is configured such that, in addition to the components, at least one retaining component is placed on the support substrate. The retaining component is not a functional component in particular. Rather, the retaining component is also placed on the support substrate to prevent bending of the product substrate, particularly at the edges, during the subsequent bonding step.

[0013] In one preferred embodiment of a method for preparing components on a support substrate, at least one retaining component is configured to be positioned outside the component placement area on the support substrate. The component placement area is a region on the support substrate where pre-individualized components are placed. This component placement area is preferably located in the center of the support substrate or on the surface of the support substrate. Here, the retaining component is particularly preferably located at the outer edge of the surface of the support substrate.

[0014] In one preferred embodiment of the method for preparing components on a support substrate, at least one retaining component is formed by the individualization of the component substrate in step b). In this way, at least one retaining component can be advantageously formed or individualized from the component substrate together with the component. As a result, at least one retaining component also advantageously has a pre-bonded bonding layer. Therefore, at least one retaining component can also be placed and fixed on the support substrate with virtually no contamination. Thus, the step of preparing the retaining component can be performed particularly simply and efficiently.

[0015] In one preferred embodiment of a method for preparing a component on a support substrate, at least one retaining component is configured to have the same height as the component. In this way, at least one retaining component can particularly effectively hold the outer regions of the product substrate and the support substrate during the bonding process or when the component is taken up. Particularly advantageous, if the retaining component is formed together by the individualization of the component substrate in step b), it can be ensured that the height of the retaining component corresponds to the height of the component. Here, the height should be understood as the distance from the first component surface having a bonding layer to the support substrate. In this case, at least one retaining component particularly preferably also has a bonding layer.

[0016] In one preferred embodiment of a method for preparing components on a support substrate, at least two, preferably at least four, retaining components are arranged evenly offset outside the component placement area. In this case, the retaining components are particularly preferably arranged offset around the periphery of the support substrate or the edge of the component placement area, which is advantageous as it allows the retaining components to produce a particularly uniform retaining action.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of a method for preparing components on a support substrate, at least one retaining component is configured to remain on the support substrate after the component has been debonded from the support substrate. Particularly preferably, the retaining component remains fixed or bonded to the support substrate during component debonding. During debonding from the support substrate, the component is exposed from the support substrate in the placement area, thereby being taken up by the product substrate. The retention of at least one retaining component on the support substrate is advantageous as it allows for the reuse of the support substrate.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for transferring a component from a support substrate to a product substrate, comprising at least the following steps: i) The step of preparing the components, in particular by preparing the components on the support substrate, such that each component has one first component surface and one second component surface, and is fixed to the support substrate on the first component surface side; ii) The step of processing the second surface of the part, iii) The step of bonding the second component surface of the component to the product substrate. This includes in the order described above. Steps ii) and iii) are performed under vacuum. In the method, A vacuum is maintained between step ii) and step iii). The present invention relates to a method characterized by the following features.

[0019] In the component transfer method, the component is prepared on the support substrate, particularly preferably by a method of preparing the component on the support substrate. Next, the exposed second component surface on the side opposite to the support substrate is treated. Treatment of the component surface preferably includes cleaning, in particular cleaning of oxide layers and other contaminating materials. The subsequent bonding process is preferably introduced by contact connection between the component surface of all components and the product substrate or the surface of the product substrate.

[0020] By advantageously maintaining a vacuum between the treatment of the second component surface in step ii) and the bonding of the second component surface to the product substrate in step iii), the treated component surface is advantageously free from contaminating material. Therefore, the treated component surface does not come into contact with the atmosphere before bonding. The same is especially preferable for the support substrate. Thus, the treated surface of the component is particularly suitable for bonding to the product substrate. In this case, the treatment may or may include the removal of the protective layer. By doing so, bonding can be carried out particularly easily. Furthermore, this can reduce the error rate of the component or reduce the number of defective components on the product substrate. Here, the vacuum is less than 1 mbar, and more preferably 10 -5less than mbar, very preferably less than 10 -9 less than mbar, most preferably less than 10 -12 up to mbar.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment of the method for transferring components from a support substrate to a product substrate, the method for transferring components from a support substrate to a product substrate, additionally after step iii), iv) a step of debonding the component from the support substrate is included, and the debonding is preferably carried out under vacuum in step iv), is configured as such.

[0022] In debonding, the component is particularly exposed or peeled off from the support substrate. The debonding is preferably also carried out in a vacuum environment. Particularly preferably, the vacuum between the bonding in step iii) and the debonding in step iv) is also maintained. By subsequently debonding each component in a vacuum, particularly by weakening the adhesion of the bonding layer adhered between the first component surface and the support substrate, advantageously, the contamination of the component or the component surface is further reduced.

[0023] In a preferred embodiment of the method for transferring components from a support substrate to a product substrate, in the bonding in step iii), all components are configured to be bonded simultaneously. By maintaining the vacuum from the process to the bonding, advantageously, the bonding of all components to the product substrate can preferably be carried out in parallel. Therefore, the transfer of components from the support substrate to the product substrate is carried out particularly efficiently and error - free.

[0024] In a preferred embodiment of the method for transferring a component from a support substrate to a product substrate, the removal of a protective layer placed on the second component surface is performed before the processing in step ii). Thus, the combination of the processing and the subsequent bonding under vacuum can provide a component surface that is particularly free of contamination. Furthermore, the removal of the protective layer can also be performed immediately before the surface processing of the second component surface. Moreover, the surface processing may be the removal of the protective layer.

[0025] Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the apparatus for preparing components on a support substrate by a method of preparing components on a support substrate is operated under vacuum. Particularly preferably, the apparatus operates under complete vacuum so that the support substrate and components do not come into contact with the atmosphere. Here, the apparatus preferably includes a coating module and an individualization module.

[0026] Furthermore, the present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring components from a support substrate to a product substrate, wherein the apparatus is configured such that components prepared on the support substrate can be transferred from the support substrate to the product substrate under vacuum by the above-described method of transferring from the support substrate to the product substrate.

[0027] Particularly preferably, the apparatus is configured to perform all work steps under vacuum. In this case, the components prepared on the support substrate can be transferred to the product substrate while maintaining the vacuum.

[0028] In a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for transferring components from a support substrate to a product substrate, the apparatus is configured such that the support substrate having the components can be transferred from a surface treatment module unit to a bonding module unit while maintaining a vacuum. This ensures that contamination of the components, particularly the treated second component surface, is reduced. Thus, the apparatus can achieve significantly improved bonding results.

[0029] One aspect of the present invention involves introducing components into an apparatus or module system, aligning and bonding these components on a support substrate, removing the protective layer for the first time within the module system, and subsequently cleaning the surface for, for example, oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds. Each component is then preferably bonded to a product substrate, still within the module system, removed from the support substrate, i.e., separated by a debonding process. Thus, the method preferably relates to parallel component transfer in which multiple components are transferred simultaneously, where the components preferably have the same dimensions, particularly the same height.

[0030] In this case, another embodiment further involves performing the method in a module system that cleans the surface of a component at least until the component is in contact with a product substrate, in which case the component does not come into further contact with a contaminated atmosphere.

[0031] Therefore, the component surface, in particular, is cleaned for the first time in the module system, for example, of oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds, and is bonded to the product substrate while still within the module system.

[0032] In one embodiment, individual components are pre-fixed with high precision so that they are aligned on a support substrate and simultaneously transferred to the product substrate in a later process step. In this case, each component is preferably first fixed on the support substrate with high precision with respect to alignment marks by a pick-and-place system. Subsequently, the product substrate is aligned with respect to the support substrate using a separate alignment mark specifically provided.

[0033] In one embodiment, the interface between the component and the product substrate is optically transparent and / or conductive. Such physical properties are ensured prior to bonding the component onto the product substrate by means of the corresponding surface treatment. For this purpose, another method step can be executed or another modular unit can be used. Generally, the resulting interface can be said to be optically and / or mechanically and / or thermally and / or electrically ideal. In this case, being ideal means that the optical properties and / or mechanical properties and / or thermal properties and / or electrical properties to be achieved as best as possible are achieved by means of surface treatment, particularly by removal of harmful oxides and / or nitrides.

[0034] Being mechanically ideal means that as efficient an adhesion as possible between the component and the product substrate is obtained by the mechanical properties of the interface, particularly the bonding strength. In particular, preferably, for the hydrophilic fusion bonding resulting from the contact connection of the oxide surface in the component and / or the oxide surface in the product substrate, the bonding strength between the component and the product substrate is characterized by the surface energy required for separation per unit area of 1 m 2 Here, the bonding strength is particularly greater than 0.5 J / m 2 preferably greater than 1.0 J / m 2 more preferably greater than 1.5 J / m 2 very preferably greater than 2.5 J / m 2 most preferably greater than 2.5 J / m 2 and above.

[0035] Being optically ideal means that electromagnetic radiation can pass through the interface as well as possible, i.e., preferably without intensity loss or with very little intensity loss. Here, the transmittance is particularly greater than 10%, preferably greater than 50%, more preferably greater than 75%, very preferably greater than 95%, and most preferably greater than 99%.

[0036] Thermally ideal means that heat flow can pass through the interface as smoothly as possible, preferably with no heat loss or very little heat loss. Here, the heat loss is particularly less than 50%, preferably less than 25%, more preferably less than 10%, very preferably less than 5%, and most preferably less than 1%.

[0037] Electrically ideal means that the conductivity across the entire interface is as high as possible. Here, conductivity is greater than 1 S / m, preferably greater than 10 S / m, and more preferably 10 2 S / m greater than, and very preferably 10 4 S / m greater than, most preferably 10 6 A conductivity of more than S / m is desirable. Note that if the component surface and / or the area of ​​the product substrate to which each component is bonded is a hybrid surface, the reference to conductivity applies only to the electrical domain.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, the components are coated with a bonding layer before individualization, so that after the components are bonded to the support substrate, there is no bonding material between the components that could unnecessarily contaminate the modules of the module system.

[0039] In another embodiment, a component exists at the edge of the support substrate that prevents bending of the peripheral edge of the product substrate during bonding to components in the component placement area. In particular, a suitable support substrate equipped with a pressure-absorbing component can be manufactured in advance and introduced into the module system. In this special embodiment, it is particularly useful if the pressure-absorbing component is continuously connected to the support substrate. However, in a further embodiment, the pressure-absorbing component can be manufactured from or on the same component substrate, and the component to be transferred, preferably a functional component, is manufactured from or on these components for placement in the component placement area. In this case, the pressure-absorbing component can be similarly transferred from the support substrate to the product substrate during component transfer.

[0040] parts In this invention, a component is understood to mean an object, particularly a functional object, that is bonded onto a substrate. A component is preferably a chip, MEMS, LED, microchip, or similar component. In this case, the component is preferably fabricated from a component substrate. It is also possible to form the component on the substrate. The component may have its own component alignment marks, or geometric features such as corners, lines, or structural parts of the component may be used as component alignment marks.

[0041] Pressure absorption components In this invention, a pressure-absorbing component or retaining component is understood to be a component that can be placed on or provided on a support substrate having a mechanical function that exhibits a stabilizing effect. Unlike the components that are originally transferred, the pressure-absorbing component plays a stabilizing role, particularly for the transfer and bonding processes. The pressure-absorbing component is preferably the same height as the components that are transferred and can be formed together with these components. The pressure-absorbing component is preferably placed on the periphery of the support substrate, particularly in a region located outside the center point of the substrate holding surface, and is specifically bonded. The retaining component prevents the periphery of the product substrate from bending when it is in contact with components that are pre-fixed on the support substrate. The use of a pressure-absorbing component is particularly preferred because the components that are transferred are generally fixed only in the component placement area, rather than being distributed across the entire surface of the support substrate.

[0042] Component board A component substrate is understood to be a substrate used in the manufacture of a component. The functional area of ​​the subsequent component is preferably generated in a wafer-level process. In this process, numerous method steps can be performed to ensure the functionality of the subsequent component. Here, the component substrate is individualized, particularly at the end of the method. Such individualization of the component substrate to each component and, optionally, to retaining components is performed, for example, by saws, wires, lasers, or similar auxiliary means.

[0043] Support substrate A support substrate is understood to be a substrate on which components are aligned and temporarily bonded. The support substrate is particularly used exclusively for temporarily housing components or retaining components. Preferably, the support substrate has a plurality of alignment marks along its surface, which are used to align components relative to the support substrate. These alignment marks may also be referred to as component alignment marks. Furthermore, the support substrate has alignment marks that allow it to align itself relative to the product substrate. These additional alignment marks may also be referred to as substrate alignment marks. According to one embodiment, the support substrate already has one or more pressure-absorbing or retaining components. These retaining components are preferably permanently connected to the support substrate. The support substrate may, advantageously, be made of any material. If a method for preparing components is employed, more advantageously, a bonding layer on the support substrate can be omitted.

[0044] Product circuit board The product substrate is a substrate onto which each component is transferred from a support substrate. The product substrate has alignment marks to enable relative alignment with respect to the support substrate. These alignment marks may be referred to as substrate alignment marks, as they are on the support substrate.

[0045] Module system A modular system, sometimes also called a vacuum apparatus or cluster, is understood to be a set of related modules or modular units. Each module can preferably create or prepare a vacuum. A particularly preferred feature of the proposed modular system is that the substrate can be operated on without being exposed to the atmosphere between various method steps, and therefore always under vacuum. Once the substrate is located within the modular system, it is further processed or prepared under a particularly optimal vacuum environment. Preferably, all modules of the modular system can be individually evacuated. Particularly preferably, the modular system has at least one airlock for introducing the substrate or preparing components.

[0046] The following description will explain several special modules. These modules are preferably part of an apparatus or modular system that enables the formation of an apparatus or the execution of a method. Therefore, these modules will be mentioned in particular in order of use in the method.

[0047] Transport of substrates or substrate stacks in a module system is preferably carried out by a robot located in the center of the module system or that is appropriately movable along a rail system.

[0048] Coating module If the module system or the transfer or preparation device has a coating module, a bonding layer and / or protective layer can be applied to the component substrate. The coating module is an optional means. For example, it is also possible to coat the component substrate with a bonding layer and / or protective layer outside the module system and then introduce it into the module system. This is particularly advantageous when the manufacturer of the functionalized component substrate applies a protective layer to the component substrate immediately after functionalization. If a coating module is present within the module system, this allows for the application of at least one bonding layer. Unlike the protective layer, the bonding layer may become contaminated while the functionalized component substrate is being transported into the module system.

[0049] Individualized module If a module system has individualized modules, component substrates can be individualized within the module system. Alternatively, individualization can be performed outside the module system, and already individualized components can be supplied into the module system. Individualized modules within a module system are particularly advantageous when a method of preparing components is applied in which the bonding layer is applied to the component substrate before individualization, or when equipment for preparing components is used.

[0050] Pick and Place Module A pick-and-place module has the task of aligning, positioning, bonding, or fixing individual components on a support substrate. In particular, if the component substrate is coated with a bonding layer before individualization, the pick-and-place module can easily accommodate, align, position, bond, or fix the components. In this case, advantageously, there is no bonding material between the components prepared on the support substrate. If the bonding layer is coated over the entire surface of the support substrate itself, each component is bonded directly to the support substrate on the bonding layer. In this case, undesirably, the bonding material gets between these components, and this bonding material causes undesirable additional contamination to the module as it runs later.

[0051] Cleaning module The cleaning module is used to remove the protective layer from the component. It is also possible that the cleaning module resides outside the module system. In this case, the component would be supplied to the module system without the protective layer. However, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the cleaning module is also part of the module system.

[0052] Surface treatment module A surface treatment module or surface treatment module unit is part of a module system or a device for transferring parts. Thus, the surface treatment module is part of a module system that treats the surface of a part from which the protective layer has been removed. However, a cleaning module may also be incorporated into the surface treatment module. In this case, the treatment or processing of the part surface is understood to be, in particular, the removal of potentially damaging materials, especially oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds. Since the first part surface remains reactive even after the removal of oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds and should not be exposed to the atmosphere before contact connection with the product substrate, the surface treatment module is preferably part of a module system. The surface treatment module may be, for example, a plasma chamber or an ion beam chamber. Preferably, this is an ion beam chamber, such as the one described in the publication, International Publication No. 2015197112.

[0053] Furthermore, the surface treatment module can also activate the component surface. Additionally, the surface treatment module can make the component surface hydrophilic. Moreover, the surface treatment module can be used to apply a special layer that improves bonding between the component and the product substrate.

[0054] Bonding module After the component surface is treated or processed in a surface treatment module, bonding is performed between the product substrate and the treated component surface. For this purpose, the product substrate is aligned relative to the support substrate before bonding. In this case, alignment is preferably performed via alignment marks present on the support substrate and the product substrate. Therefore, the bonding module preferably has an optical alignment device. Furthermore, the bonding module has a device for contacting the product substrate to the component or to the component surface facing the product substrate.

[0055] Debonding module After contact connection between the product substrate and the component, preferably, the connection between the component and the support substrate is weakened or completely dissolved. Preferably, this is done in a dedicated debonding module or debonding module unit. It is also possible to incorporate a corresponding debonding device within the bonding module, thereby eliminating the need to transport the support substrate-component-product substrate stack to another module.

[0056] The method described below has important method steps. Here, the individual method steps of the method of transferring and preparing the parts are described as exemplary methods. In this regard, the exemplary methods include embodiments of the method of transferring and preparing the parts. Those skilled in the art will understand that several other method steps not explicitly mentioned may be part of this method. Since such method steps are not important to understanding the exemplary methods and some cannot be uniquely determined in advance, the exemplary methods described herein are described only based on the method steps below.

[0057] Exemplary Method In the first method step of the exemplary method, the surface of a first component substrate is coated with a protective layer, and the surface of a second component substrate is coated with a bonding layer. The bonding layer preferably enables bonding from room temperature to about 300°C. Furthermore, it is desirable that the bonding layer has no outgassing or very little outgassing. The thickness of the bonding layer is between 1 nm and 100 μm, preferably between 1 nm and 50 μm, more preferably between 1 nm and 10 μm, very preferably between 1 nm and 1 μm, and most preferably between 1 nm and 100 nm. The bonding layer has the important task of holding the component in place until the side of the component opposite to the bonding layer is bonded to the product substrate.

[0058] In the second method step of the exemplary method, the component substrate is individualized into individual components. Individualization is performed using, in particular, saws and / or wires and / or lasers and / or particles (especially ion beams). An important aspect of the method of preparing the components is that a bonding layer is deposited onto the component substrate before individualization. In the prior art, the bonding layer is very often deposited onto a support substrate. This results in contamination in a later fifth method step, namely the cleaning step.

[0059] In a third method step of the exemplary method, alignment and bonding processes are carried out for at least one component, preferably all components, with respect to the support substrate. The alignment of the component with respect to the support substrate is carried out in relation to alignment marks provided on the support substrate, thereby enabling precise positioning of the component with respect to the support substrate. The alignment is preferably carried out using an optical device. Then, in the bonding process, the component is contact-connected to the support substrate.

[0060] In the fourth method step of the exemplary method, the protective layer is removed from the surface of the first part, thereby exposing the surface of the first part. This method step is performed in particular in a specific cleaning module.

[0061] In the fifth method step of the exemplary method, the surface of the first component is cleaned. In particular, cleaning is understood to be the removal of oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds. The cleaning is preferably carried out under vacuum, i.e., in a vacuum apparatus, particularly in a specific module. It is also conceivable that the fourth and fifth method steps be carried out in the same module, particularly using the same apparatus. However, for this to be possible, the apparatus must be designed to remove both the protective layer and the oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds. Since one protective layer and the other oxygen compounds and / or nitrogen compounds generally consist of different materials, it is preferable that the two method steps be carried out in different modules.

[0062] In the sixth step of the exemplary method, the product substrate is bonded to the components of the support substrate. In this case, the alignment of the product substrate relative to the support substrate is performed based on substrate alignment marks.

[0063] In the seventh step of the exemplary method, the product substrate is lifted from the support substrate. The component remains on the product substrate. This is because the persistent bonding between the first component surface and the product substrate surface is stronger than the transient bonding between the second component surface and the support substrate surface. In particular, a debonding process can be used to facilitate the separation of the component from the support substrate. This may involve thermal action to soften the bonding layer, or electromagnetic radiation, especially laser action.

[0064] Variations of the method By modifying the exemplary method, variations of the method arise. These variations differ in that the application of the bonding layer to the component substrate in the second method step is omitted. As a result, the bonding layer is applied to the support substrate, particularly over its entire surface. A drawback of this method is that the exposed bonding material may contaminate subsequent modules run through the method. Bonding materials are usually organic polymers, and contamination by such organic polymers is undesirable. In particular, in modules where oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds are cleaned and removed, the subsequent method step can cause a very large portion of the bonding material between bonded components to detach, potentially contaminating the module and, consequently, the components. Therefore, this variation of the method is provided for completeness only and is not as preferable as the exemplary method.

[0065] Further advantages, features, and details of the present invention can be derived from the following description of preferred embodiments with reference to the figures. The figures schematically illustrate the following: [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0066] [Figure 1a] This figure shows the first method step of an exemplary method. [Figure 1b] This figure shows the second method step of the exemplary method. [Figure 1c] This figure shows the third method step of the exemplary method. [Figure 1d] This figure shows the fourth method step of the exemplary method. [Figure 1e] This figure shows the fifth method step of the exemplary method. [Figure 1f] This figure shows the sixth method step of an exemplary method. [Figure 1g] This figure shows the seventh step of the exemplary method. [Figure 2] This is a top view showing an exemplary support substrate. [Figure 3] This is a top view illustrating an exemplary modular system. [Figure 4] This figure shows a support substrate having pre-fixed retaining components.

[0067] In the diagrams, the same reference numerals are used for parts that are the same or have a similar function. These parts are not shown to scale and proportion. In particular, to improve the illustration, part 4 and retaining part 4' are shown very thickly. Relatively thin alignment marks 5, 5', and 5'' are also shown thickly. All diagrams are schematic.

[0068] The exemplary method is performed under vacuum in a ventilable module system, often referred to as a cluster. Preferably, the module system is configured such that all modules are interconnected and consistently ventilable, so that preferably the support substrate 6, product substrate 8 and components 4,4' do not come into contact with the atmosphere until the method is completely finished.

[0069] In a particularly preferred embodiment, the exemplary method is performed as far as the first method step in the module system described above. In this case, the module responsible for coating and individualization must be separable from other modules as well as possible, thereby avoiding or at least minimizing contamination of other modules, because the individualization of the component substrate 1 into components 4,4' involves a significant amount of particles.

[0070] Figure 1a shows the first method step of an exemplary method, in which a component substrate 1, to be used as a starting substrate for a later-formed component 4, is coated on both sides. Here, the component substrate 1 preferably already has alignment marks 5 that can correctly position the later-formed component 4. Preferably, the component 4 is already functional, i.e., has all the necessary characteristics, even before individualization. For example, component 4 may be a microchip. In this case, all the circuits are already formed on the component substrate 1. If the component is a MEMS, all the mechanical and / or electrical components are formed. A protective layer 2 is deposited on the component substrate surface 1o. A bonding layer 3 is deposited on the component substrate surface 1u. In this case, the bonding layer 3 is deposited before individualization in method step 2 (see Figure 1b).

[0071] Figure 1b shows a second method step of an exemplary method in which the component substrate 1 is individualized into individual components 4. Component 4' can be formed from the component substrate 1 on which component 4 was fabricated, or from any other substrate (not shown) having the corresponding required physical properties, particularly mechanical properties. Component 4' can be used as a retaining component in a later method step. Component 4' can also have alignment marks 5. A difference between component 4' and the specific functional component 4 is that the positioning of component 4' does not need to be as precise as that of component 4; therefore, the display of alignment marks on component 4' is omitted. Generally, component 4' preferably has another bonding layer 3' permanently connected to the support substrate 6 (see Figure 1c). However, bonding layers 3,3' may be identical. In this case, component 4', preferably having a retaining function, can be transferred to a later product substrate 8, similar to component 4. However, for generality, it is assumed below that component 4' remains permanently connected to the support substrate 6. Component 4' preferably has the same thickness as component 4, and particularly preferably all components 4 and 4' have the same height with respect to the support substrate surface 6o.

[0072] Figure 1c shows a third method step of an exemplary method in which individual components 4,4' are mounted onto a support substrate 6. Component 4 preferably has alignment marks 5. In this case, the alignment marks 5 of component 4 are aligned relative to alignment marks 5' present on the support substrate 6. Alignment marks 5' are used specifically for the alignment of component 4. Alternatively, geometric features of component 4, particularly the corners and edges of component 4, can be used for alignment. After and / or during alignment, contact connections are made between components 4,4' and the support substrate 6. Additionally, alignment marks 5'' are also present on the support substrate 6 for aligning the product substrate 8 in a later method step. In this case, component 4', which has a holding function in a later method step, can be positioned particularly on the edges of the support substrate 6. Positioning of component 4' can similarly be performed by alignment marks 5 (not shown). Note that mounting component 4' onto the support substrate 6 without an alignment process is also possible. To ensure optimal retention, component 4' is positioned on the support substrate 6 at least two locations, more preferably at least three locations, and most preferably at least four locations.

[0073] Figure 1d shows a fourth method step of an exemplary method, in which a step of cleaning the component surface 4o is performed. The protective layer 2 can be removed from the component surface 4o by any arbitrary method. For example, a wet chemical process is possible. If the protective layer 2 is a solid layer, in particular a dielectric, preferably an oxygen compound and / or a nitrogen compound, it can be removed by ion beam or general sputtering. A particularly preferred embodiment is that the bonding layer 3 (see Figure 1a) is already deposited on the component substrate 1 before the individualization process (see Figure 1b), which provides the particularly preferred effect that there is no bonding material in the areas of the support substrate surface 6o where the components 4,4' were not placed. This prevents unnecessary contamination of the modules of the module system 9 (see Figure 3). Thus, the feature of coating the component substrate 1 with the bonding layer 3 before the individualization process is an important embodiment.

[0074] Figure 1e shows a fifth method step of the exemplary method, and thus a surface treatment. The surface treatment can be understood as the removal of oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds and / or surface activation and / or layer deposition for bonding the product substrate 8 and component 4 supplied in a further method. This method step can be performed concurrently with the preceding method step, in particular, if the protective layer 2 is an oxygen and / or nitrogen compound.

[0075] Since exemplary methods have already been performed in exhausted module systems (see Figure 3), it is unlikely that the (second) component surface 4o will be re-contaminated after the removal of oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds. The removal of oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds can be carried out by any suitable method or apparatus. In particular, the removal of oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds by particle beams, especially ion beams, is preferred. Similar considerations apply to the removal of nitrogen.

[0076] In particular, surface activation can be performed during and / or after the removal of oxygen and / or nitrogen compounds. To improve so-called prebonding between component 4 and the subsequent product substrate 8, it is also conceivable to intentionally hydrophilize the component surface 4o.

[0077] To form a connection between component 4 and product substrate 8, it is conceivable to intentionally deposit special organic and / or inorganic layers. In particular, component 4 preferably has a natural oxide. In a particularly preferred embodiment, component 4 has a hybrid bonding surface. The hybrid bonding surface is a surface consisting mainly of oxide, within which metallic regions, particularly those consisting of copper, are present. Herein, the metallic regions are contact locations for electrical contact connections to the functional regions of component 4.

[0078] In particular, when component 4 and product substrate 8 are directly bonded, the interface thus formed may be optically transparent and / or conductive in a suitably selected material. It is also conceivable that there are electrical and dielectric regions on the component surface 4o and the product substrate 8, respectively, that are bonded to each other. In this case, the electrical regions are preferably contact connection locations that form conductive connections between the product substrate 8 and component 4. Such bonding between two components having electrical and dielectric regions or dielectric surfaces is referred to as hybrid bonding. Its detailed configuration and use are known to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail here. However, it is disclosed that this method is particularly suitable for, and even designed for, the manufacture of hybrid bonding.

[0079] Figure 1f shows a sixth method step of an exemplary method in which the product substrate 8 is aligned relative to the support substrate 6 and contact-connected. The force pressing the product substrate 8 against the components 4,4' and thus the support substrate 6 is 1N to 100kN, preferably 1N to 10kN, more preferably 1N to 1kN, very preferably 1N to 100N, and most preferably 1N to 10N. In other words, a small force is preferred so as not to damage the components 4,4' and / or the product substrate 8 as possible.

[0080] In this case, alignment is performed via alignment marks 5'' on the support substrate 6 and the product substrate 8. In this case, the mounted component 4' can act as a retaining component in the contact connection process. Following this method step, an optional method step may be performed to enhance the adhesion between the component surface 4o and the product substrate surface 8o. For example, the heat treatment step is thought to be performed at a temperature above 50°C, preferably above 75°C, more preferably above 100°C, and most preferably above 150°C. However, preferably, the direct contact connection should result in adhesion strong enough to separate the component 4 along the bonding layer 3 in the next method step. In this case, preferably, the heat treatment, which may cause problems because the material of the bonding layer 3 may outgasse, can be omitted.

[0081] Figure 1g shows the seventh method step of an exemplary method, in which the product substrate 8 is separated from the support substrate 6.

[0082] In one embodiment, separation can be performed purely mechanically. In this case, it is taken advantage of the fact that the adhesion force of the component 4 to the product substrate 8 is greater than the static frictional force of the component to the support substrate 6.

[0083] Alternatively, preferably, the bonding layer between component 4 and the support substrate 6 can be weakened. This weakening can be performed across the entire surface or selectively for each component 4.

[0084] For example, heat can be applied to the bonding layer 3 by heat-treating all the components in a furnace.

[0085] Alternatively, selective heat application, particularly by laser, can be considered. Here, the laser is selectively focused onto the bonding layer, weakening it. The laser wavelength used ranges from 140 nm to 6000 nm, i.e., a laser with wavelengths from the UV region to the infrared region. The exact laser wavelength used depends on the material used in bonding layer 3.

[0086] The use of electromagnetic radiation to weaken the adhesion of bonding layer 3 by disrupting the polymer bonds is also a possibility.

[0087] Alternatively, the adhesion of bonding layer 3 could be reduced by microwave radiation.

[0088] The bonding layer 3 preferably and generally remains partially on the component 4 and partially on the support substrate 6 when the product substrate 8 is lifted, and can be removed in a subsequent cleaning step.

[0089] At the end of the method step, multiple components 4 are obtained on a single product substrate 8.

[0090] Figure 2 shows a top view of the support substrate 6. On the support substrate 6, there are four components 4' used as holding components, for example. The four components 4' have a holding function in the method steps shown in Figure 1e. Multiple alignment marks 5' are distributed on the support substrate 6. For example, 16 alignment marks 5' are written. The first alignment mark 5' is covered by a component 4 having an alignment mark 5. The support substrate 6 also has two alignment marks 5'' used for aligning the support substrate 6 with respect to the product substrate 8 (not shown here, see Figure 1e). The alignment marks 5 (white), 5' (black), and 5'' (gray) are colored differently for easier visibility. The components 4 are positioned and bonded exclusively within the component placement area 12. In the sixth method step (see Figure 1f), the product substrate 8 is bonded to the component 4. However, if the component 4' is not present on the support substrate 6, excessive pressure can cause the product substrate 8 to be pressed against its periphery in the direction of the support substrate 6, potentially leading to damage in the worst case. This can be prevented by using component 4' as a retaining element. Therefore, component 4' is an important feature.

[0091] Figure 3 shows a top view of an exemplary module system 9 consisting of multiple modules 10, 10', 10'', 10''', 10''''. The number of modules is arbitrary and not limited to any one number, but for example, modules 10, 10', 10'', 10''', 10'''' are configured as follows: Module 10 is a coating module to which a bonding layer 3 and / or a protective layer 2 can be applied (see Figure 1a). Module 10' is an individualization module to which component substrates 1 can be individualized (see Figure 1b). Module 10'' is an alignment and bonding module to which individual components 4, 4' can be aligned and positioned on a support substrate 6. Thus, this module is preferably provided with a kind of pick-and-place device. Module 10''' is a cleaning module to which the protective layer 2 can be removed. Module 10'''' is an alignment and bonding module capable of aligning and bonding each substrate, particularly the support substrate 6 on which components 4,4' are mounted, to the product substrate 8. Here, if multiple devices are required within one module, one module can handle one task. It is also conceivable that module system 9 has other modules. In particular, coating and individualization can be performed outside module system 9, so that only already individualized components 4,4' are introduced into module system 9. In this case, the two modules 10,10' mentioned above can be omitted. The important point here is that module system 9 enables the transfer of each component 4,4' and substrates 6,8, particularly sequentially by individual modules, without exposing them to the atmosphere.

[0092] Therefore, the entire module system 9 can be closed off and evaluated from the surrounding atmosphere. Preferably, all necessary loading and unloading of objects is performed through the airlock 11, thereby allowing the internal space of the module system 9 to be preferably ventilated for as long as possible.

[0093] The module system 9 or individual modules 10, 10', 10'', 10''', 10'''' are at a pressure of less than 1 bar, preferably less than 1 mbar, and more preferably 10 -5 Pressure less than mbar, very preferably 10 -9 Pressure less than mbar, most preferably 10 -12 It is possible to evacuate to a pressure of up to mbar. The data here corresponds to the proposed value for the dominant vacuum.

[0094] Figure 4 shows a side view of a prefabricated support substrate 6, including already mounted components 4' used for stabilization and pressure distribution in the exemplary method. This prefabricated support substrate 6 can be loaded into the module system 9 and used immediately. In particular, if the components 4 in the exemplary method are already coated with a bonding layer 3 before their individualization, another component 4 can be quickly mounted onto the prefabricated support substrate 6. After the components 4 are transferred to the product substrate 8 (see Figure 1g), the support substrate 6 can be reused, especially after cleaning. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 1. Component board 1o (Second) Upper component substrate surface 1u (first) lower component substrate surface 2 protective layer 3. Bonding layer 4,4' Parts, retaining parts 4o Part surface 5,5',5'' Alignment Marks 6 Support substrate 6o Support substrate surface 7. Surface treatment means 8 Product boards 9 Module System 10,10',10'',10''',10'''' module 11 Airlock 12. Component placement area

Claims

1. A method for preparing components (4, 4') on a support substrate (6), a1) The step of preparing a component board (1), a2) The steps of applying a bonding layer (3) to the first surface (1u) of the component substrate (1) and applying a protective layer (2) to the second surface (1o) of the component substrate (1), and further thereafter, b) A step of individualizing the component substrate (1) into components (4, 4'), c) A step of placing the components (4, 4') on the support substrate (6), wherein the components (4, 4') are fixed to the support substrate (6) on the surface side of the first component having the bonding layer (3), d) The step of processing the second part surface (4o) of the part (4, 4') under vacuum, e) A step of bonding the processed second part surface (4o) of the part (4, 4') to the product substrate (8) while maintaining a vacuum between step (d) and step (e), f) The step of peeling the components (4, 4') from the support substrate (6) under vacuum, Methods that include...

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step c), in addition to the components (4, 4'), at least one retaining component (4') is placed on the support substrate (6) to prevent bending of the product substrate (8).

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the at least one retaining component (4') is positioned outside the component placement area (12) on the support substrate (6).

4. The method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the retaining component (4') is formed by the individualization of the component substrate (1) in step b).

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the at least one retaining component (4') has the same height as the component (4).

6. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least two retaining components (4') are arranged to be evenly offset outside the component placement area (12).

7. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the components (4, 4') are debonded from the support substrate (6), and then the at least one retaining component (4') is left on the support substrate (6).

8. An apparatus (9) for preparing components (4, 4') on a support substrate (6), In an apparatus (9) configured to perform the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7, The apparatus (9) performs operations under vacuum. Apparatus (9) characterized by the following.

9. An apparatus (9) for transferring components (4, 4') from a support substrate (6) to a product substrate (8), The apparatus (9) is configured such that the components (4, 4') prepared on the support substrate (6) can be transferred from the support substrate (6) to the product substrate (8) under vacuum by the method described in any one of claims 1 to 7. Device (9).

10. The apparatus (9) according to claim 9, wherein the apparatus (9) is configured such that the support substrate (6) can be moved from the surface treatment module unit to the bonding module unit while maintaining a vacuum.

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