Anti-Deflection Layer Stack for Single-Sided Semiconductor Substrates
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor devices face challenges in preventing bowing without depositing material on both major surfaces, as conventional methods are not always practical or desirable.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device is designed with a tensile layer and a compressive layer deposited overlying a single major surface of the substrate, with an intermediate layer between them, where the intermediate layer is an oxidized surface of either the tensile or compressive layer, facilitating stress transmission and balancing forces to prevent bowing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If material is deposited on both major surfaces to balance stresses and prevent bowing, then substrate bowing is prevented, but device complexity and manufacturing difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the stress-balancing function from the conventional approach of depositing on both surfaces, and concentrates it on a single surface by forming both tensile and compressive layers on one side of the substrate. This eliminates the need for back-side processing while achieving the same stress-balancing effect.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the stress-balancing function into distinct tensile and compressive layers formed on the same surface. By creating multiple functional layers (tensile layer, compressive layer, and intermediate layer) on a single surface, the patent achieves stress balance without the complexity of dual-surface processing.
2Stability of the object's composition
If material is deposited on both major surfaces to balance stresses, then substrate bowing is prevented, but manufacturing time and process complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the tensile layer formation and compressive layer formation processes onto a single substrate surface. This consolidation allows both stress-balancing layers to be formed in sequence during a single manufacturing campaign, eliminating the need for separate back-side processing steps and reducing overall manufacturing time.
3Device complexity
If both tensile and compressive layers are deposited on a single surface, then device complexity is reduced, but stress transmission between layers may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediate layer between the tensile layer and compressive layer to facilitate effective stress transmission. This intermediate layer acts as a mediator that ensures mechanical coupling between the two stress-balancing layers, allowing them to work together effectively to prevent substrate bowing while maintaining the simplified single-surface structure.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration effectively prevents substrate bowing by balancing tensile and compressive forces, allowing for processing on the opposite major surface and potentially reducing device thickness or enabling sensitive component placement, while maintaining consistency in stress transmission.
Implementation Method 1
the intermediate layer transmits stresses between the tensile layer and the compressive layer
Implementation Method 2
the intermediate layer is an oxidized surface of the compressive layer or the tensile layer
Data Source
Figure 1~5
AI summary
A semiconductor device has a substrate with both compressive and tensile layers deposited overlying a single major surface (face) of the device. The tensile layer may be deposited directly on the substrate of the device, with the compressive layer overlying the tensile layer. A transition material may be located between the tensile layer and the compressive layer. The transition material may be a compound including the components of one or both of the tensile layer and the compressive layer. In a specific embodiment, the tensile material may be a silicon nitride, the compressive layer may be a silicon oxide, and the transition material may be a silicon oxy-nitride, which may be formed by oxidizing the surface of the tensile silicon nitride layer. By depositing both tensile and compressive layers on the same face of the device the opposite major surface (face) is free for processing.