Bonding Substrate Surface Activation for Room-Temperature Joining

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current substrate bonding technologies face limitations, particularly when bonding different materials, as they can result in residual thermal stresses and mechanical damage due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients, and require high-vacuum environments, making them unsuitable for components with low heat resistance and complicating the bonding process.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for fabricating a bonding substrate with a surface treatment process involving energetic particle irradiation followed by metal particle irradiation, allowing for sufficient bonding strength at non-high vacuum conditions, and enabling flexible arrangement of bonding mechanisms and process chambers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If heat treatment bonding is used to bond substrates, then bonding strength is improved, but residual thermal stresses and mechanical damage occur due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidresidual thermal stresses and mechanical damage
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the bonding temperature parameter from high temperature (heat treatment) to room temperature, thereby eliminating thermal expansion differences and residual stresses while maintaining bonding strength through surface activation treatment

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces the thermal field (heat treatment) with a chemical field (surface activation treatment), substituting thermal bonding mechanism with chemical bonding mechanism to achieve strong bonding without thermal damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Strength

If heat treatment bonding is used, then bonding strength is improved, but application to materials with low heat resistance is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidapplicability to materials with low heat resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the bonding temperature parameter from high temperature to room temperature, enabling bonding of heat-sensitive materials while maintaining strong bonding strength through surface activation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If room temperature bonding with particle beam surface activation is used, then bonding applicability is improved, but high vacuum environment and complex bonding mechanism are required

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding applicability to various materialsVSAvoidbonding mechanism complexity and vacuum system requirements
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the surface activation treatment from the vacuum bonding system, allowing surface activation to be performed separately and enabling bonding in non-vacuum environments, thereby simplifying the overall bonding mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention segments the bonding process into two independent parts: surface activation treatment (which can be performed in air) and bonding process (which can be performed in non-vacuum environment), eliminating the need for complex vacuum systems

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

4Adaptability or versatility

If room temperature bonding with particle beam surface activation is used, then material versatility is improved, but reoxidation of substrate surface occurs requiring extremely short transition time

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvematerial versatilityVSAvoidtransition time from surface activation to bonding
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The invention extracts the surface activation treatment from the vacuum bonding sequence, allowing it to be performed independently in air before bonding, thereby eliminating the need for rapid vacuum transition and preventing reoxidation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs surface activation treatment as a preliminary action before bonding in a non-vacuum environment, creating a stable activated surface that resists reoxidation and maintains bonding capability without requiring immediate vacuum sealing

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

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

The method achieves strong bonding capabilities without the need for high-vacuum environments, reducing thermal stresses and mechanical damage, and allows for broader application across various substrate materials, enhancing the efficiency and simplicity of the bonding process.

Implementation Method 1

a first surface treatment step of surface-treating a surface of a substrate by irradiation with radiated particles including energetic particles

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectParticle beam irradiation: Ion Beam

Implementation Method 2

a second surface treatment step of surface-treating the substrate surface by irradiation with radiated particles including metal particles

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectMetal particle irradiation deposition: Physical Vapour Deposition

Implementation Method 3

the metal particles are distributed in a base material of a surface layer of the bonding substrate with higher concentration than in the remaining of the bonding substrate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectParticle irradiation-induced diffusion: Diffusion

Data Source

PatentEP2672509B1Bonding-substrate fabrication method, bonding substrate, substrate bonding method, bonding-substrate fabrication apparatus, and substrate assembly
Publication Date: 2025.01.08 SUGA
  • EP2672509B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2672509B1 patent drawingFigure 3(A)~4
  • EP2672509B1 patent drawingFigure 5(A)~6(C)

AI summary

[Problem] To provide a substrate bonding technique having a wide range of application. [Solution] A silicon thin film is formed on a bonding surface, and the interface with the substrate is surface-treated using energetic particles/metal particles.