Nitride Semiconductor Substrate Restoration via Oxidation
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Solution Overview
Problem
When a nitride semiconductor layer is stripped from a substrate, damage or residue can occur, leading to poor quality substrates and decreased yield and characteristics of light emitting elements during restacking, necessitating a method for restoring substrates to high quality.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the removal of the nitride semiconductor layer, oxidation of adhering materials to form oxide deposits, and subsequent removal of these deposits to minimize damage and residue, allowing for the restoration of substrates to high quality, enabling improved light emitting element characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a nitride semiconductor layer is stripped from a substrate, then the substrate can be reused for restacking, but substrate damage or residue remains on the substrate surface, leading to poor quality restored substrates and decreased yield and characteristics of light emitting elements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing oxidation of adhering materials immediately after nitride semiconductor layer removal while the substrate is still in the processing chamber. This preliminary oxidation converts difficult-to-remove metallic residues into easily removable oxide deposits before the substrate is taken out for restacking, ensuring high surface quality without compromising substrate reuse rate
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses oxidation as an intermediary process between nitride semiconductor layer removal and substrate restacking. The oxidation step acts as a mediator that transforms adhering materials into oxide deposits, which then serve as a convenient intermediate form that can be easily removed by subsequent cleaning steps, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining substrate quality and enabling reuse
2Ease of repair
If conventional stripping methods are used to remove nitride semiconductor layers, then substrate reuse is enabled, but abnormality on substrate surface occurs, requiring additional restoration steps that increase process complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple functions into a single oxidation step performed in the same chamber as nitride semiconductor layer removal. The oxidation process simultaneously serves to treat adhering materials, prepare the surface for cleaning, and protect the substrate from damage, thereby simplifying the overall restoration process while maintaining substrate quality
Solution Approach 2:
The oxidation process is self-service in nature as it automatically converts adhering materials into oxide deposits that are inherently easier to remove. This self-transforming property eliminates the need for complex multi-step restoration procedures, reducing process complexity while ensuring substrate restoration capability
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 method effectively reduces substrate damage and residue, enhancing the quality of restored substrates and resulting light emitting elements by ensuring a clean and undamaged surface for re-stacking, thereby improving the yield and characteristics of the light emitting elements.
Implementation Method 1
oxidizing material adhering to the substrate to produce an oxide deposit
Data Source
AI summary
A method for manufacturing a restored substrate includes: removing a nitride semiconductor layer from a stacked-layer in which the nitride semiconductor layer has been laminated on a substrate; oxidizing material adhering to the substrate to produce an oxide deposit after the removing of the nitride semiconductor layer from the stacked-layer; and removing the oxide deposit from the substrate. A method for manufacturing a light emitting element includes stacking nitride semiconductor layers including an active layer on the restored substrate obtained by the above method.