Solid Layer Detachment via Amorphous Release Layer
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for producing solid layers, particularly in semiconductor technology, face challenges in safely separating gallium nitride layers from sapphire carriers without damaging either the layers or the substrate, due to strong bonding and the risk of mechanical damage during detachment.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the creation of an amorphous release layer with lower mechanical properties than the solid layer, which is subjected to thermal stress to induce crack propagation, allowing for the safe and efficient separation of the solid layer from the carrier substrate without mechanical damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If a purely mechanical lifting method is used to separate the solid layer from the carrier substrate, then the separation process is simple, but the risk of damage to the layer or substrate increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
A release layer is introduced as an intermediary between the solid layer and the carrier substrate. This release layer has lower mechanical strength than both the solid layer and the substrate, allowing it to act as a sacrificial element that fails first during separation, thereby protecting the valuable solid layer and substrate from damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The mechanical properties of the release layer are specifically engineered to have lower strength parameters compared to the solid layer and substrate. By controlling parameters such as porosity, composition, and thickness of the release layer, its mechanical strength is reduced to enable controlled failure during the separation process.
2Reliability
If traditional laser separation is used to detach the solid layer from the sapphire carrier, then the separation can be achieved, but the process becomes complex and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The release layer serves as a mediator that enables simple mechanical separation instead of requiring complex laser systems. By placing this intermediate layer with controlled mechanical properties, the separation process can be performed through straightforward mechanical means rather than sophisticated laser processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the optical/laser-based separation system with a simpler mechanical separation approach. Instead of using laser energy to break bonds between the solid layer and substrate, the system uses mechanical stress applied to the release layer, which is designed to fail at lower stress levels.
3Ease of manufacture
If the release layer is made with lower mechanical properties through porosity or defects, then crack initiation is facilitated, but the production process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The release layer is designed with a porous structure that inherently reduces its mechanical strength. The porosity creates natural stress concentration points that facilitate crack initiation and propagation during separation, while the porous structure itself can be produced through relatively simple deposition processes followed by controlled treatment.
Solution Approach 2:
The production process controls parameters such as deposition conditions, temperature, and composition to naturally create the desired porous or defective structure in the release layer. By adjusting these parameters during manufacturing, the release layer acquires the necessary mechanical properties without requiring additional complex post-processing steps.
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 approach reduces the risk of damage during separation, enabling the production of larger solid layers with lower stress and allowing for precise control over the release layer's properties, such as porosity and doping, to facilitate controlled crack initiation and propagation, thus ensuring the integrity of the solid layers.
Implementation Method 1
the generation of stresses within the release layer, the stresses being created by temperature control of at least the receiving layer
Implementation Method 2
as a result of the stresses a crack spreads, the solid layer being split off from the previously created multilayer arrangement by the crack
Data Source
Figure 1a~1e
Figure 2a~2b
Figure 3a~3d
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of producing at least one layer of solid material. This method comprises at the very least the steps of: providing a carrier substrate with a first exposed surface and with a second exposed surface; producing a detachment layer in the carrier substrate or over the first exposed surface of the carrier substrate, the detachment layer having an exposed surface; producing the first layer of solid material over the exposed surface of the detachment layer, the first layer of solid material having a free surface spaced apart from the detachment layer; positioning or forming a receiving layer on the second exposed surface of the carrier substrate or on the free surface of the first layer of solid material; generating stresses within the detachment layer, the stresses being generated by tempering at least the receiving layer, a crack propagating within the detachment layer or in the boundary region between the detachment layer and the first layer of solid material as a result of the stresses, the first layer of solid material being split off from the previously produced multi-layer arrangement by the crack.