Temporary Wafer Bonding Composition for Copper Surface Debonding

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional temporary bonding adhesives for semiconductor wafers face challenges with copper surfaces, requiring plasma treatment and high-temperature curing for debonding, which complicates the process and can damage the wafer.

Innovation Solution

A temporary bonding composition comprising a curable adhesive material, a release additive, and a copper passivation agent is used, which allows for low-force mechanical debonding from copper surfaces without the need for plasma treatment, by phase-separating the release additive towards the active surface of the semiconductor wafer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Strength

If conventional temporary bonding adhesives are used on copper surfaces, then bonding strength is achieved, but plasma treatment and high-temperature curing are required which complicates the process and can damage the wafer

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebonding strengthVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A copper passivation agent is introduced as an intermediary substance between the adhesive and the copper surface. This passivation agent modifies the copper surface properties to enable direct bonding with conventional adhesives without requiring plasma treatment or high-temperature curing, thus reducing process complexity while maintaining bonding strength

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The copper surface is pre-treated with a passivation agent before adhesive application. This preliminary action prepares the surface in advance to be compatible with the adhesive, eliminating the need for subsequent plasma treatment or high-temperature curing steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Strength

If crosslinking adhesives are used for temporary bonding, then bulk strength is achieved, but they remain on both surfaces after separation requiring additional cleaning or etching steps

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebulk strengthVSAvoidcleaning ease
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive formulation is designed with different functional components: a crosslinking adhesive providing bulk strength and a release additive concentrated at the adhesive-wafer interface. This local differentiation allows the bulk to maintain strength while the interface enables easy release, eliminating the need for additional cleaning steps

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The temporary bonding composition is a composite material combining a crosslinking adhesive with a release additive. The crosslinking adhesive provides structural integrity and bulk strength, while the release additive ensures easy separation from the wafer surface, achieving both strength and ease of manufacture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Ease of manufacture

If thermoplastic adhesives are used for temporary bonding, then residual adhesive can be easily removed by solvent cleaning, but they become soft when heated which limits their use in certain applications

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning easeVSAvoidthermal stability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive's thermal properties are modified by adding a crosslinking component that raises the glass transition temperature and provides thermal stability. Simultaneously, a release additive is incorporated to maintain ease of removal, thus changing the material parameters to satisfy both cleaning ease and thermal stability requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Ease of operation

If room temperature softness is provided in crosslinking adhesives for easy peeling, then debonding is facilitated, but it provides challenges in achieving uniform wafer thicknesses after grinding

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedebonding easeVSAvoidwafer thickness uniformity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The adhesive system exhibits different mechanical properties at different locations and conditions: it is soft at the adhesive-wafer interface at room temperature to facilitate easy peeling, but maintains sufficient rigidity in the bulk to support uniform wafer handling and grinding, achieving both ease of operation and manufacturing precision

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

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 solution enables efficient and damage-free debonding of semiconductor substrates from carriers with copper surfaces, reducing the risk of deformation and residual adhesive, and simplifying the processing steps.

Implementation Method 1

Upon curing of the adhesive material, the release additive phase-separates toward the active surface of the semiconductor wafer

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectPhase separation:

Implementation Method 2

a copper passivation agent that coats the copper surface to provide release

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAdsorption: Adsorption

Data Source

PatentEP3065166B1Temporary wafer bonding method, bonding composition therefor and temporarily bonded wafer
Publication Date: 2025.01.22 DUPONT ELECTRONIC MATERIALS INT LLC
  • EP3065166B1 patent drawingFigure 1A~1C
  • EP3065166B1 patent drawingFigure 2A~2C
  • EP3065166B1 patent drawingFigure 2D~2F

AI summary

Compositions containing an adhesive material, a release additive and a copper passivation agent are suitable for temporarily bonding two surfaces, such as a semiconductor substrate active side and a carrier substrate. These compositions are useful in the manufacture of electronic devices where a temporary bonding of a component to a substrate having a copper surface is desired.