• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.6
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• pp.508-512
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• 2002

$2000{\AA}-SiO_2/Si(100)$ and $560{\AA}-Si_3N_4/Si(100)$ wafers, which are 10 cm in diameter, were directly bonded using a rapid thermal annealing method. We fixed the anneal time of 30 second and varied the anneal temperatures from 600 to $1200^{\circ}C$. The bond strength of bonded wafer pairs at given anneal temperature were evaluated by a razor blade crack opening method and a four-point bonding method, respectively. The results clearly slow that the four-point bending method is more suitable for evaluating the small bond strength of 80~430 mJ/$\m^2$ compared to the razor blade crack opening method, which shows no anneal temperature dependence in small bond strength.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.101-106
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• 2000

SOI (Silicon-On-Insulator) substrates were fabricated with varying annealing temperature of $25-660^{\circ}C$ by a linear annealing method, which was modified RTA process using a linear shape heat source. The annealing method was applied to Si ∥ $SiO_2$/Si pair pre-contacted at room temperature after wet cleaning process. The bonding strength of SOI substrates was measured by two methods of Razor-blade crack opening and direct tensile test. The fractured surfaces after direct tensile test were also investigated by the optical microscope as well as $\alpha$-STEP gauge. The interface bonding energy was 1140mJ/m$^2$ at the annealing temperature of $430^{\circ}C$. The fracture strength was about 21MPa at the temperature of $430^{\circ}C$. These mechanical properties were not reported with the conventional furnace annealing or rapid thermal annealing method at the temperature below $500^{\circ}C$. Our results imply that the bonded wafer pair could endure CMP (Chemo-Mechanical Polishing) or Lapping process without debonding, fracture or dopant redistribution.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.10
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• pp.820-824
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• 2002

It is of importance to know that the bonding strength and interfacial stress of SOI wafer pairs to meet with mechanical and thermal stresses during process. We fabricated Si/2000$\AA$-SiO$_2$ ∥ 2000$\AA$-SiO$_2$/Si SOI wafer pairs with electric furnace annealing, rapid thermal annealing (RTA), and fast linear annealing (FLA), respectively, by varying the annealing temperatures at a given annealing process. Bonding strength and interfacial stress were measured by a razor blade crack opening method and a laser curvature characterization method, respectively. All the annealing process induced the tensile thermal stresses. Electrical furnace annealing achieved the maximum bonding strength at $1000^{\circ}C$-2 hr anneal, while it produced constant thermal tensile stress by $1000^{\circ}C$. RTA showed very small bonding strength due to premating failure during annealing. FLA showed enough bonding strength at $500^{\circ}C$, however large thermal tensile stress were induced. We confirmed that premated wafer pairs should have appropriate compressive interfacial stress to compensate the thermal tensile stress during a given annealing process.

• Journal of Surface Science and Engineering
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.33-38
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• 2001

10cm-diameter Si(100)∥$1.3\mu\textrm{m}$-X$1.3_2$X$1.3\mu\textrm{m}$-$SiO_2$∥Si(100) afers were prepared using a fast linear annealing (FLA) equipment. 1.3$\mu\textrm{m}$-thick $SiO_2$ films were grown by dry oxidation process. After cleaning and premating the wafers in a class 100 clean room, they were heat treated using with the FLA and conventional electric furnace. Bonded area and bond strength of wafer pairs were measured using a infrared (IR) camera and razor blade crack opening method, respectively. It was confinmed that the bonded area by FLA was around 99% and the bond strength value reached 2172mJ/$\m^2$, which is equivalent to theoritical bond strength. Our result implies that thick $SiO_2$ SOI may be prepared more easily by using $SiO_2$$SiO_2$ bonding interfaces then those of Si/$SiO_2$'s.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.117-120
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• 2002

We investigated the possibility of direct bonding of the Si ∥SiO$_2$/Si$_3$N$_4$∥Si wafers for Oxide-Nitride-Oxide(ONO) gate oxide applications. 10cm-diameter 2000$\AA$-thick thermal oxide/Si(100) and 500$\AA$-Si$_3$N$_4$LPCVD/Si (100) wafers were prepared, and wet cleaned to activate the surface as hydrophilic and hydrophobic states, respectively. Cleaned wafers were premated wish facing the mirror planes by a specially designed aligner in class-100 clean room immediately. Premated wafer pairs were annealed by an electric furnace at the temperatures of 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 120$0^{\circ}C$ for 2hours, respectively. Direct bonded wafer pairs were characterized the bond area with a infrared(IR) analyzer, and measured the bonding interface energy by a razor blade crack opening method. We confirmed that the bond interface energy became 2,344mJ/$\m^2$ when annealing temperature reached 100$0^{\circ}C$, which were comparable with the interface energy of homeogenous wafer pairs of Si/Si.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.427-430
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• 2001

We prepared 10cm-diameter Si(100)/500 $\AA$-Si$_3$N$_4$/Si(100) wafer Pairs adopting 500 $\AA$ -thick Si$_3$N$_4$layer as insulating layer between single crystal Si wafers. Si3N, is superior to conventional SiO$_2$ in insulating. We premated a p-type(100) Si wafer and 500 $\AA$ -thick LPCVD Si$_3$N$_4$∥Si (100) wafer in a class 100 clean room. The cremated wafers are separated in two groups. One group is treated to have hydrophobic surface and the other to have hydrophilic. We employed a FLA(fast linear annealing) bonder to enhance the bond strength of cremated wafers at the scan velocity of 0.1mm/sec with varying the heat input at the range of 400~1125W. We measured bonded area using a infrared camera and bonding strength by the razor blade crack opening method. We used high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM) to probe cross sectional view of bonded wafers. The bonded area of two groups was about 75%. The bonding strength of samples which have hydrophobic surface increased with heat input up to 1577mJ/$m^2$ However, bonding strength of samples which have hydrophilic surface was above 2000mJ/$m^2$regardless of heat input. The HRTEM results showed that the hydrophilic samples have about 25 $\AA$ -thick SiO layer between Si and Si$_3$N$_4$/Si and that maybe lead to increase of bonding strength.