Controlled cleavage process using pressurized fluid

Abstract

A technique for forming a film of material ( 12 ) from a donor substrate ( 10 ). The technique has a step of introducing energetic particles ( 22 ) in a selected manner through a surface of a donor substrate ( 10 ) to a selected depth ( 20 ) underneath the surface, where the particles have a relatively high concentration to define a donor substrate material ( 12 ) above the selected depth and the particles for a pattern at the selected depth. An energy source such as pressurized fluid is directed to a selected region of the donor substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action of the substrate ( 10 ) at the selected depth ( 20 ), whereupon the cleaving action provides an expanding cleave front to free the donor material from a remaining portion of the donor substrate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for forming a film of material from a substrate, said process comprising steps of: 
 introducing particles in a selected manner through a surface of a substrate to a selected depth underneath said surface, said particles being at a concentration at said selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth, selected manner providing a patterned distribution of particles at said selected depth to enhance said controlled cleaving action; and    providing energy using a fluid to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in said substrate, whereupon said cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free a portion of said material to be removed from said substrate.    
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said particles are derived from a source selected from the group consisting of hydrogen gas, helium gas, water vapor, methane, hydrogen compounds, and other light atomic mass particles.  
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said particles are selected from the group consisting of neutral molecules, charged molecules, atoms, and electrons.  
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said particles are energetic.  
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 4  wherein said energetic particles have sufficient kinetic energy to penetrate through said surface to said selected depth underneath said surface.  
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing energy sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.  
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing energy increases a controlled stress in said material and sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.  
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising a step of providing additional energy to said substrate to sustain said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.  
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising a step of providing additional energy to said substrate to increases a controlled stress in said material and sustains said controlled cleaving action to remove said material from said substrate to provide a film of material.  
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said introducing step forms damage selected from the group consisting of atomic bond damage, bond substitution, weakening, and breaking bonds of said substrate at said selected depth.  
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 10  wherein said damage causes stress to said substrate material.  
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 10  wherein said damage reduces an ability of said substrate material to withstand stress without a possibility of a cleaving of said substrate material.  
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said propagating cleave front is selected from a single cleave front or multiple cleave fronts.  
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said introducing step causes stress of said material region at said selected depth by a presence of said particles at said selected depth.  
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said step of introducing is a step(s) of beam line ion implantation.  
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said step of introducing is a step(s) of plasma immersion ion implantation.  
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  further comprising a step of joining said surface of said substrate to a surface of a target substrate to form a stacked assembly.  
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said substrate is made of a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, diamond, quartz, glass, sapphire, silicon carbide, dielectric, group III/V material, plastic, ceramic material, and multi-layered substrate.  
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said surface is planar.  
     
     
         20 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said surface is curved.  
     
     
         21 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said substrate is a silicon substrate comprising an overlying layer of dielectric material, said selected depth being underneath said dielectric material.  
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said fluid is selected from a static source or a fluid jet source.  
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said fluid is directed to said selected depth to initiate said controlled cleaving action.  
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 1  wherein said fluid is derived from a compressed gas.  
     
     
         25 . A process for forming a multilayered substrate, said process comprising steps of: 
 providing a multilayered substrate, said substrate comprising a substrate portion having a plurality of particles being at a concentration at a selected depth to define a substrate material to be removed above said selected depth; and    providing a fluid to a selected region of said substrate to initiate a controlled cleaving action at said selected depth in said substrate, whereupon said cleaving action is made using a propagating cleave front to free a portion of said material to be removed from said substrate.    
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25  wherein said fluid is selected from a static source or a fluid jet source.  
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 25  wherein said fluid jet is directed to said selected depth to initiate said controlled cleaving action.  
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 25  wherein said fluid jet is derived from a compressed gas.