Method of manufacturing a material compound wafer

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for use in a method for manufacturing a material compound wafer by forming a predetermined splitting area in a source substrate; attaching the source substrate to a handle substrate to form an assembly; heating the assembly for weakening the predetermined splitting area; and determining a degree of weakening of the predetermined splitting area which evidences the physical strength of the predetermined splitting area during or after heating to detect anomalies that may lead to damage of the source substrate, handle or assembly. The device is includes an annealing device for thermally annealing the assembly; and a measuring device for determining the degree of weakening of the predetermined splitting area during or after thermal annealing to detect anomalies that may lead to damage of the source substrate, handle or assembly. The degree of weakening is advantageously determined in-situ and may be determined continuously or periodically during the heating.

1 . An apparatus for thermal annealing used in a manufacturing process of a material compound wafer for weakening a source substrate at a predetermined splitting area, wherein the device comprises: 
 an annealing device for thermally annealing an assembly of a handle attached to a source substrate that includes a predetermined splitting area; and    a measuring device for determining a degree of weakening which evidences the physical strength of the predetermined splitting area during or after the thermal annealing to detect anomalies that may lead to damage of the source substrate, handle or assembly.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device for determining the degree of weakening comprises a reflectometer.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device for determining the degree of weakening comprises an ellipsometer.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a control device operatively associated with the annealing device for repetitively determining the degree of weakening during the thermal annealing, and for adjusting the annealing device to provide the thermal annealing based on the determined degree of weakening.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the control device continuously analyzes the degree of weakening.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the control device adjusts the thermal annealing by varying temperature or duration of heating.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 4  wherein the measuring device is operatively associated with the heating device to measure the degree of weakening more than once during the thermal annealing, and the control device adjusts one or both of heating temperature or heating time during the thermal annealing depending on the measured degree of weakening of the predetermined splitting area to avoid damaging the source substrate, handle or assembly during subsequent detachment at the splitting area.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device measures the degree of weakening in-situ.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device measures the degree of weakening continuously or periodically during the thermal annealing.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the material compound is a heterogeneous material compound comprising at least two materials with different physical or chemical properties and the annealing device applies a thermal annealing treatment to the assembly to weaken the predetermined splitting area but not cause complete detachment in the splitting area.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least two materials have different thermal expansion coefficients and the annealing device automatically terminates the thermal annealing when the degree of weakening attains a predetermined value.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device measures the degree of weakening by measuring an optical property of the predetermined splitting area, wherein the optical property is measured in a visible light range, an x-ray range or an infrared light range.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the measuring device measures the degree of weakening by comparing the measured optical property of the predetermined splitting area during or after the thermal annealing with an optical property of the predetermined splitting area that is measured prior to the thermal annealing.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the measuring device measures the degree of weakening by measuring a reflectivity or transmission value of the assembly using a single wavelength or a predetermined range of wavelengths.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the handle is transparent and the measuring device measures the degree of weakening by performing measurements through the handle.