Methods for Splitting Semiconductor Devices and Semiconductor Device

Abstract

A method for splitting a semiconductor wafer includes incorporating hydrogen atoms into at least a splitting region of a semiconductor wafer. The splitting region includes a concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1·1015 cm−3. The method further includes splitting the semiconductor wafer at the splitting region of the semiconductor wafer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate having a first major surface at a front side and an opposite second major surface at a back side, the semiconductor substrate comprising an epitaxial semiconductor layer comprising an active device and a back side layer disposed under the epitaxial semiconductor layer, the back side layer comprising a concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1×10 15  cm −3 .   
     
     
         2 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the back side layer comprises the concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1×10 15  cm −3  over at least 90% of a lateral extension of the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the epitaxial semiconductor layer has a thickness of about 1 μm to 5 μm. 
     
     
         4 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen atoms in the back side layer is between 1×10 15  cm −3  to 1×10 17  cm −3 . 
     
     
         5 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a back side metallization layer disposed over the back side layer. 
     
     
         6 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate having a first major surface at a front side and an opposite second major surface at a back side, the semiconductor substrate comprising an epitaxial semiconductor layer comprising an active device and a back side layer disposed under the epitaxial semiconductor layer, the back side layer comprising a concentration of hydrogen atoms higher than 1×10 18  cm −3 .   
     
     
         7 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the back side layer further comprises a concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1×10 15  cm −3 . 
     
     
         8 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 7 , wherein the back side layer comprises the concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1×10 15  cm −3  over at least 90% of a lateral extension of the semiconductor substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the epitaxial semiconductor layer has a thickness of about 1 μm to 5 μm. 
     
     
         10 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 7 , wherein the concentration of nitrogen atoms in the back side layer is between 1×10 15  cm −3  to 1×10 17  cm −3 . 
     
     
         11 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , further comprising a back side metallization layer disposed over the back side layer. 
     
     
         12 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the active device comprises a vertical diode structure or a vertical transistor structure. 
     
     
         13 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 12 , wherein the vertical transistor structure comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor or an insulated-gate-bipolar transistor. 
     
     
         14 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate, a silicon carbide (SiC)-based substrate, a gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based substrate, or a gallium nitride (GaN)-based substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 6 , wherein the back side layer further comprises at least one of helium (He), silicon (Si), argon (Ar), nitrogen (N), or hydrogen (H) ions. 
     
     
         16 . A semiconductor device comprising:
 a semiconductor substrate having a first major surface at a front side and an opposite second major surface at a back side, the semiconductor substrate comprising an epitaxial semiconductor layer comprising an active device and a back side layer disposed under the epitaxial semiconductor layer, wherein the back side layer comprises a lattice vacancy density higher than 1×10 17  cm −3 .   
     
     
         17 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 16 , wherein the back side layer lattice vacancy density is at least 100% larger than an average concentration of lattice vacancies outside of the back side layer. 
     
     
         18 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 16 , wherein the back side layer comprises a concentration of nitrogen atoms higher than 1×10 15  cm −3 . 
     
     
         19 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 16 , wherein the back side layer comprises a concentration of hydrogen atoms higher than 1×10 18  cm −3 . 
     
     
         20 . The semiconductor device according to  claim 16 , further comprising a back side metallization layer disposed over the back side layer.