PROCESS FOR PRODUCING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE SUBSTRATE

Abstract: A process of producing an SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate, comprising bonding polished surfaces of two Si-monocrystal wafers (1a, 1b), at least one of which surfaces bears an oxide film (1c), and uniformly eliminating part of the thickness of one of the wafers (1b) parallel to the polished surface, characterised by: reducing the diameter of said one wafer (1b) so that it is slightly smaller than that of the other wafer (1a), thereby exposing an unbonded uniform annular periphery on the surface of said other wafer (1a); forming, on the surface of said one wafer (1b) and said periphery, a material (1d) providing greater resistance to polishing than said one wafer (1b); and polishing said one wafer (1b). Even when only a few µm thick, the material, e.g. SiO₂, provides accurate thickness control of the thin film, and thus acts as a polishing guard.

Description: The present invention relates to a process for producing a SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate. Background of the Invention In order to facilitate isolation of a device in an integrated circuit or, more particularly, in order to overcome the latch-up phenomenon in a CMOS semiconductor circuit, a SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate is used. One process for producing a SOI-structured semiconductor device comprises forming an oxide film constituting an insulating film on a Si-monocrystal wafer, depositing a polycrystal layer on the insulating film, and making the layer into a monocrystal thin film by means of a laser. Alternatively, a gaseous Si compound is used for the pyrolytic deposition of an Si-monocrystal thin film on a sapphire substrate. However, the crystallinity of the Si-monocrystal thin film is unsatisfactory in each case. Therefore, further processes have been developed. The presently preferred process comprises bonding a Si-monocrystal wafer to the top surface of an insulating thin film provided on a semiconductor substrate, and then reducing the thickness of the bonded Si-monocrystal wafer, to a desired thin film, by polishing or etching. This bonding step uses pressure. For example, unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A-48-40372 discloses overlaying a Si-monocrystal wafer on an oxide film, and bonding at 1100°C or more under a pressure of 100 kg/cm² or more. Pages 92-98 of "Nikkei Microdevice" published March 1, 1988 by Nikkei McGraw-Hill Co., discloses bonding with electrostatic pressure. Fig. 4(D) illustrates a SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate produced in this way: wafers 1a and 1b are bonded by an insulating oxide film 1c, and the exposed top surface of the wafer 1b is subjected to grinding or etching. This process for producing a SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate is explained as follows: First, as shown in FIG.4(A), thermally oxidizing the overall surface of each of the wafers 1a and 1b forms an oxide film 1c, e.g., with a 0.8µm thickness. Then, as shown in FIG.4(B), the wafer 1b is overlaid on the wafer 1a. The assembly of the wafers 1a and 1b is placed in a furnace. A pulsating direct or alternating voltage at about 300 V is applied to the assembly of the wafers 1a and 1b across the total thickness under the atmosphere of N₂ at about 500 °C. Thereby, the wafers 1a and 1b are bonded. A bonding between the wafers 1a and 1b is strong so that the bonded wafers of the wafers 1a and 1b can be put into a conventional thinning process. Then, as shown in FIG.4(C), the overall oxide film 1c formed on the top and cylindrical surfaces of the wafer 1b and a part of the wafer 1b underlying the oxide film 1c formed on the top are eliminated by surface-grinding or etching so that the thickness of the wafer 1b is uniformly reduced to a predetermined thickness over the wafer 1b. Then, as shown in FIG. 4(D), specularly polishing the resulting top surface of the wafer 1b at least to the extent of no work damage leftover therein from previous processes provides a monocrystal thin layer of SOI-structured substrate for forming a semiconductor device therein. A polishing step will be described hereinafter. FIGS.2 and 3 illustrate the main part of a single-side polishing machine. In FIGS.2 and 3, a wafer mount plate is indicated at 2. The underside of the wafer mount plate 2 has a plurality of wafers 1 which have been surface-ground and alkali-etched and detachably attached thereto by means of wax. On the other hand, the top surface of a turntable 3 provided under the wafer mount plate 2 has a polishing cloth 3a attached thereto. The single-side polishing machine press down the wafers 1 on the polishing cloth 3a by means of the wafer mount plate 2 so that the undersides of the wafers 1 attached to the underside of the wafer mount plate 2 are in contact with the polishing cloth 3a, and the wafer mount plate 2 is rotated in response to the rotation of the turntable 3. During polishing operation, a suspension with abrasive grains in the form of an abrasive slurry and controlled alkalescent by NaOH or NH₄OH, abrasive grains being such as colloidal silica, is fed onto the polishing cloth 3a. However, the above-described electrostatic pressure using bonding process entails the following problems. The bond strength of the bonded wafers of the wafers 1a and 1b with the oxide film 1c therebetween is low at their periphery, so that a part of the periphery of the wafer 1b may be chipped off during a surface grinding of the wafer 1b. In this case, the oxide film 1c on the cylindrical surface of the wafer 1b is also lost as shown in FIG.4(C). Thus, when the single-side polishing machine polishes the top surface of the wafer 1b of the bonded wafer 1 after the surface grinding, some parts of the periphery of the top surface of the wafer 1b with their adjoining parts of the cylindrical surface lacking the oxide film 1c are ready to be more polished than the remaining part of the periphery of the top surface of the wafer 1b. In particular, when the wafer 1b is 5 µm or less thick, control of the thickness of the thin film is difficult for the reason given above. In addition, the single-side polishing machine causes elastic deformation in the wafer mount plate 2, by forcing each of the wafers 1 against the polishing cloth 3a; differences in the peripheral speeds of radially different positions of the turntable 3 thereby produce fluctuations in the thickness across the wafer 1b which has been polished. Nikkei High Tech Report Vol. 4 No 7, 13 Feb. 1989, pages 9-10, discloses the combination of epitaxial growth and a new polishing technique providing the capability to polish pure silicon 10 000 times faster than silicon oxide. Haisma et al , Japanese Journal of Applied Physics Vol 28 , No 5II, May 1989, pages L725-L726, disclose SOI wafer fabrication by Van der Waals wafer-bonding comprising the bonding of polished surfaces of silicon monocrystal wafers, one of which surface bearing an oxide film. followed by wafer-thinning by grinding followed by polishing. Summary of the Invention A novel process of producing an SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate, comprises bonding polished surfaces of two Si-monocrystal wafers, at least one of which surfaces bears an oxide film, and uniformly eliminating part of the thickness of one of the wafers parallel to the polished surface, characterised by: reducing the diameter of said one wafer so that it is slightly smaller than that of the other wafer, thereby exposing a circumferential side surface on said one wafer and a uniform annular periphery on the surface of said other wafer; forming, on the exposed side surface and said periphery, a material providing greater resistance to polishing than said one wafer; and polishing said one wafer. The material that is formed on the exposed surface of said one wafer and said periphery provides a polishing guard. The thickness of the resulting Si-monocrystal thin film is regulated by this polishing guard, reducing variation in the thickness of the wafer. This is the case even when the deposited Si thin film is no more than a few µm thick. Further, when the polishing guard is formed prior to grinding, the periphery of the wafer is prevented from chipping during grinding. Description of the Invention As indicated above, Fig. 4 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a known process for producing a semiconductor device substrate. The present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the remaining drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows the successive steps embodying the process of the invention; Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through the main part of a single-side polishing machine for a wafer used as the semiconductor device substrate of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a view of the underside of a plate on which wafers of Fig. 2 are mounted. More particularly, Fig. 1(F) is a longitudinal section through a final form of an SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate produced according to the present invention. Circular Si-monocrystal wafers 1a and 1b are bonded via an oxide film 1c, in the product substrate. In detail, the process for producing the SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate is as follows: First, as shown in FIG. 1(A), thermally oxidizing the overall surfaces of the wafers 1a and 1b produces oxide film 1c thereon. Then, as shown in FIG. 1(B), the wafer 1b is overlaid on the wafer 1a to provide an assembly, which is then placed in a furnace. The assembly of the wafers 1a and 1b is heated at 400 °C and applied to with a 400 V pulsating voltage so as to bond the wafers 1a and 1b. Then, surface-grinding or etching the oxide film 1c covering the top surface and cylindrical surface of the wafer 1b eliminates it. In this step, when the diameters of the wafers 1a and 1b equal each other, a part of the wafer 1b with a low bond strength, i.e., the periphery of the wafer 1b is chipped to scatter, so that the oxide film 1c formed on the cylindrical surface of the wafer 1b is concurrently lost. Then, the resulting exposed overall peripheral edge of the wafer 1b is uniformed so that the periphery of the wafer 1b is etched off, e.g., by means of a photoresist mask. In particular, the diameter of the wafer 1b is adjusted to about 3-5 mm less than that of the wafer 1a. Thus, as shown in FIG. 1(C), a corresponding annular peripheral area of the top surface of the wafer 1a which has a uniform width around the wafer 1a is developed. Alternatively, the diameter of the wafer 1b may be made some amount below that of the wafer 1a prior to the uniforming step above mentioned. Then, as shown in FIG. 1(D), a CVD oxidation film 1d with a 5µm or less thickness made of SiO₂, for example, is produced on the cylindrical and top surface of the wafer 1b and the unbonded annular peripheral margin of the top surface of the wafer 1a. Then, as shown in FIG. 1(E), surface-grinding or etching the part of the CVD oxidation film 1d produced on the top surface of the wafer 1b is performed to eliminate completely same part. Then, as shown in FIG. 1(F), the exposed top surface of the wafer 1b is specularly polished. A conventional single-side polishing machine of FIG.2 also specularly polishes the top surface of the wafer 1b of the wafer bonding 1 of the present invention as follows: As shown in FIGS.2 and 3, a plurality of bonded wafers 1 are detachably fixed with wax to the underside of the wafer mount plate 2. The wafer mount plate 2 pushes the bonded wafers 1 on the polishing cloth 3a. The turntable 3 rotates the wafer mount plate 2 without an additional driving means so that the polishing cloth 3a and the bonded wafers 1 are in sliding contact with each other. During polishing, an alkalescent aqueous solution of NaOH or NH₄OH with abrasive grains such as colloidal silica suspended therein is fed to the polishing cloth 3a as an abrasive slurry. In accordance with the process of the embodiment of the present invention, a polishing guard or stopper 1d with a stepped section and provided on the margin of the top surface of the wafer 1a check a polishing rate or speed of the wafer 1b of the bonded wafer 1. The polishing guard 1d provides a polishing rate or speed lower under the same condition than the wafer 1b. A narrower portion of the polishing guard 1d is readily eliminated because of its narrowness surface-grinding or polishing of the wafer 1b. Even when the pressure from the wafer mount plate 2 to the turntable 3 is increased in order to accelerate a polishing speed of each of the bonded wafers 1, the top surface of a wider portion of the polishing guard 1d supports a more part of the pressure from the wafer mount plate 2 near the completion of the polishing of the bonded wafers 1. The polishing speed of each of the bonded wafers 1 is then decreased, so that controlling a polished amount of the bonded wafers 1 and thereby the thickness of the Si-monocrystal thin film produced from the wafer 1b is facilitated. In addition, a variation in the thickness of the Si-monocrystal thin film produced from the wafer 1b was controlled within plus or minus 10 % of a 5µm target thickness of the Si-monocrystal thin film produced from the wafer 1b. Thus, the embodiment of the present invention can provide a reliable semiconductor device substrate. In addition, a surface-grinding of the wafer 1b of the FIG.1(E) step cannot chip the periphery of the wafer 1b. The polishing guard 1d of the above embodiment is made of CVD SiO₂ film. However, the polishing guard may be alternatively made of thermal oxidation film, a silicon nitride film or other material films providing a polishing guard. The thermal oxidation film and silicon nitride film, which provide polishing rates greater than the CVD oxidation film of the embodiment, provide a better polishing guard.

Claims: A process of producing an SOI-structured semiconductor device substrate, comprising bonding polished surfaces of two Si-monocrystal wafers (1a,1b), at least one of which surfaces bears an oxide film (1c), and uniformly eliminating part of the thickness of one of the wafers (1b) parallel to the polished surface, characterised by: reducing the diameter of said one wafer (1b) so that it is slightly smaller than that of the other wafer (1a), thereby exposing a circumferential side surface on said one wafer (1b) and a uniform annular periphery on the surface of said other wafer (1a); forming, on the exposed side surface and said periphery, a material (1d) providing greater resistance to polishing than said one wafer (1b); and polishing said one wafer (1b). A process according to claim 1, wherein the material (1d) is SiO₂. A process according to claim 1, wherein the material (1d) is silicon nitride. A process according to claim 2, wherein the SiO₂ is as produced by thermal oxidation. A process according to claim 2, wherein the SiO₂ is as produced by the CVD process. A process according to any preceding claim, wherein the material (1d) is stepped, in section, and comprises a narrower portion towards the outer edge of said periphery and a wider portion at or towards the inner edge of said periphery.

Inventors: ITO, TATSUO, NAKAZATO, YASUAKI
Applicants: SHIN-ETSU HANDOTAI COMPANY  LIMITED
Application year: 1990
Main classification: H01L21
IPC codes: H01L21, H01L27