Patent ID: 8557679

Claim:
A method of preparing a bonding surface of a semiconductor wafer for bonding to a substrate, comprising: obtaining a semiconductor wafer having a bonding surface; implanting ions through the bonding surface into the semiconductor wafer to form a weakened region in the semiconductor wafer and defining a semiconductor exfoliation layer in the semiconductor wafer between the weakened region and the bonding surface, the implanting step contaminates a surface region of the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer to form a contaminated surface region; treating the bonding surface of the implanted semiconductor wafer with oxygen plasma to oxidize the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer, thereby converting the contaminated surface region of the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer into a sacrificial oxide layer, while a remaining portion of a barrier layer remains un-oxidized; stripping the sacrificial oxide layer from the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer, thereby removing the contaminated surface region of the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer and revealing a clean bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer; treating the clean bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer with oxygen plasma to oxidize the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer and convert a surface region of the semiconductor wafer into an oxide bonding layer that is hydrophilic and bondable to the substrate; obtaining an insulating support substrate having a bonding surface; contacting the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer with the bonding surface of the insulating support substrate; bonding the bonding surface of the semiconductor wafer to the support substrate; and separating the semiconductor exfoliation layer from a remaining portion of the semiconductor wafer along the weakened region, leaving the semiconductor exfoliation layer bonded to the support substrate.