Claims
- 1. A method for improving the quality of a layer of a multilayer wafer, comprising:
providing a wafer having an exposed layer with structural defects therein; altering the composition of a first outer layer of the exposed layer that contains at least some of the defects; removing the altered first outer layer from the wafer to expose a second outer layer of the exposed layer that has an exposed surface; smoothing the surface of the second outer layer; altering the composition of the second outer layer; and removing the altered second out layer to increase the quality of the exposed layer.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the defects comprise impurities.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer is provided by splitting the wafer from another wafer.
- 4. The method of claim 3, wherein said another wafer is split to expose the exposed layer.
- 5. The method of claim 3, further comprising implanting atomic species between the provided wafer and the another wafer.
- 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the defects comprise some of the atomic species.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition of the first outer layer is altered by oxidation, and the first outer layer is removed by deoxidation.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the composition of the second outer layer is altered by oxidation, and the second outer layer is removed by deoxidation.
- 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the surface of the second outer layer is smoothed by polishing.
- 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the smoothing produces additional defects, and the altering and removal of the second outer layer removes a substantial portion of the additional defects.
- 11. The method of claim 1, further comprising annealing the exposed layer at least between the altering and removing of at least one of the first and second outer layers to repair defects therein.
- 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the exposed layer is annealed between the altering and removing of each of the first and second outer layers.
- 13. The method of claim 11, wherein the annealed outer layer is at least partially oxidized for protection thereof prior to completing the annealing.
- 14. The method of claim 11, wherein the annealing is conducted to provide another layer adjacent the exposed layer in an axial direction with a ridge that protrudes axially to a position disposed in a lateral direction from the exposed layer for protecting an edge of the exposed layer.
- 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second outer layer that is removed has a thickness greater than 100 Å.
- 16. A method for improving the quality of a layer of a multilayer wafer, comprising:
providing a wafer having an oxydizable exposed layer with structural defects therein; oxidizing a first outer layer of the exposed layer that contains at least some of the defects; deoxidizing the oxidized first outer layer to remove the first outer layer from the wafer to expose a second outer layer of the exposed layer that has an exposed surface; smoothing the surface of the second outer layer; oxidizing the smoothed second outer layer; and deoxidizing the oxidized second out layer to remove the second outer layer from the wafer to increase the quality of the exposed layer.
- 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the wafer is provided by splitting the wafer from another wafer to expose the exposed layer.
- 18. The method of claim 17, further comprising implanting atomic species between the provided wafer and the another wafer prior to the splitting, wherein the defects comprise some of the atomic species.
- 19. The method of claim 16, wherein the surface of the second outer layer is smoothed by polishing and has an improved roughness compared to the first outer layer, which produces additional defects, and the oxidation and deoxidation of the second outer layer substantially removes the additional defects.
- 20. The method of claim 16, further comprising annealing the exposed layer at least between the oxidation and deoxidation of at least one of the first and second outer layers to repair defects therein.
- 21. The method of claim 16, wherein the wafer is a semiconductor wafer.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the wafer comprises an insulator layer adjacent the exposed layer.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the second outer layer comprises silicon having a surface defect density greater than 500 cm−2.
- 24. A multilayer wafer, comprising:
a base substrate; a first layer associated with the base substrate; and a second layer on the first layer on side opposite from the base substrate in an axial direction and having a lateral edge; wherein the first layer includes a ridge that protrudes axially and is disposed laterally adjacent the second layer measured in a direction normal to the axial direction for for preventing edge falls from the lateral edge.
- 25. The wafer of claim 24, wherein the ridge surrounds an acute portion of the lateral edge in an axial cross-section.
- 26. The wafer of claim 24, wherein the ridge has an axial height greater than the axial thickness of the second layer.
- 27. The wafer of claim 24, wherein the second layer comprises an oxydizable semiconductor and the first layer comprises an oxidized insulator.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
99/10668 |
Aug 1999 |
FR |
|
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/069,163, filed Feb. 20, 2002, the content of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference thereto.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10069163 |
|
US |
Child |
10318304 |
Dec 2002 |
US |