Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8032929 | Thin Solid Films | 2018 | 25 Pages |
Abstract
Controlled spalling in (100)-oriented germanium using a nickel stressor layer shows promise for semiconductor device exfoliation and kerfless wafering. Demonstrated spall depths of 7-60â¯Î¼m using DC sputtering to deposit the stressor layer are appropriate for the latter application but spall depthsâ¯<â¯5â¯Î¼m may be required to minimize waste for device applications. This work investigates the effect of tuning both electroplating current density and electrolyte chemistry on the residual stress in the nickel and on the achievable spall depth range for the Ni/Ge system as a lower-cost, higher-throughput alternative to sputtering. By tuning current density and electrolyte phosphorous concentration, it is shown that electroplating can successfully span the same range of spalled thicknesses as has previously been demonstrated by sputtering and can reach sufficiently high stresses to enter a regime of thickness (<â¯7â¯Î¼m) appropriate to minimize substrate consumption for device applications.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Materials Science
Nanotechnology
Authors
Dustin Crouse, John Simon, Kevin L. Schulte, David L. Young, Aaron J. Ptak, Corinne E. Packard,