Debonding of wafer-bonded interfaces for handling and transfer applications

Based on the fracture mechanics analysis of crack propagation, the phenomenon of subcritical crack growth was utilized for a controlled debonding of directly wafer-bonded interfaces. The approach allowed the well-defined separation of bonded wafers although the bond strength was high due to thermal annealing. The achieved splitting velocity depended on the wafer material, the wafer thickness ratio, the bonding process parameters, and the environmental conditions during cleaving. In combination with wafer bonding, the method can be used for a temporary stiffening and handling of thin and brittle wafers during fabrication, even if the wafers are exposed to high process temperatures. The approach can also be applied to fabricate micromechanical systems (MEMS).