US Patent Application 18362240. STRAIN RELIEF TRENCHES FOR EPITAXIAL GROWTH simplified abstract

STRAIN RELIEF TRENCHES FOR EPITAXIAL GROWTH

Organization Name

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.

Inventor(s)

Yi-Chuan Lo of Hsinchu City (TW)

Pravanshu Mohanta of Hsinchu City (TW)

Jiang-He Xie of Hsinchu City (TW)

Ching Yu Chen of Zhubei (TW)

Ming-Tsung Chen of New Taipei City (TW)

Chia-Ling Yeh of Jhubei City, Hsinchu County (TW)

STRAIN RELIEF TRENCHES FOR EPITAXIAL GROWTH - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18362240 titled 'STRAIN RELIEF TRENCHES FOR EPITAXIAL GROWTH

Simplified Explanation

- Strain relief trenches are created in a substrate before growing an epitaxial layer on it. - These trenches help reduce the stresses and strains on the epitaxial layer caused by differences in material properties between the layer and the substrate. - The trenches prevent cracks and defects in the epitaxial layer and substrate. - They also prevent bowing, warping, and breakage of the substrate. - The use of strain relief trenches improves the quality of the epitaxial layer, especially from the center to the edges. - It enables the growth of epitaxial layers on larger substrates.

Original Abstract Submitted

Strain relief trenches may be formed in a substrate prior to growth of an epitaxial layer on the substrate. The trenches may reduce the stresses and strains on the epitaxial layer that occur during the epitaxial growth process due to differences in material properties (e.g., lattice mismatches, differences in thermal expansion coefficients, and/or the like) between the epitaxial layer material and the substrate material. The stress and strain relief provided by the trenches may reduce or eliminate cracks and/or other types of defects in the epitaxial layer and the substrate, may reduce and/or eliminate bowing and warping of the substrate, may reduce breakage of the substrate, and/or the like. This may increase the center-to-edge quality of the epitaxial layer, may permit epitaxial layers to be grown on larger substrates, and/or the like.