Laser assisted transfer welding process
View Patent ↗A method of printing transferable components includes pressing a stamp including at least one transferable semiconductor component thereon on a target substrate such that the at least one transferable component and a surface of the target substrate contact opposite surfaces of a conductive eutectic layer. During pressing of the stamp on the target substrate, the at least one transferable component is exposed to electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the transfer stamp to reflow the eutectic layer. The stamp is then separated from the target substrate to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the stamp and print the at least one transferable component onto the surface of the target substrate. Related systems and methods are also discussed.
1. A method of printing transferable components, the method comprising:
providing a eutectic layer comprising a conductive material on a surface of a target substrate;
pressing a stamp including at least one transferable semiconductor component thereon on the target substrate such that the at least one transferable component and the surface of the target substrate contact opposite surfaces of the eutectic layer, wherein the at least one transferable semiconductor component comprises a plurality of semiconductor dies, wherein respective ones thereof are on respective protruding post features of the stamp;
during pressing of the stamp on the target substrate, exposing the at least one transferable component to electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the transfer stamp to reflow the eutectic layer; and then
separating the stamp from the target substrate to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the stamp and print the at least one transferable component onto the surface of the target substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stamp includes a transparent portion at least partially aligned with the at least one transferable component in plan view, and wherein exposing comprises exposing the at least one transferable component to the electromagnetic radiation through the transparent portion of the stamp.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises laser radiation provided from a light source.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the laser radiation heats the at least one transferable component, and wherein the at least one transferable component laterally spreads the heat over a surface thereof to reflow the eutectic layer.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein a bandgap of the at least one transferable semiconductor component is transparent to a wavelength of the laser radiation, and wherein the laser radiation heats the eutectic layer to reflow the eutectic layer.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the target substrate comprises a rough surface, and wherein the eutectic layer provides a substantially planar interface with the at least one transferable component after the reflow thereof.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target substrate comprises an unpolished ceramic substrate, an unpolished polysilicon substrate, an unpolished metal substrate, a printed circuit board, and/or a plastic substrate, and wherein the surface of the target substrate including the eutectic layer thereon is free of an adhesive layer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transferable semiconductor component comprises a plurality of transferable semiconductor components on the stamp, and wherein exposing comprises:
selectively exposing ones of the plurality of transferable components to the electromagnetic radiation through the stamp to reflow portions of the eutectic layer in contact therewith without reflowing other portions of the eutectic layer,
and wherein separating the stamp from the target substrate comprises:
separating the stamp from the target substrate to selectively delaminate the ones of the plurality of transferable components from the stamp without delaminating remaining ones of the plurality of transferable components.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of transferable components comprises a continuous array of transferable components, and further comprising the following prior to pressing the stamp on the target substrate:
contacting the stamp with a source substrate including the array of transferable components thereon; and
retracting the stamp from the source substrate to transfer the array of transferable components to the stamp,
wherein the ones of the plurality of transferable components that are delaminated from the stamp comprise a subset of the array.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
patterning the eutectic layer on the target substrate to define a plurality of eutectic patterns thereon prior to pressing the stamp on the target substrate,
wherein the eutectic layer comprises a multi-layer stack including alternating layers of at least two different materials.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the eutectic layer includes a first eutectic stack adjacent edge portions of the at least one transferable component, and a second eutectic stack between the edge portions, and wherein exposing comprises selectively exposing the edge portions of the at least one transferable component to the electromagnetic radiation to reflow the first eutectic stack without reflowing the second eutectic stack.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first eutectic stack comprises a material having a lower eutectic formation temperature than the second eutectic stack,
wherein exposing comprises exposing at least one transferable component to the electromagnetic radiation to reflow the first eutectic stack at a temperature lower than the eutectic formation temperature of the second eutectic stack, and further comprising,
heating the target substrate at a temperature sufficient to selectively reflow the second eutectic stack without reflowing an alloyed material formed upon reflow of the first eutectic stack.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second eutectic stack provides an ohmic contact to the at least one transferable component.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first eutectic stack comprises a metal alloy, and wherein the second eutectic stack comprises a metal-semiconductor alloy.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transferable component comprises a first multi junction solar cell stacked on a second multi junction solar cell having a lower bandgap than the first multi junction solar cell, and wherein an interface between the first and second solar cells includes a eutectic material.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the interface further includes at least one metal finger protruding from a recess in the second multi junction solar cell, and wherein the at least one metal finger includes the eutectic material thereon.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
an intrinsically doped layer or a P-N diode structure along the interface between the first and second multi-junction solar cells; and
a doped lateral current spreading layer on the intrinsically doped layer or P-N diode structure opposite the second solar cell.
18. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying that the at least one transferable component printed on the target substrate is defective;
contacting the stamp with the at least one transferable component responsive to identifying that the at least one transferable component is defective;
exposing the at least one transferable component to second electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the stamp to reflow the eutectic layer; and then
retracting the stamp including the at least one transferable component thereon from the target substrate while the eutectic layer is reflowed to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the target substrate.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transferable component includes one or more metal finger layers protruding from a surface thereof, and wherein the eutectic layer is on the metal finger layers.
20. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
patterning a metal layer on the target substrate to define a metal interconnect line and a local alignment mark; and
aligning the stamp with the local alignment mark on the target substrate prior to pressing the stamp on the target substrate.
21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one transferable component comprises a solar cell, light emitting diode, laser diode, or transistor.
22. A process for printing transferable components, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a eutectic layer comprising a conductive material on a surface of a target substrate;
(b) pressing a stamp including at least one transferable semiconductor component thereon on the target substrate such that the at least one transferable component and the surface of the target substrate contact opposite surfaces of a the eutectic layer, wherein the at least one transferable semiconductor component comprises a plurality of semiconductor dies, wherein respective ones thereof are on respective protruding post features of the stamp;
(c) during pressing of the stamp on the target substrate, exposing the at least one transferable component to electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the transfer stamp to reflow the eutectic layer; and
(d) separating the stamp from the target substrate to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the stamp and print the at least one transferable component onto the surface of the target substrate.
23. The process of claim 22 , wherein the stamp includes a transparent portion at least partially aligned with the at least one transferable component in plan view, and wherein the step (c) of exposing comprises:
exposing the at least one transferable component to laser radiation through the transparent portion of the stamp.
24. The process of claim 22 , wherein the at least one transferable semiconductor component comprises a plurality of transferable semiconductor components on the stamp, wherein the step (c) of exposing comprises:
selectively exposing ones of the plurality of transferable components to the electromagnetic radiation through the stamp to reflow portions of the eutectic layer in contact therewith without reflowing other portions of the eutectic layer,
and wherein the step (d) of separating the stamp from the target substrate comprises:
separating the stamp from the target substrate to selectively delaminate the ones of the plurality of transferable components from the stamp without delaminating remaining ones of the plurality of transferable components.
25. The process of claim 22 , further comprising the steps of:
(e) identifying that the at least one transferable component printed on the target substrate is defective;
(f) contacting the stamp with the at least one transferable component responsive to identifying that the at least one transferable component is defective;
(g) exposing the at least one transferable component to second electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the stamp to reflow the eutectic layer; and
(h) retracting the stamp including the at least one transferable component thereon from the target substrate while the eutectic layer is reflowed to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the target substrate.
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stamp is separated from the surface of the target substrate at a delamination rate of greater than 1 millimeter per second, and wherein the eutectic layer comprises a material configured to transition from a liquid phase to a solid phase more quickly than the delamination rate.
27. the method of claim 7 , wherein a thickness of the eutectic layer is lower than a peak-to-valley roughness of the target substrate.