System and method for assessing inhomogeneous deformations in multilayer plates

1. A method for evaluating inhomogeneous deformations in a plurality of multilayer structures, each multilayer structure comprising a first wafer bonded by molecular adhesion to a second wafer, which method comprises:

making at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points along a predefined direction and over a predefined length of each first wafer and producing a curve representative of a surface profile of each first wafer using the plurality of measurement points;

computing a second derivative from the curve representative of the surface profile of each first wafer;

evaluating a level of inhomogeneous deformations in each first wafer as a function of the second derivative, wherein evaluating the level of inhomogeneous deformations in each first wafer comprises at least one test of determining whether the second derivative presents at least one sign change; and

physically separating, based on the evaluating, the plurality of multilayer structures into a first group having an acceptable level of inhomogeneous deformations and a second group having an unacceptable level of inhomogeneous deformations,

wherein, for each multilayer structure, the making at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points comprises emitting, by a probe, an acoustic wave toward the multilayer structure such that the acoustic wave propagates in the first wafer and the second wafer and generates a plurality of echoes,

wherein, for each multilayer structure, the producing the curve comprises determining the curve based on at least one of the plurality of echoes, and

wherein the plurality of echoes includes a first echo generated at a rear surface of the second wafer, a second echo generated at a buried surface of the first wafer, and a third echo generated at an exposed surface of the first wafer.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement points of each reading are measured along a diameter of each first wafer.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of readings of measurement points are made, with the readings being spaced from one another and made along the same direction.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the measurement points of each reading are measured according to a measurement pitch, with the measurement pitch being determined according to a dimension of at least one pattern of each first wafer.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the measurement pitch substantially corresponds to half of a dimension of a pattern of each first wafer.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points is made by acoustic microscopy.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one test comprises determining whether the second derivative presents at least one absolute value higher than a predefined value, and wherein physically separating the plurality of multilayer structures into the first group comprises selecting at least one multilayer structure when the result of the at least one test indicates the second derivative does not present the at least one sign change or the second derivative does not present the at least one absolute value higher than the predefined value.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one test comprises determining whether the second derivative presents at least one absolute value higher than a predefined value, and wherein physically separating the plurality of multilayer structures into the second group comprises selecting at least one multilayer structure when the result of the at least one test indicates the second derivative presents the at least one sign change or the second derivative presents the at least one absolute value higher than the predefined value.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface profile of each first wafer includes multiple surface profiles, and wherein the at least one test comprises:

determining a difference between minimum and maximum values of the multiple surface profiles; and

determining whether the difference is greater than a variable limit value.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface profile of each first wafer includes multiple surface profiles, and wherein the at least one test comprises:

determining differences between minimum and maximum values of the multiple surface profiles;

summing the differences;

calculating a coefficient by dividing the summed differences by a warp value; and

determining if the coefficient exceeds a predetermined value, wherein the warp value is a difference between a maximum overall height of the multilayer structure and a minimum overall height of the multilayer structure.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the surface profile for each first wafer includes multiple surface profiles, and wherein the at least one test comprises:

determining a standard deviation for the multiple surface profiles; and

determining whether the standard deviation is greater than or equal to a predetermined maximum standard deviation.

12. The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the buried surface is between the rear surface of the second wafer and the exposed surface of the first wafer, and

wherein the determining the curve includes at least one of:

determining a distance between the probe and the exposed surface of the first wafer based on the third echo; and

determining a thickness of the first wafer based on a time shift between receiving the second echo and the third echo.

13. A device for evaluating inhomogeneous deformations in a plurality of multilayer structures, each multilayer structure comprising a first wafer bonded by molecular adhesion to a second wafer, the device comprising:

measurement means for making at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points along a predefined direction and over a predefined length of each first wafer and for producing a curve representative of a surface profile of each first wafer using the plurality of measurement points;

computation means for computing a second derivative from the curve representative of the surface profile of each first wafer;

evaluation means for evaluating a level of inhomogeneous deformations in each first wafer as a function of the second derivative, wherein the evaluation means is configured to perform at least one test comprising a determination of whether the second derivative presents at least one sign change; and

sorting means for sorting the plurality of multilayer structures into a first group and a second group based on the evaluating,

wherein, for each multilayer structure, the making at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points comprises emitting, by a probe, an acoustic wave toward the multilayer structure such that the acoustic wave propagates in the first wafer and the second wafer and generates a plurality of echoes,

wherein, for each multilayer structure, the producing the curve comprises determining the curve based on at least one of the plurality of echoes, and

wherein the plurality of echoes includes a first echo generated at a rear surface of the second wafer, a second echo generated at a buried surface of the first wafer, and a third echo generated at an exposed surface of the first wafer.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the measurement points of each reading are measured along a diameter of each first wafer.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the measurement means is configured to make a plurality of readings of measurement points, with the readings being spaced from one another and made along the same direction.

16. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the measurement means is configured so that the measurement points of each reading are measured according to a measurement pitch, with the measurement pitch being determined according to a dimension of at least one pattern of each first wafer.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the measurement pitch substantially corresponds to half of a dimension of a pattern of each first wafer.

18. The device according to claim 13 , wherein the measurement means comprises an acoustic microscope.

19. A device for evaluating inhomogeneous deformations in a plurality of multilayer structures, each multilayer structure comprising a first wafer bonded by molecular adhesion to a second wafer, the device comprising:

an acoustic probe that emits, for each multilayer structure, an acoustic wave toward the multilayer structure such that the acoustic wave propagates in the first wafer and the second wafer and generates a plurality of echoes; and

a processor coupled to a memory including instructions to cause the processor to:

make at least one reading of a plurality of measurement points along a predefined direction and over a predefined length of each first and produce a curve representative of a surface profile of each first wafer using the plurality of measurement points;

compute a second derivative from the curve representative of the surface profile of each first wafer;

evaluate a level of inhomogeneous deformations in each first wafer as a function of the second derivative by performing at least one test comprising a determination of whether the second derivative presents at least one sign change; and

sort the plurality of multilayer structures into a first group and a second group based on results of the at least one test,

wherein, for each multilayer structure, the processor produces the curve by determining the curve based on at least one of the plurality of echoes, and

wherein the plurality of echoes includes a first echo generated at a rear surface of the second wafer, a second echo generated at a buried surface of the first wafer, and a third echo generated at an exposed surface of the first wafer.