Impact of mechanical properties of thin layers in SmartCut technology.

The SmartCut technology is nowdays widely used on the manufacture of innovative substrates such as SOI (Silicon-on-Insulator). The fundamental physical phenomena underlying this process are still being actively studied. In particular, the catastrophic fracture step, which allows the transfer of a very thin layer of a donor substrate onto a base or receiver substrate. An extensive and in-depth knowledge of the latter is therefore extremely important for the optimization of the SmartCut.

In this technological framework, we aim studying, on the one hand, the impact of the mechanical properties of the layers present on the receiver substrate on two important parameters of the SmartCut, the fracture time and the surface morphology after transfer.On the other hand the impatc on fracure initiation kinetics will also be assessed. Recently, a significant impact of mechanical properties on these parameters have been showed.

During this thesis, the candidate will carry out an exhaustive study of the evolution of the morphology of the surfaces after fracture on the donor and the receiver substrates according to the layers represented on the structure. After acquiring the fundamental knowledge necessary to understand the SmartCut technology and the fracture mechanisms involved. The candidate will carry out morphological characterizations through optical and electronic (SEM) microscopies as well as atomic force microscopy. Moreover, in-situ observations in IR microscopy will be also required.

In order to complete the physical phenomena understanding, and study the influence of different parameters such as the thickness of the layer and their mechanical properties, numerical simulations of the mechanical stress will also be performed on COMSOL multiphysics ® software.

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