Selective transfer of active components

{
  "publication_number": "US2013273695A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "Selective transfer of active components",
  "abstract": "A method for selectively transferring active components (22) from a source substrate (20) to a destination substrate (10) includes providing a source substrate with one or more active components located on the source substrate, providing a destination substrate, locating a selectively curable adhesive layer (30) between and adjacent to the destination substrate and the source substrate, selecting one or more active components (22 A), selectively curing area(s) (32 A) of the adhesive layer corresponding to the selected active components to adhere the selected active components to the destination substrate, and removing the source substrate from the destination substrate leaving the selected active components adhered to the destination substrate in the selected areas.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A method for selectively transferring active components, the method comprising: providing a curable adhesive layer between a receiving surface and a surface of a substrate including the active components thereon; assembling the substrate on the receiving surface such that the curable adhesive layer contacts the active components and the receiving surface; selectively curing portions of the curable adhesive layer in contact with ones of the active components without curing other portions thereof, wherein the cured portions respectively comprise less than an entirety of a contact area between the respective ones of the active components and the adhesive layer; and then separating the substrate from the receiving surface such that the ones of the active components on the cured portions of the curable adhesive layer are transferred to the receiving surface. 2 - 3. (canceled) 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a source substrate, and wherein the active components are releasably adhered to the source substrate by a plurality of tethers. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein providing a curable adhesive layer is preceded by: providing a sacrificial layer and an active layer on the source substrate; processing the active layer to define the active components and the plurality of tethers connecting the active components to anchor areas of the active layer; removing portions of the sacrificial layer between the active components and the source substrate such that the active components are releasably adhered to the source substrate by the plurality of tethers. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of tethers include an etch-resistant material, and wherein removing the portions of the sacrificial layer comprises: selectively etching the sacrificial layer without substantially etching the plurality of tethers. 7. The method of claim 4, wherein separating the substrate from the receiving surface comprises breaking ones of the plurality of tethers that are connected to the ones of the active components in contact with the cured portions of the adhesive layer. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively curing comprises selectively irradiating the portions of the curable adhesive layer with light, heat, and/or electromagnetic energy. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein selectively irradiating comprises: providing a mask that exposes the portions of the curable adhesive layer in contact with the ones of the active components; and selectively irradiating the portions of the curable adhesive layer exposed by the mask. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving surface comprises an at least partially transparent destination substrate, and wherein selectively irradiating comprises: selectively transmitting a laser through the destination substrate to selectively irradiate the portions of the curable adhesive layer in contact with the ones of the active components. 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the substrate and the active components are at least partially transparent, and wherein selectively irradiating comprises: selectively transmitting a laser through the substrate and the ones of the active components to selectively irradiate the portions of the curable adhesive layer. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving surface comprises a flexible and/or a polymer destination substrate. 13. The method of claim 5, wherein the active layer comprises a crystalline, microcrystalline, polycrystalline, or amorphous semiconductor layer. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the active layer has a thickness of greater than about 5 microns. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the substrate comprises a stamp, and wherein assembling the substrate on the receiving surface comprises pressing the stamp on the receiving surface. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: pressing the stamp on a source substrate including the active components releasably adhered thereto; and separating the stamp from the source substrate to transfer the active components from the source substrate to the stamp prior to pressing the stamp on the receiving surface. 17. The method of claim 16, wherein the active components are releasably adhered to the source substrate by a plurality of tethers, and wherein pressing the stamp on the source substrate comprises breaking ones of the plurality of tethers that are connected to the active components. 18. The method of claim 16, wherein the stamp includes a second curable adhesive layer thereon, wherein the active components comprise first active components releasably adhered to the source substrate, wherein the source substrate further includes second active components releasably adhered thereto, and further comprising: contacting the second curable adhesive layer with the first and second active components on the source substrate when pressing the stamp on the source substrate; and selectively disabling portions of the second adhesive layer in contact with the second active components to delaminate the second active components from the stamp prior to separating the stamp from the source substrate. 19. The method of claim 15, wherein the curable adhesive layer comprises a first adhesive layer, wherein the stamp includes a second adhesive layer thereon that releasably adheres the active components to the stamp, and further comprising: selectively disabling portions of the second adhesive layer in contact with the ones of the active components prior to separating the stamp from the receiving surface, wherein an adhesive strength of the cured portions of the first adhesive layer is greater than that of the disabled portions of the second adhesive layer. 20. The method of claim 1, wherein the ones of the active components transferred to the receiving surface comprise first ones of the active components transferred to a first area of the receiving surface, and further comprising the following after separating the substrate from the receiving surface: aligning the substrate with a second area of the receiving surface, the substrate including second ones of the active components remaining thereon; assembling the substrate on the second area of the receiving surface such that the curable adhesive layer contacts second ones of the active components and the receiving surface; selectively curing second portions of the curable adhesive layer in contact with the second ones of the active components; and then separating the substrate from the second area of the receiving surface such that the second ones of the active components on the cured second portions of the curable adhesive layer are transferred to the second area of the receiving surface. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein aligning the substrate comprises moving the substrate in one or two dimensions relative to the receiving surface such that the first and second ones of the active components thereon define a one- or two-dimensional array of active components. 22. (canceled) 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is provided on the active components, wherein the ones of the active components transferred to the receiving surface comprise first ones of the active components, and further comprising the following after separating the substrate from the receiving surface: assembling the substrate including second ones of the active components remaining thereon on a second receiving surface such that the adhesive layer is in contact with the second ones of the active components and the second receiving surface; and selectively curing portions of the adhesive layer in contact with the second ones of the active components and then separating the substrate from the second receiving surface to transfer the second ones of the active components to the second receiving surface. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is provided on the receiving surface, wherein the active components comprise first active components, and further comprising: assembling a second substrate including second active components thereon on the receiving surface such that the adhesive layer contacts the second active components; and selectively curing second portions of the adhesive layer in contact with the second active components and then separating the second substrate from the receiving surface to transfer the second active components to the receiving surface. 25. The method of claim 1, wherein, after separating the substrate from the receiving surface, the method further comprises: cleaning the substrate; and providing second active components on the surface of the substrate for transfer to the receiving surface and/or another receiving surface. 26. (canceled) 27. A method for selectively transferring active components from a source substrate to a destination substrate, comprising the steps of: a) providing a source wafer having a sacrificial layer formed over the source wafer and an active layer formed on the sacrificial layer; b) processing the source wafer to form one or more active component(s) in or on the active layer and a trench around each of the active component(s), the trench extending through the active layer to the sacrificial layer; c) removing the sacrificial layer except for breakable tethers to release the active components from the source substrate; d) providing a destination substrate having a receiving side; e) locating a selectively curable adhesive layer between and adjacent to the receiving side of the destination substrate and the active component side of the source wafer, the selectively curable adhesive layer having separate areas between each of the active component(s) and the receiving side of the destination substrate; f) selecting one or more active components; g) selectively curing the adhesive layer in selected area(s) of the adhesive layer corresponding to the selected active components to adhere the selected active components to the receiving side of the destination substrate in the selected area(s); and h) breaking the tethers by removing the source substrate and the adhesive layer from the destination substrate leaving the selected active components adhered to the receiving side of the destination substrate in the selected area(s). 28. A method for selectively transferring active components from a source substrate to a destination substrate, comprising the steps of: a) providing a source substrate having an active side and one or more active components located on the active side of the source substrate; b) providing a destination substrate having a receiving side coated with a selectively curable adhesive; c) providing a stamp; d) pressing the stamp against the active components to adhere the active components to the stamp; e) stamping the active components onto the receiving side of the destination substrate to adhere the first active components to the receiving side of the destination substrate; f) selectively curing the selectively curable adhesive layer in the areas corresponding to the active components; g) removing the stamp from the destination substrate leaving the first active components adhered to the receiving side of the destination substrate. 29. A method for selectively transferring active components from a source substrate to a destination substrate, comprising the steps of: a) providing a source substrate having an active side and one or more active components located on the active side of the source substrate; b) providing a destination substrate having a receiving side; c) providing a stamp; d) locating a selectively adhesive layer between and adjacent to the stamp and the active side of the source substrate, the selectively adhesive layer having separate areas between each of the active component(s) and the stamp, thereby laminating the active components to the stamp; e) selecting one or more first active components having corresponding first selected areas and one or more remaining second active components having corresponding second selected areas; f) selectively delaminating the selectively adhesive layer in the second selected area(s) and removing the stamp from the source substrate leaving the first active components laminated to the stamp; and g) stamping the first active components onto the receiving side of the destination substrate to adhere the first active components to the receiving side of the destination substrate; h) removing the stamp from the destination substrate leaving the first active components adhered to the receiving side of the destination substrate."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/318,508 entitled “Selective Transfer of Active Components,” filed on Mar. 29, 2010 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.\n\nThe present invention is a method for providing substrates having electrically active components distributed thereon.\n\nLarge substrates with electronically active components distributed over the extent of the substrate are useful in a variety of electronic systems, for example flat-panel imaging devices such as flat-panel liquid crystal or OLED display devices and in digital radiographic plates. Large substrates with electrically active components are also found in flat-panel solar cells.\n\nThe electronically active components are typically formed by sputtering a layer of inorganic semiconductor material or by spin-coating organic material over the entire substrate. Inorganic semiconductor materials can be processed to improve their electronic characteristics, for example amorphous silicon can be treated to form low-temperature or high-temperature poly-crystalline silicon. In other process methods, microcrystalline semiconductor layers can be formed by using an underlying seeding layer. These methods typically improve the electron mobility of the semiconductor. The substrate and layer of semiconductor material are typically photo-lithographically processed to define electronically active components, such as transistors.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 14/6506",
    "H01L 21/58",
    "H10P 72/74",
    "H10P 72/7426",
    "H10P 72/7432",
    "H10P 72/7434",
    "H10W 72/30",
    "H10W 74/127",
    "H10W 90/00",
    "H10W 99/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H10P 95/00",
    "B29C 63/00",
    "H01L 23/00",
    "H01L 23/31",
    "H01L 23/34"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Semprius Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Etienne Menard",
    "Joseph Carr"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-03-22",
  "publication_date": "2013-10-17",
  "priority_date": "2010-03-29",
  "application_number": "US-201113638019-A",
  "family_id": "44209972",
  "cited_by_count": 220,
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}