Plastic Deformation of Thin Si Membranes in Si-Si Direct Bonding

The effect of bond anneal in Si-Si direct bonding of laminates with thin membranes suspending closed cavities is studied. For membranes of a certain size and thickness, it is found that the under-pressure in the cavity during bond anneal leads to plastic deformation of the membrane. By controlling the cavity pressure it is found that the Si crystal of the membrane can be kept intact during bond anneal.