Carrier Substrate Segmentation for Contamination-Free Back-Thinning
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Solution Overview
Problem
In the semiconductor industry, the use of rigid carrier substrates for back-thinning processes leads to contamination of the carrier substrate edge during deposition and etching processes, resulting in high costs for purification and limited reuse cycles, as well as inaccuracies in alignment that affect production throughput and productivity.
Innovation Solution
A process and device that aligns substrates with a larger diameter to a carrier substrate of a smaller diameter using electronic detection and control means for precise alignment, allowing continuous alignment during contact and enabling the reuse of carrier substrates without costly purification, by ensuring the carrier substrate is not exposed to contamination and providing optimal support during processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the carrier substrate diameter is made larger than the product substrate diameter to provide adequate support and protection in edge areas, then mechanical stability and support are improved, but the carrier substrate edge becomes heavily contaminated during deposition and etching processes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the carrier substrate into two functional zones: a larger diameter support area that provides mechanical stability, and a smaller diameter active area that remains uncontaminated. The product substrate is bonded only to the central active area, separating the support function from the processing area, thus preventing contamination of the carrier substrate edge while maintaining mechanical stability.
2Reliability
If the carrier substrate is made larger to protect edge areas, then support and protection are improved, but purification costs and labor increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the carrier substrate usage into a reusable central active area and a sacrificial edge support area. The edge areas serve their protective function and are then removed, eliminating the need for expensive purification processes. This approach converts a high-cost purification problem into a low-cost material removal solution.
3Strength
If the carrier substrate is made larger to support edge areas, then mechanical support is improved, but alignment precision decreases due to difficulty in accurately positioning the product substrate on the carrier
Solution Approach 1:
The patent reduces the bonding area to the central active area of the carrier substrate, which has well-defined geometric boundaries. This smaller, precisely defined bonding area makes alignment and positioning much more accurate compared to attempting to align on the entire larger carrier substrate including its edges.
4Strength
If a larger carrier substrate is used to protect edge areas, then support is improved, but the service life of the carrier substrate is limited due to contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a reusable central active area that remains clean and can be used repeatedly, surrounded by sacrificial edge areas that are discarded after a single use. This segmentation allows the valuable central area to have extended service life while the edges serve as disposable protective elements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies the discarding and recovering principle by removing and discarding the contaminated edge areas of the carrier substrate after use, while recovering and reusing the clean central active area for subsequent processing cycles, thus extending the overall service life of the carrier substrate.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a substrate for producing a substrate-product substrate combination by aligning, bringing into contact, and bonding a contact side of the large-area substrate to a support surface of a carrier substrate, whereby the substrate has a diameter d1, which can be reduced during back-thinning.