Flexible Glass Base Plate for Brittle Wafer Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in stably holding and processing brittle semiconductor wafers during transportation and grinding without breakage, as conventional methods using rigid plates or adhesive tapes often result in deformation and contamination, and existing resin-based solutions suffer from low heat resistance and thickness inaccuracies.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a flexible glass base plate with a chemically reinforced structure, allowing for removably fixing the wafer, applying adhesive sheets, and separating by bending the flexible glass plate, which reduces deformation and prevents breakage during processing and transportation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a rigid hard plate is used to hold the wafer, then the wafer can be stably held during processing, but the wafer breaks when separating due to inability to bend the plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible glass plate instead of a rigid hard plate. The flexible glass plate has sufficient rigidity to hold the wafer stably during processing but can be bent to separate from the wafer without causing breakage. This resolves the contradiction by providing both holding stability and separation safety through the unique mechanical properties of flexible glass.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the mechanical parameters of the holding plate by using flexible glass with specific flexibility and rigidity characteristics. The plate is designed to have controlled bending properties that allow it to be flexible enough for safe separation while maintaining sufficient rigidity for stable holding during processing operations.
2Stability of the object's composition
If adhesive agents or double-sided adhesive tape are used to fix the wafer, then the wafer can be held securely, but adhesive remains on the wafer causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a disposable adhesive sheet that is discarded after single use. The adhesive sheet provides sufficient fixing strength during processing but is designed to be completely removed after use, preventing any adhesive contamination on the wafer. The adhesive sheet is replaced with a fresh one for each wafer processing cycle.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the adhesive from the permanent structure by using a removable adhesive sheet that can be completely taken off after processing. This separates the fixing function during processing from the contamination risk during separation, as the adhesive is completely removed with the adhesive sheet rather than remaining on the wafer.
3Reliability
If resin film or resin plate is used as holding member, then separation without wafer breakage is achieved, but the holding member cannot be reused due to heat deformation and plastic deformation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses flexible glass, which is a composite material combining the rigidity and thermal stability of glass with controlled flexibility through chemical reinforcement and thickness control. This composite structure provides both separation safety and reusability, overcoming the limitations of pure resin materials that deform under heat and repeated use.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameters by selecting flexible glass with specific thermal properties and mechanical strength that allow it to withstand processing temperatures and repeated bending cycles without permanent deformation. The flexibility and rigidity parameters are carefully controlled to enable both safe separation and multiple reuses.
4Productivity
If conventional methods are used to hold and process the wafer, then processing can proceed, but thickness accuracy deteriorates due to deformation and inaccuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible glass plate provides a stable, flat surface that maintains thickness accuracy during processing while allowing deformation during separation. The plate's rigidity prevents wafer deformation during grinding and transportation, ensuring high thickness accuracy, while its flexibility enables clean separation without affecting the processed wafer dimensions.
Data Source
AI summary
An object of the present invention is to provide a treating method for brittle member capable of stably holding the brittle member when applying predetermined treatments such as transportation and grinding back surface of a brittle member such as a semi-conductor wafer and separating the brittle member without breakage after finishing required treatment to thereby attaining high thickness accuracy of the brittle member.A treating method for brittle member comprising: a step of removably fixing a brittle member on a flexible glass base plate, a step of treating said brittle member, a step of fixing said brittle member side by holding means, and a step of separating said flexible glass base plate from said brittle member by bending said flexible glass base plate.