Semiconductor Laser Fine Metal Mark for High Density Chip ID Storage
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for recording chip IDs on semiconductor chips are unable to form fine marks, leading to a reduction in the number of chips obtained from a wafer and limiting the amount of information that can be stored.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor laser element with a substrate, semiconductor layer, and electrodes, where a fine mark made of metal material is formed on either the front or back surface, spaced apart from the electrodes, allowing for increased information storage without reducing the number of chips per wafer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If a fine mark is formed to increase information storage, then the amount of information that can be stored increases, but the manufacturing precision required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the mark from conventional materials to metal material, and controls the thickness parameter to be smaller than the electrode thickness. This parameter change enables finer mark formation with better definition, increasing information storage capacity while maintaining manufacturability through controlled deposition processes
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different material properties to different parts of the structure: the mark is made of metal material with specific thickness characteristics, while the electrode has different thickness. This local differentiation allows the mark to achieve fine precision for information storage without requiring the entire device to meet the same high precision requirement
2Loss of information
If the mark area is increased to store more information, then the information storage capacity increases, but the number of chips obtained from one wafer decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional two-dimensional mark patterns to three-dimensional metal material structures with controlled thickness. By utilizing the thickness dimension (making the mark thickness smaller than the electrode thickness), the patent increases information storage capacity without increasing the planar area, thereby maintaining high chip yield per wafer
3Manufacturing precision
If a metal material mark with thickness smaller than electrode is formed, then the mark definition and information storage improve, but the manufacturing process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent forms the metal material mark before or after electrode formation in a controlled sequence. By performing the mark formation as a preliminary or subsequent action with controlled thickness (smaller than electrode thickness), the patent achieves fine mark definition while managing process complexity through systematic process sequencing rather than simultaneous complex operations
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor laser element includes a substrate; a semiconductor layer formed on a front surface of the substrate; a first electrode formed on a back surface of the substrate; a second electrode formed on a front surface of the semiconductor layer; and at least one mark configured to allow reading of predetermined information, the at least one mark being formed in at least one of (i) a position on the surface on which the first electrode is formed, spaced apart from the first electrode and (ii) a position on the surface on which the second electrode is formed, spaced apart from the second electrode. The at least one mark is made of a metal material and has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the electrode that is formed on the surface on which the at least one mark is formed.