Silicon Heater Bonded to Test Wafer for Thermal Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for simulating the heat emission of semiconductor devices are costly and time-consuming, and existing heaters lack the necessary thermal response and density to accurately mimic the high-speed, high-integration heat emission characteristics of modern ICs.
Innovation Solution
A test wafer is created by bonding a silicon heater with low thermal capacity and high thermal density to a silicon wafer, using doped silicon with a thin thickness and a silicon oxide insulation layer, allowing for precise thermal simulation and heat emission behavior replication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If conventional heating methods are used for thermal simulation, then the heating capability is sufficient, but the thermal response speed is too slow to accurately simulate modern high-speed IC heat emission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter of the heater from conventional materials to silicon, which has superior thermal conductivity and lower thermal capacity. This parameter change enables the heater to respond faster to temperature changes while maintaining accurate simulation of IC heat emission characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The silicon heater is designed to copy the thermal emission characteristics of actual semiconductor devices. By using silicon—the same material as the IC substrate—the heater replicates the thermal behavior, heat capacity, and emission patterns of real devices, enabling accurate simulation for verifying heat absorption methods
2Quantity of substance
If conventional heaters with high thermal mass are used, then the heating stability is good, but the thermal density is insufficient to replicate high-integration IC heat emission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies the thermal parameters by using thin-film silicon deposition to create a heater with reduced thermal mass while maintaining high thermal density. This allows the heater to achieve both stability and the ability to replicate high-integration IC heat emission characteristics
Solution Approach 2:
The heater is constructed as a thin film structure deposited on the silicon wafer surface. This thin-film configuration reduces the thermal capacity while concentrating the heat generation in a thin layer, achieving high thermal density that accurately mimics the heat emission of modern high-integration semiconductor devices
3Measurement precision
If expensive and time-consuming methods are used to create test wafers with actual device patterns, then the simulation accuracy is high, but the manufacturing cost and time increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of creating actual device patterns, the patent uses a simplified approach where a silicon heater is deposited on a silicon wafer. This copies the essential thermal emission behavior without requiring complex lithography and device fabrication, dramatically reducing manufacturing cost and time while maintaining sufficient simulation accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a cost-effective silicon heater structure that can be manufactured using standard thin-film deposition processes. This simpler, cheaper structure replaces the need for expensive, time-consuming actual device fabrication while still providing accurate thermal simulation for verifying heat absorption methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The test wafer enables cost-effective and accurate simulation of heat emission behavior, effectively mimicking the thermal response of actual semiconductor devices, facilitating precise verification of heat absorption characteristics and temperature control in inspection devices.
Implementation Method 1
a silicon heater bonded to a surface of the silicon wafer
Implementation Method 2
a silicon oxide insulation layer
Data Source
AI summary
A test wafer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a test wafer used for simulation of heat emission of devices on a wafer, and includes a silicon wafer and a silicon heater bonded to a surface of the silicon wafer.