Substrate Production via Internal Modified Layer Division
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing substrates, such as wafers, result in significant material loss due to the cutting process, particularly evident when working with expensive materials like silicon carbide, as they require slicing and subsequent grinding/polishing to achieve the desired thickness, limiting the number of substrates that can be obtained from a workpiece.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the formation of a modified layer inside the workpiece using an external stimulus, like a laser beam, to reduce the strength of specific regions, allowing for precise division without cutting, thereby enabling the production of substrates with reduced thickness and increased uniformity, and allowing for multiple substrates to be obtained from a single workpiece.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of substance
If conventional cutting methods (wire saw slicing) are used to produce substrates, then substrates can be obtained from workpieces, but significant material loss occurs due to slicing and subsequent grinding/polishing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by forming a modified layer inside the workpiece before dividing it. This modified layer is created through laser irradiation or other external stimuli that alter the material structure in advance, enabling subsequent easy separation without extensive material removal. The functional layer is formed on the first surface before division, ensuring the substrate maintains its integrity with minimal material loss.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical cutting systems (wire saw slicing) with a field-based approach using laser beams or other external stimuli to form modified layers. This substitution eliminates the need for mechanical contact and subsequent grinding/polishing operations, dramatically reducing material loss while increasing the number of substrates that can be obtained from each workpiece.
2Manufacturing precision
If extensive grinding and polishing are performed to achieve desired substrate thickness, then substrate thickness precision is improved, but material loss increases and production efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The modified layer is formed in advance at the precise depth corresponding to the desired substrate thickness. This preliminary structuring eliminates the need for subsequent grinding and polishing operations, as the modified layer itself defines the final substrate thickness with high precision, thereby preventing material loss that would otherwise occur during mechanical removal processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical or chemical parameters of the workpiece material by applying external stimuli (laser irradiation, thermal treatment, etc.) to create a modified layer with distinct properties. This parameter change enables precise thickness control without mechanical removal, as the modified layer's formation depth can be precisely controlled through process parameters such as laser power, scanning speed, and focal position.
3Reliability
If conventional cutting methods are used, then substrates can be produced, but the functional layer may be damaged during the cutting and grinding processes
Solution Approach 1:
The functional layer is formed on the first surface of the workpiece before the division step. The modified layer is then formed inside the workpiece, and division occurs along this pre-formed modified layer. This sequence ensures the functional layer is already in place and protected during the division process, preventing damage that would occur if cutting were performed before functional layer formation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical cutting and grinding operations with a field-based division method using the pre-formed modified layer. This substitution eliminates mechanical contact with the functional layer during separation, preventing scratches, cracks, or other damage that would otherwise occur during conventional cutting and grinding processes.
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
This approach minimizes material loss and enhances the efficiency of substrate production by allowing for the creation of multiple substrates with precise thickness and uniformity, reducing the need for extensive grinding and polishing, and maintaining the integrity of the functional layer.
Implementation Method 1
forming a modified layer inside the workpiece by applying a laser beam to the workpiece
Implementation Method 2
The modified regions may be regions of the workpiece in which the workpiece has been damaged by the application of the laser beam
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method of producing a substrate with a functional layer. The method comprises providing a workpiece having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface, and forming a modified layer inside the workpiece, the modified layer comprising a plurality of modified regions. Further, the method comprises, after forming the modified layer inside the workpiece, forming the functional layer on the first surface of the workpiece and, after forming the functional layer on the first surface of the workpiece, dividing the workpiece along the modified layer, thereby obtaining the substrate with the functional layer. Dividing the workpiece along the modified layer comprises applying an external stimulus to the workpiece. Moreover, the invention relates to a substrate producing system for performing this method.