Thin Wafer Carrier With Vacuum Apertures
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thin semiconductor wafers (less than 100 μm) are prone to bowing, warping, breakage, and debris accumulation, which leads to cleavage and damage during handling, testing, and temperature cycling due to lack of stable support and proper alignment.
Innovation Solution
A wafer carrier with a thin, low-profile design featuring a bottom support plate and a holding ring that engages to keep the wafer flat, includes vacuum apertures for secure handling, and can be made of conductive material for electrical testing, with optional adhesive and clamp mechanisms for added stability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a thin semiconductor wafer is handled without support, then handling simplicity is improved, but the wafer bows and warps leading to breakage
Solution Approach 1:
A carrier device is introduced as an intermediary between the handler and the thin semiconductor wafer. The carrier includes a support plate that provides stable support to the wafer during handling, preventing bowing and warping while maintaining ease of operation through standardized interfaces.
2Shape
If the wafer is flattened during handling, then flatness is improved, but stress accumulates causing cleavage or breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier device is designed to maintain wafer flatness from the beginning of handling, eliminating the need for repeated flattening operations. The support plate provides continuous support that prevents stress accumulation while maintaining the required flatness for testing and inspection.
3Measurement precision
If vacuum is applied during temperature cycling, then wafer positioning is improved, but thermal expansion stress causes cleavage
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier device incorporates dynamic control of vacuum application, allowing the vacuum to be adjusted or released during temperature cycling operations. This enables the wafer to expand and contract freely during thermal stress while maintaining precise positioning when vacuum is applied, preventing cleavage from constrained thermal expansion.
4Ease of operation
If the carrier profile is reduced, then accessibility for testing is improved, but structural support capability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The carrier device utilizes a thin support plate structure that provides adequate mechanical support while maintaining a low profile. The plate is designed with optimized thickness and material properties to balance structural strength with accessibility for testing equipment, ensuring both support capability and ease of operation.
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 carrier effectively minimizes breakage and damage by maintaining wafer flatness, facilitating secure vacuum handling, and enabling precise testing while accommodating temperature cycling without causing thermal stress.
Implementation Method 1
The bottom support plate is formed to include a plurality of apertures for pulling a vacuum through the carrier
Data Source
AI summary
A wafer carrier that exhibits a thin, low-profile includes a bottom support plate upon which a thinned semiconductor wafer may be positioned, with a holding ring disposed to surround the periphery of the wafer and engage with the bottom support plate to hold the wafer in a fixed position between the two components. The bottom support plate is formed to include a plurality of apertures for pulling a vacuum through the carrier, as well as features that engage with the holding ring and alignment fiducials for properly registering the orientation of the wafer's surface with respect to the wafer carrier and other testing equipment using the wafer carrier.