Tunable Adhesive for Thin Solid Materials in Semiconductor Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adhesives fail to provide sufficient thermal and chemical resistance while allowing easy removal of thin solid materials from rigid carrier substrates during electronic manufacturing processes, often causing damage due to outgassing and mechanical instability.
Innovation Solution
A tunable liquid chemical mixture comprising various polymer families such as epoxies, acrylates, silicones, and urethanes is applied between the thin solid material and the carrier substrate, offering an adjustable adhesive force that is less than the tensile strength of the material, enabling safe removal without damaging the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional adhesives are used to hold thin solid materials on rigid carrier substrates, then mechanical stability during manufacturing is achieved, but thermal and chemical resistance is insufficient causing outgassing and material degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully controlling the adhesive layer thickness (5-50 micrometers) and selecting specific polymer compositions (silicones, acrylics, polyimides) with appropriate glass transition temperatures and thermal stabilities. This resolves the contradiction by finding optimal parameter ranges that provide sufficient mechanical stability while preventing thermal degradation and outgassing during high-temperature manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite materials by formulating adhesives as complex polymer systems containing multiple components including base polymers, crosslinking agents, fillers (such as silica), and additives. These composite adhesive formulations achieve both mechanical stability for handling thin substrates and thermal/chemical resistance to prevent outgassing, resolving the contradiction between these opposing requirements.
2Reliability
If adhesive force is increased to withstand manufacturing processes, then processing stability is improved, but removal of thin solid materials becomes difficult or damaging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by selecting adhesives with specific viscoelastic properties and glass transition temperatures that allow the adhesive to exhibit different mechanical behaviors at different temperatures. During manufacturing at elevated temperatures, the adhesive remains stable; upon cooling, it becomes more compliant, enabling easy removal without damage. This dynamic behavior resolves the contradiction between processing stability and ease of removal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by controlling adhesive layer thickness (5-50 micrometers) and selecting polymers with specific transition temperatures. The thin adhesive layer provides sufficient bonding strength during processing while the specific material parameters ensure that the adhesive can be cleanly removed by peeling at room temperature without exceeding the tensile strength of the thin solid material, resolving the contradiction between strong adhesion and easy removal.
3Weight of moving object
If thin solid material thickness is reduced for miniaturization, then device size and weight are improved, but mechanical strength and handling difficulty worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the intermediary principle by introducing a specially formulated adhesive layer as a mediator between the thin solid material and the rigid carrier substrate. This adhesive intermediary compensates for the reduced mechanical strength of thinner materials by providing enhanced support and stability during handling and processing, while still allowing for easy removal. This resolves the contradiction between miniaturization and mechanical strength.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses parameter changes by optimizing the adhesive layer thickness (5-50 micrometers) and selecting polymers with appropriate mechanical properties including tensile strength, elongation, and adhesion characteristics. These parameter optimizations allow the adhesive to compensate for reduced substrate thickness, providing necessary mechanical support while maintaining ease of removal, thus resolving the contradiction between miniaturization and strength.
4Strength
If adhesive chemistry is tuned for strong bonding, then adhesion strength is improved, but removal force required exceeds material tensile strength causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by carefully selecting polymer compositions with specific adhesion characteristics and controlling the adhesive layer thickness (5-50 micrometers). The adhesive chemistry is tuned to provide sufficient bonding strength to withstand manufacturing processes while ensuring that the removal force required does not exceed the tensile strength of the thin solid material. This resolves the contradiction between adhesion strength and prevention of material damage during removal.
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 tunable adhesive system supports manufacturing processes by maintaining mechanical and thermal stability, allowing for easy removal of thin solid materials without compromising their integrity, thus reducing costs and complexity in handling and retooling.
Implementation Method 1
a resin system... applied between a thin solid material and a rigid carrier substrate to act as a temporary adhesive
Implementation Method 2
sufficient thermal and chemical resistance to support electronic manufacturing processes... thermal resistance that reaches 400° C. or more
Implementation Method 3
chemical resistance... observed to exhibit outgassing (weight loss) due to material degradation at elevated temperatures
Data Source
AI summary
Compositions and methods are described for a temporary adhesive with adjustable adhesion force to affix a thin solid material onto a carrier whereby the force of adhesion is defined by choosing and adjusting the polymeric resin components to provide sufficient adhesion to support a manufacturing process, and upon completion, the thin solid material is removed by an external applied force of a given value that overcomes the adhesive force without harm to the thin solid material. The temporary adhesive provides a tunable adhesion force that is lower than the tensile strength of the thin solid material, preferably less than 50%, more preferably less than 25%, and most preferably less than 10% of the tensile strength of the thin solid material. The temporary adhesive may be applied and cured in a variety of ways that meet the needs of the form of the thin solid material and objectives of the manufacturing process. The invention provides benefits of flexibility and reduced cost when establishing practices to handle difficult thin solid materials in the manufacture of semiconductors and flat panel displays.