CARRIER AND TOOLS
As technology is rapidly moving forward, developers are aiming to implement as many chips and sensors as possible in the smallest spaces. The reduction of device and chip size plays an important role in enabling this implementation. For this reason, thickness reduction of the semiconductor wafers is requested in industrial or scientific applications like MEMs or optics. Thin semiconductor wafers are flexible and fragile. A temporary mechanical stabilization is needed in order to enable processing of the wafer and to further decrease device wafer thickness.
For this purpose, PLANOPTIK provides Carrier Wafers.
Carrier & tools for Thin Wafer Handling
The wafer manufacturer produces Carrier Wafers, which can be debonded by various processes. Made of specific materials, different carriers fit to different wafer materials to provide stability during processing. This is what distinguishes the PLANOPTIK range of Carrier Wafers:
Featured Products
CARRIER CHEMICAL RELEASE
– perforated Carrier Wafer
– high density through holes available
– fast chemical debonding
– borosilicate or alkaline free Glass
CARRIER THERMAL RELEASE
– patterned Carrier Wafer
– honeycomb pattern for homogenous adhesive distribution and lower ttv
– borosilicate or alkaline free Glass Wafers
CARRIER LASER RELEASE
– blank Carrier Wafer
– easy laser release due to high transparency
– borosilicate or alkaline free Glass
CARRIER MECHANICAL RELEASE
– blank Carrier Wafer
– easy mechanical release due to smooth surface
– borosilicate or alkaline free Glass
ADAPTER CARRIER
– Adapter carrier with pocket to hold smaller dimension
– enable handling of smaller diameter Wafers inside existing equipment
– adapt from various dimensions and shapes to standard Wafer diameters
– optional through holes for vacuum chucking and clamping
– from Glass, Silicon or Glass-Silicon compound
TOOLS
– Chucks and Tools for Semiconductor manufacturing equipment
– from Glass, Quartz, Silicon and compounds
– with pockets, through holes and vacuum groves
General properties
- blank or patterned Carrier Wafers
- custom diameters available
- compatible with all common thin Wafer handling systems
- usable with temporary bonding and debonding
- cte adapted to Semiconductor Device Wafer
- low thickness tolerance and total thickness variation
- re-usable
- low damage laser marking for long life
- Adapter to enable handling of smaller dimensions Wafers in existing equipment
- high thermal and chemical stability
Applications
The advantages of glass for the production of Carrier Wafers
Glass is used as a carrier wafer material due to its mechanical stability and chemical resistance. All PLANOPTIK Carrier Wafers can be reused up to 30 times (depending on the details of the use process). In order to reduce the risk of bow or warp, the cte-match between semiconductor device wafers from e.g. Si, GaAs, InP or SiC can be adjusted by using different types of glass. The transparency of glass is not only used for the laser debonding process but furthermore for in-process inspection. Also, laser markings or QR-codes can be implemented for process traceability.
Carrier Wafers for different debonding applications
During processing, the Carrier Wafer is used as a mechanical and handling support. It can be detached after processing. In doing so, different debonding technologies are used depending on the adhesive technique chosen. PLANOPTIK offers the plain carrier (excluding the adhesives) but closely cooperates with adhesive and equipment makers. These are the different possibilities of debonding Carrier Wafers:
- Carriers for chemical release
Using a chemical release process, a solvent gets in contact with the adhesive and releases it. For this type of debonding, thousands of holes through the Carrier Wafer enable consistent contact and fast decomposition of the adhesive.
- Carrier for laser release
After processing, the adhesive interlayer will be exposed by using a laser. After exposure, the interlayer will lose its adhesion and the device and Carrier Wafers can be separated.
- Carriers for thermal release
By heating up the processed wafer stack, the adhesive interlayer will lose its adhesion and the device wafer can be released from the carrier by a so-called shear or slide-off debond.
Request a quote to include Carrier Wafers in your process
If you are interested to learn more about carriers for temporary bonding and debonding as well as how these carriers can be applied to your thin wafer handling process make sure to contact us!
IN URGENT NEED OF STOCK PRODUCTS?
Wafer Universe offers a wide range of high-quality wafers from Glass and Quartz – available off the shelf. At Wafer Universe you will find a wide selection of various sized wafers and carriers in different diameters and thicknesses as well as materials, including Borosilicate Wafers (with regular or enhanced MDF polishing), Alkaline free glass wafers and Quartz wafers (semiconductor grade quartz). For more information please click on the logo.
