Method for processing semiconductor wafers using a grinding wheel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10974365-B2
Application number	US-202016897753-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 10, 2020
Priority date	Jul 21, 2016
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A method for forming semiconductor devices includes: grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer with a grinding wheel during a first time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is forward moved during the first time interval, wherein a plurality of semiconductor devices are formed on the semiconductor wafer; and polishing the backside of the semiconductor wafer with the grinding wheel in a second time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is backward moved during the second time interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for forming semiconductor devices, the method comprising:
grinding a backside of a semiconductor wafer with a grinding wheel during a first time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is forward moved during the first time interval, wherein a plurality of semiconductor devices are formed on the semiconductor wafer; and
polishing the backside of the semiconductor wafer with the grinding wheel in a second time interval, wherein the grinding wheel is backward moved during the second time interval.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
attaching the semiconductor wafer to a wafer carrier structure; and
placing an elastic foil between the semiconductor wafer and the wafer carrier structure,
wherein the elastic foil is compressed to a compressed thickness during grinding of the backside of the semiconductor wafer,
wherein the elastic foil returns to its original thickness during the backward movement of the grinding wheel during polishing of the backside of the semiconductor wafer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor wafer is a silicon carbide wafer.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the semiconductor wafer after the grinding is smaller than 200 μm.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices comprises at least one electrical element structure having a blocking voltage of more than 10V.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
obtaining a feedback signal comprising grinding force information indicating a force applied to the semiconductor wafer by the grinding wheel;
generating a control signal for controlling the movement of the grinding wheel based on the grinding force information;
triggering, based on the control signal, a forward movement of the grinding wheel according to a desired velocity profile during the first time interval if the grinding force information indicates that a force applied by the grinding wheel is below a force threshold; and
triggering, based on the control signal, a movement of the grinding wheel slower than the desired velocity profile during the first time interval if the grinding force information indicates that the force applied by the grinding wheel is above the force threshold.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
triggering, based on the control signal, a backward movement of the grinding wheel during the first time interval if the grinding force information indicates that the force applied by the grinding wheel remains above the force threshold after slowing.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the desired velocity profile is based on a target semiconductor wafer thickness.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the desired velocity profile comprises a first portion with a velocity above an average profile velocity for a coarse grinding towards the target semiconductor wafer thickness and a second portion with a velocity below an average profile velocity for a fine grinding towards the target semiconductor wafer thickness.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the velocity for the coarse grinding is at least 50% higher than the velocity for the fine grinding.

11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
triggering, based on the control signal, the backward movement of the grinding wheel after a target semiconductor wafer thickness is reached.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the grinding force information comprises information related to a motor current of a motor driving the grinding wheel.

13. The method of claim 6 , wherein the grinding force information comprises information related to a pressure exerted from the grinding wheel to the semiconductor wafer.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein a velocity of the backward movement during the second time interval is slower than 50% of an average velocity of the desired velocity profile during the first time interval.

15. A method for thinning a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising:
triggering a forward movement of a grinding wheel according to a velocity profile during grinding of the semiconductor wafer, responsive to a force applied by the grinding wheel being below a force threshold; and
triggering a movement of the grinding wheel slower than the velocity profile during grinding of the semiconductor wafer, responsive to the force applied by the grinding wheel being above the force threshold.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
triggering a backward movement of the grinding wheel during grinding of the semiconductor wafer, responsive to the force applied by the grinding wheel remaining above the force threshold after slowing the movement of the grinding wheel.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the velocity profile comprises a first portion with a velocity above an average profile velocity for a coarse grinding towards a target semiconductor wafer thickness and a second portion with a velocity below an average profile velocity for a fine grinding towards the target semiconductor wafer thickness.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
triggering backward movement of the grinding wheel after a target semiconductor wafer thickness is reached.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
polishing the semiconductor wafer with the grinding wheel during the backward movement.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein a velocity of the backward movement during the polishing is slower than 50% of an average velocity of the velocity profile during the grinding.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Lehner Rudolf

Classifications

• H10P72/7416

  used during dicing or grinding · CPC title

• H10P95/60

  Mechanical treatments, e.g. by ultrasounds · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P72/74

  using temporarily an auxiliary support · CPC title