Carriers for mechanical release

Plan Optik AG offers re-usable carriers for thin wafer handling which can be used for mechanical release of the device wafers.

There is an ongoing wafer thickness reduction in the semiconductor industry since years. The market is demanding for smaller devices, cost reduction and increased number of functions. Therefore smaller package sizes need to be generated. Mainly consumer applications are driving this progression but the demand for smaller package sizes is also associated with technical advantages. This could be a better electrical performance and an improved thermal management. Thin wafers also enable 3D packaging of sensors such as CMOS image sensors and others.

Producing thin wafers in high quantities puts high requirements on handling and processing tools.

Due to their low thickness, semiconductor wafers are vulnerable to stress and breakage. Warping of the wafers during handling and processing causes a high yield loss or even makes it impossible to handle the wafers any more. This means, a Thin wafer handling technology with a high grade of flexibility on wafer and substrate sizes is needed.

One of the most common techniques is the temporary bonding of the thick device wafers to a rigid carrier of high accuracy by using a polymer based adhesive. After handling and processing the device wafer in standard semiconductor process tools the release (de-bonding) is done by various techniques: These typically are chemicals which dissolve the adhesive, heat which decreases the viscosity of the adhesives or by laser which reduces the adhesive force.

A pretty smart approach is mechanical release since it requires no costly tools and processes and the active areas of the devices wafers are not getting in contact with chemicals or heat. The wafers are bonded to a carrier in two different zones. The outer zone in the perimeter (edge zone) with a high adhesion and the inner zone (center of wafer) with low adhesion. This results in a low force needed for separation of wafer and carrier.

Plan Optik is producing such carriers used for mechanical release in processes such as Zone Bond ©, Edge Zone Release © and Edge Zone Debond © by Brewer Science respectively EVG. Since a variety of glass materials with different coefficient of thermal expansion can be used as carrier wafers, there are cte adapted carriers for all standard semiconductor device wafer materials such as Si, GaAs, InP or even SiC. Additionally due to it’s tranparency for visible light it enables an easy and save monitoring of the temporary bonding process.
Carriers for mechanical release are available at a ttv as low as 1µm (depending on diameter and thickness) and from many cte adapted materials. These carriers can be re-used up to 50 times.

In order to guarantee the highest quality, Plan Optik employs a quality management system certified as per IATF 16949, ISO 14001 and ISO 9001.

Plan Optik AG is the leading manufacturer of structured wafers when it comes to technology. In sectors such as consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace, chemistry and pharmaceuticals these wafers are essential components used as active elements for numerous applications in MEMS technology. The wafers of glass, glass-silicon compounds or quartz are available in sizes up to 300 mm diameter. Wafers by Plan Optik provide high-precision surfaces in the ångström range (= ten millionths of a millimetre), which are achieved through the use of the MDF polishing process developed by the company. Plan Optik wafers are available to minimum tolerances with application-specific structuring and complex material combinations.

Partner of international large-scale manufacturers

Plan Optik AG's extensive experience in the integration of optical, electronic or chemical functions within a wafer as the basis of MEMS applications has made the company the preferred partner of large international manufacturers. Based on Plan Optik's expert knowledge the wafers are developed in collaboration with customers such as OSRAM, Infineon, Motorola, Samsung, Honeywell and Bosch.
Plan Optik develops and manufactures customer-specific wafers by integrating the necessary functions into the structure and material combination within the wafers. These wafers are subsequently separated into their individual elements, which in turn serve their purpose as an active element within the application. Plan Optik supplies international customers directly for mass production.

Plan Optik AG
Ueber der Bitz 3
56479 Elsoff
Germany
T +49 2664 5068 28
F +49 2664 5068 91
m.wagner@planoptik.com

This release was published on openPR.