METHOD OF PROCESSING SEMICONDUCTOR WAFERS TO BUILD IN BACK SURFACE DAMAGE

• Main Author: XIN, YUN-BIAO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 31.10.2001
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; DRESSING OR CONDITIONING OF ABRADING SURFACES; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; FEEDING OF GRINDING, POLISHING, OR LAPPING AGENTS; GRINDING; MACHINES, DEVICES, OR PROCESSES FOR GRINDING OR POLISHING; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POLISHING; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TRANSPORTING

A method of processing a semiconductor wafer sliced from a single-crystal ingot includes lapping front and back surfaces of the wafer to reduce the thickness of the wafer and to improve the flatness of the wafer. The front surface is subjected to fine grinding to reduce the damage on the front surface while leaving damage on the back surface intact. The front and back surfaces are simultaneously polished to improve the flatness of the wafer and to reduce wafer damage on the front and back surfaces. The wafer damage remaining on the back surface is greater than the wafer damage on the front surface. The wafer damage remaining on the back surface facilitates gettering.