NTHU PME2431 Manufacturing Processes Fall 2023 (100 points)

HW 7 IC, MEMS, and PCB Manufacturing

Due Dec 22, 2023, 8 pm

1. (50 Points) In a semiconductor manufacturing process, hydrogen fluoride (HF) is used to etch a
silicon dioxide layer for 2 minutes. The HF concentration used for this process is 10 mole/L. The
silicon dioxide layer has a molecular weight of 60 g/mole and a density of 2.6x10-3 g/mm3. The
diffusion layer thickness is 0.2 mm. The diffusion coefficient is 0.006 mm2/s. Estimate the depth
resulting from the etching process, assuming there is no undercut.

2. (50 Points) Laser slicing of the SiC wafer

Advancements in the electrical vehicle (EV) have created the need for thin single crystal silicon
carbide (SiC) wafer as the substrate material for energy-efficiency high power semiconductor
applications. This article on SiC Circuitry Makes EVs Better explains why SiC is selected as the
target material. SiC is very hard, brittle, and difficult to slice from single crystal ingot/boule. There
is a shortage of the supply of SiC wafer due to manufacturing, as described in this article SiC
Growth For EVs Is Stressing Manufacturing.

Traditionally, the wire saw method is used for slicing the SiC wafer, as shown below.

A new method, invented by the a renowned Japan company DISCO, called Key Amorphous-Black
Repetitive Absorption (KABRA), is a laser ingot slicing method.
Study the DISCO KABRA process and explain:

a) How is the SiC wafer sliced from the ingot using laser?

b) Draw the configuration on how the SiC wafer and ingot surface grinding operations were
performed after the laser slicing of wafer? Explain why the ingot grinding is required?