MODULATING BOW OF THIN WAFERS

摘要

Apparatus and methods modulate the bowing of thin wafers. According to a method, a wafer is formed of semiconductor material. The wafer has a front side and a back side. A cross-section of the wafer is reduced by thinning material from the front side of the wafer. A plurality of circuits comprising individual semiconductor devices are formed on the front side of the wafer. A stress-balancing layer is formed on the back side of the wafer. The stress-balancing layer comprises at least one of a polymer film and/or a metal film having at least one metal layer. A heat treatment is applied to the wafer. The heat treatment may be an annealing process to a temperature between 150° C. and 450° C., which develops an in-situ bilateral tensile stress in the stress-balancing layer that modulates the bowing of thin wafers.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a wafer comprising semiconductor material, said wafer having a front side and a back side, a plurality of circuits comprising individual semiconductor devices being formed on said front side of said wafer; and a stress-balancing layer on said back side of said wafer, said stress-balancing layer comprising at least one of a polymer film and a metal film having at least one metal layer, said stress-balancing layer comprising a heat-treated layer, being subjected to a heat treatment, said stress-balancing layer having an in-situ bilateral tensile stress resulting from said heat treatment.