Silicon Semiconductor - Wet Beats Dry in 3D Backside Process Study

Silicon Semiconductor – Wet Beats Dry in 3D Backside Process Study

Product News | Dec 05, 2016

Wafer Thinning: The Key to Advanced Packaging

As chips get smaller and more powerful, advanced packaging must keep pace. That’s where wafer thinning comes in. By reducing the thickness of silicon wafers, manufacturers can lower package height, improve thermal management, and boost electrical performance—all essential for packing more functionality into less space.

The Challenge: Thin Without Breaking

While wafer thinning is critical for applications like high-bandwidth memory, logic, MEMS, and CMOS image sensors, the process can introduce stress and damage. Grinding removes most of the silicon but leaves behind defects that weaken the wafer and reduce yield. To remove the remaining silicon and repair defects, manufacturers use chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), plasma etch, or wet etching.

Veeco’s Wet Etch Advantage

Veeco offers a smarter alternative. Our WaferEtch® single-wafer wet etch system uses a two-step liquid etch process that’s safer, cleaner, and more precise than conventional methods:

1. Faster, Controlled Thinning: The first step removes stress and non-uniformities.
2. Selective Finishing: Step two fine-tunes the wafer while protecting materials like oxides & metals.

Why It Matters

With Veeco’s wet etch system, engineers gain a more cost-effective and reliable solution. It reduces the need for expensive CMP and plasma tools, while integrated metrology ensures accurate, uniform silicon removal. Most importantly, by minimizing stress, the process helps prevent wafer breakage—leading to higher yield and more consistent results across the board.

Thinner, Smarter, Stronger

As chip designs evolve, precision wafer thinning isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s essential. Veeco’s wet etch process gives manufacturers the tools to go thinner, stronger & more efficient, without the risks or high cost.

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