Backgrinding is the process of removal of silicon from the back of wafers following conventional semiconductor processing. The process is primarily utilized in thinning wafers for commercial semiconductor wafer fabs.

Wafers are first laminated using an automatic taping machine. After inspection, they are placed on a Disco 84X series infeed grinder. The appropriate grinder software program is then selected to ensure the proper terminal thickness is guaranteed. When all wafers have been processed, the lot is measured to provide the customers’ Certificate of Compliance. After inspection, the tape is removed from the wafers. Final outgoing inspection is then carried out before the lot is prepared for shipment back to the customer.

In addition to the core business, capability has been expanded to explore ultra thin processing. Utilizing state-of-the-art “Wafer Support System” in the clean-room, the WSS acts to mount a processed wafer to a 700 micron thick concentric glass disk using adhesives. Subsequent processing, i.e. thinning, stress relief, metallizations etc. can then be performed on the thinned (less than 20 microns available) wafer, nominally without fear of breakage. Finally, the wafer is automatically demounted from the glass carrier and remounted onto UV dicing tape.

The addition of the WSS provides customers access to state-of-the-art thinning technologies while additionally providing post-thinning processing capabilities and maintaining mechanical integrity.