ACS-011 Wafer Grinding for Integrated Circuits

The production of integrated circuits requires silicon wafers with high flatness, ground before dicing into microchips. Wafer back-grinding uses a diamond and resin grind wheel on a rotating vacuum chuck, with continuous water washing. The process involves a coarse grind followed by a fine grind for different finishes like 1200 grit, 2000 grit, poligrind, and polish. A case study of a semiconductor wafer manufacturer in California shows the use of filtration, starting with a 1-micron bag filter and transitioning to a 0.45 PME Series and 0.2-micron PME Series for improved water cleanliness, reducing defects and increasing product yield.

• Silicon wafers need high flatness for integrated circuits
• Wafer back-grinding involves grinding wafers before dicing
• Process includes coarse and fine grinding for different finishes
• Case study shows the use of filtration for water in the process
• Transition from bag filters to PME Series for improved water cleanliness
• Resulted in fewer defects, higher product yield, and process improvement

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