Memc Electronic Materials, Inc.

Guoqiang (David) Zhang

Henry Frank Erk

Thomas E Doane

Judith A Schmidt

Roland R Vandamme

Peter D Albrecht

Alexis Grabbe

Eugene R Hollander

Mick Bjelopavlic

Yun-Biao Xin

Mark G Stinson

James Raymond Capstick

Ralph V Vogelgesang

Michele Haler

Ashley Samuel Hull

Jozef G Vermeire

Gregory Potts

The present disclosure generally relates to the manufacture of silicon wafers, and more particularly to edge etching apparatus and methods for etching the edge of a silicon wafer.

Methods for etching the edge of a silicon wafer

Edge etched silicon wafers

A process for etching silicon wafers using a caustic etchant in the form of an aqueous solution comprising water, a hydroxide ion source, and a chelating agent. The process produces silicon wafers substantially free from diffused metal ions.

Silicon wafer etching process and composition

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor wafer includes providing an ingot of semiconductor material, slicing the wafer from the ingot, and processing the wafer to increase parallelism of the front surface and the back surface. A final polishing operation on at least the front surface is performed by positioning the wafer between a first pad and a second pad and obtaining motion of the front and back surfaces of the wafer relative to the first and second pads to maintain parallelism of the front and back surfaces and to produce a finish on at least the front surface of the wafer so that the front surface is prepared for integrated circuit fabrication. In another aspect, the wafer is rinsed by a rinsing fluid to increase hydrodynamic lubrication. Other methods are directed to conditioning the polishing pad and to handling wafers after polishing. An apparatus for polishing wafers is also included.

Method and apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer using novel final polishing method

A process for joining together a first polishing pad with a second polishing pad to form a larger pad for a machine that performs chemical-mechanical polishing of silicon wafers. The process includes laying a first polishing pad on a surface and laying a second pad on the surface so that a portion of the second pad overlies a portion of the first pad, creating an overlap region. The first and second pads in the overlap region are cut through to form a first cut edge on the first pad and a second cut edge on the second pad, the first and second cut edges having shapes which are complementary. The first and second cut edges are brought into engagement, and the first pad is joined to the second pad at the first and second cut edges. Cutting is done in a first direction that is generally opposite to a second direction that a polishing fluid is expected to move on an surface of the pad during operation of the polishing machine, thereby sloping the first and second cut edges away from the second direction to inhibit passage of polishing fluid between the first and second cut edges.

Polishing pad and process for forming same

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Ballwin, MO, United States of America

Guoqiang (David) Zhang