The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 23, 2010
Filed:
Dec. 12, 2006
Steven R. Codding, Underhill Center, VT (US);
David Domina, Cambridge, VT (US);
James L. Hardy, Essex Junction, VT (US);
Timothy Krywanczyk, Essex Junction, VT (US);
Steven R. Codding, Underhill Center, VT (US);
David Domina, Cambridge, VT (US);
James L. Hardy, Essex Junction, VT (US);
Timothy Krywanczyk, Essex Junction, VT (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A method holds wafers that contain patterned structures using a particle blasting tool. Next, the method directs particles at the patterned structures, such that the particles contact the patterned structures with a predetermined velocity and remove the patterned structures. This process of directing the particles at the wafer is controlled to stop directing the particles when substantially all of the patterned structures are removed from the wafer. This process also comprises selecting the particles to have a size equal to or less than 3 microns. For example, the particles can comprise aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, cerium, and/or a plastic. By maintaining the particle size equal to 3 microns or less, the blasting produces a substantially smooth wafer surface, thereby omitting the need for subsequent wafer polishing. Further, the wafers produced by such processing do not exhibit the highly stress lattice and fragile nature of wafers processed by wet processing.