Grind wheel design for low edge-roll grinding
AssigneeWolfspeed, Inc.
InventorsSimon Bubel, Robert Leonard
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Grinding systems and methods for semiconductor workpieces are provided. In one example, a grinding system includes a workpiece support operable to support a semiconductor workpiece and rotate the semiconductor workpiece about a first axis. The grinding system further includes a grind wheel operable to rotate about a second axis. The grind wheel has a plurality of grinding teeth arranged in a grinding ring on the grind wheel. A radius of the grinding ring is less than or equal to a radius of the semiconductor workpiece (e.g., such that an effective gap ratio between grinding teeth on the grind wheel are reduced).
Claims19
A grinding system for a semiconductor workpiece, the grinding system comprising:
- a workpiece support operable to support a semiconductor workpiece and rotate the semiconductor workpiece about a first axis;
- and
- a grind wheel operable to rotate about a second axis, wherein the grind wheel has a plurality of first grinding teeth arranged in a first grinding ring on the grind wheel;
- wherein a radius of the first grinding ring is such that grind wheel comprises an effective gap ratio when the plurality of first grinding teeth are contacting an edge of the semiconductor workpiece of about 0.8 or less, wherein the effective gap ratio comprises a ratio of an effective gap measurement between the plurality of first grinding teeth to an actual gap measurement between the plurality of first grinding teeth, wherein the effective gap measurement is a distance between a last point of a grinding tooth of the plurality of first grinding teeth contacting an edge of the semiconductor workpiece and a first point of an adjacent grinding tooth of the plurality of first grinding teeth contacting the edge of the semiconductor workpiece in a rotational direction of the grind wheel.
A method for grinding a surface of a semiconductor workpiece, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor workpiece on a workpiece support, the workpiece support rotatable about a first axis;
- providing a surface of the semiconductor workpiece against a first grinding ring on a grind wheel, the grind wheel rotatable about a second axis;
- and
- rotating one or more of the grind wheel or the workpiece support to implement a grinding operation on the semiconductor workpiece;
- wherein an effective gap ratio when a plurality of grinding teeth are contacting an edge of the semiconductor workpiece is about 0.8 or less, wherein the effective gap ratio comprises a ratio of an effective gap measurement between the plurality of grinding teeth to an actual gap measurement between the plurality of grinding teeth, wherein the effective gap measurement is a distance between a last point of a grinding tooth of the plurality of grinding teeth contacting an edge of the semiconductor workpiece and a first point of an adjacent grinding tooth of the plurality of grinding teeth contacting the edge of the semiconductor workpiece in a rotational direction of the grind wheel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.