Slicing SiC Material by Wire Electrical Discharge Machining
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsNirdesh Ojha, Francisco Javier Santos Rodriguez, Roland Rupp, Markus Heinrici, Karin Delalut, Claudia Friza
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Abstract
A method of yielding a thinner product wafer from a thicker base SiC wafer cut from a SiC ingot includes: supporting the base SiC wafer with a support substrate: and while the base SiC wafer is supported by the support substrate, cutting through the base SiC wafer in a direction parallel to a first main surface of the base SiC wafer using a wire as part of a wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process, to separate the product wafer from the base SiC wafer, the product wafer being attached to the support substrate when cut from the base SiC wafer.
Claims24
A method of yielding a thinner product wafer from a thicker base SiC wafer cut from a SiC ingot, the method comprising:
- supporting the base SiC wafer with a support substrate;
- and
- while the base SiC wafer is supported by the support substrate, cutting through the base SiC wafer in a direction parallel to a first main surface of the base SiC wafer using a wire as part of a wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process, to separate the product wafer from the base SiC wafer, the product wafer being attached to the support substrate when cut from the base SiC wafer.
A wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) apparatus, comprising:
- a chuck configured to receive a base SiC wafer with a support substrate, and to rotate the base SiC and the support substrate during a WEDM process;
- first and second spools configured to feed a wire;
- and
- a controller configured to control rotation of the chuck and feeding of the wire between the first and the second spools so as to cut through the base SiC wafer in a direction parallel to a first main surface of the base SiC wafer using the wire during the WEDM process and separate a product wafer from the base SiC wafer, the product wafer being attached to the support substrate when cut from the base SiC wafer.
A SiC product wafer comprising a SiC body having a thickness of less than 100 μm and being devoid of implanted hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.