# US 2020/0402833 A1 · Carrier for back end of line processing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2020/0402833 A1 - Document ID: US20200402833A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/905,477 - Filed: 2020-06-18 - Published: 2020-12-24 - Earliest claimed: 2019-06-20 - Assignees: Corning Incorporated - Applicants: Corning Incorporated - Inventors: Hoon Kim; Jin Su Kim; Varun Singh - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200402833A1 ## CPC - H10P 72/74: {using temporarily an auxiliary support} - C03C 15/00: Surface treatment of glass, not in the form of fibres or filaments, by etching (etching or surface-brightening compositions, in general C09K13/00) - H10P 52/00: Grinding, lapping or polishing of wafers, substrates or parts of devices - H10P 54/00: Cutting or separating of wafers, substrates or parts of devices - H10P 72/741: {the auxiliary support including a cavity for storing a finished or partly finished device during manufacturing or mounting, e.g. for an IC package or for a chip} - H10P 72/7416: {used during dicing or grinding} - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - C03C: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES OR VITREOUS ENAMELS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS, MINERALS OR SLAGS; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS ## Abstract A carrier assembly is configured to support a wafer, including during back end of line (BEOL) processing. The carrier assembly includes dual carriers. A first carrier includes a stepped structure so as to situate the wafer. A side of the wafer is bonded to the first carrier without adhesive. The first carrier is positioned atop the second carrier, so as to be mechanically supported by the second carrier. Each carrier is made by wet etching of laminated glass, without mechanical polishing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A carrier assembly, comprising: a first carrier comprising an opening configured to accommodate a wafer, the first carrier being divided into a first segment and a second segment opposed to the first segment; and a second carrier comprising a projection structured to support the wafer; and a base disposed beneath the projection, the base configured to extend in a lateral direction on either side of the projection so as to support the first and second segments of the first carrier on opposed sides of the projection. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the second carrier is disposed so as to support the wafer without adhesive between a bottom of the wafer and the second carrier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the first segment of the first carrier comprises: a first cladding layer; a second cladding layer; and a core layer between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer, wherein the first cladding layer is dimensioned so as to be shorter in length than each of the second cladding layer and the core layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The carrier assembly of claim 3, wherein each of the first cladding layer, the second cladding layer, and the core layer comprises glass, the core layer having a coefficient of thermal expansion which is greater than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first cladding layer or the second cladding layer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening is structured such that a distance between the first cladding layer of the first segment and a first cladding layer of the second segment exceeds a distance between the second cladding layer of the first segment and a second cladding layer of the second segment. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein each of the first and the second segments of the first carrier comprises: a first cladding layer; a second cladding layer; and a core layer between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer, wherein the first cladding layer is dimensioned so as to be shorter in length than each of the second cladding layer and the core layer. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the first carrier is structured to support the wafer when the second carrier is detached from the first carrier. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the opening is formed as a tee. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, wherein the first carrier is structured to maintain a position of the wafer when the first carrier is inverted, with the wafer being accommodated in the opening. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The carrier assembly of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of openings. ### Claim 11 (depends on 3) The carrier assembly of claim 3, wherein a ratio of a thickness of the core layer to a thickness of the first carrier is at least about 0.8. ### Claim 12 A method of processing a wafer, comprising: supporting the wafer in a first carrier, the first carrier being supported in turn by a second carrier; thinning the wafer while the wafer is positioned in the first carrier; detaching the first carrier from the second carrier; inverting the first carrier; and disposing the first carrier above a dicing stage. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising dicing the wafer while the wafer is inverted above the dicing stage and held in the first carrier so as to yield a plurality of dies. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising removing dies while the dies are positioned above the dicing stage in the first carrier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising transporting the wafer to the dicing stage while the wafer is supported by the first carrier. ### Claim 16 A method of manufacturing a carrier assembly, comprising: constructing a first carrier of the carrier assembly by attaching a first cladding layer of the first carrier to a first core layer; and attaching a second cladding layer of the first carrier to the first core layer, such that the first core layer is sandwiched between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer of the first carrier; performing a first etching process on the first carrier to expose a portion of the first core layer; and performing a second etching process on the first carrier to form a through hole, wherein formation of the through hole divides the first carrier into a first segment and a second segment. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising: constructing a second carrier by attaching a first cladding layer of the second carrier to a second core layer; and attaching a second cladding layer of the second carrier to the first core layer, such that the first core layer is sandwiched between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer of the second carrier; and performing a first etching process on the second carrier to create a projection and a base. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising assembling the first carrier and the second carrier by placing the first segment above a first portion of the base of the second carrier at a first side of the projection, and placing the second segment above a second portion of the base of the second carrier at a second side of the projection opposed to the first side. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the first etching process comprises placing an etch prevention layer above a portion of the first cladding layer of the first carrier, and the second etching process comprises placing the etch prevention layer so as to extend past edges of the first cladding layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first and second cladding layer of the first carrier are attached to the first core layer by a fusing process.