Polishing holder for silicon wafers and method of use thereof

A method for lapping and polishing a wafer, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) forming a cavity within a main plate;
• b) etching notches in a wall of the cavity;
• c) etching a pattern on a base of the cavity;
• d) moistening a holding disk;
• e) positioning the moistened holding disk within the cavity;
• f) positioning a wafer to be lapped and polished within the cavity above the holding disk whereby moisture within the holding disk creates a suctional force to retain the wafer within the cavity;
• g) dispensing a moistening liquid onto the template thereby causing the liquid to diffuse into the notches in the wall of the cavity and be received by the pattern within the cavity further enhancing the suctional force used to retain the holding disk and wafer within the cavity;
• h) releasably securing the template to a rotating head whereby a top surface of the main plate is facing a lapping and polishing surface and the wafer is in contact with the lapping and polishing surface;
• i) rotating the rotating head and template to create a frictional force between the wafer and the lapping and polishing surface causing the wafer to be lapped and polished;
• and
• j) continuing rotation of the rotating head and the template until the thickness of the wafer is decreased a desired amount substantially equal to the amount of the wafer extending outside the cavity.

A method for forming a main plate for use in lapping and polishing wafers, said method comprising the steps of:

• a) cutting at least one cavity into a surface of the main plate, the cavity comprising a base and a wall extending from the base;
• b) etching at least one notch in the wall of the at least one cavity;
• and
• c) etching a pattern in the base of the at least one cavity.