Mechanical protection for semiconductor edge-emitting ridge waveguide lasers

A method of protecting a semiconductor device from damage during device processing comprising:

• providing a semiconductor wafer;
• providing a plurality of semiconductor chips on the surface of the wafer where each semiconductor chip includes an active area bounded by inactive semiconductor areas not including an active semiconductor device;
• providing a plurality of pads around the periphery of at least some semiconductor chips of the plurality of semiconductor chips only in said inactive areas on the surface of the at least some semiconductor chips, each pad having a greater relative height measured from the surface of the wafer than the height of any portion of a respective active device;
• and
• removing a semiconductor chip of the at least some semiconductor chips from the wafer using a pick and place tool such that the pick and place tool only makes contact with the pads surrounding the active area of the semiconductor chip.

A method of protecting a semiconductor device from damage during device processing comprising:

• providing a semiconductor wafer;
• providing a semiconductor chip on the surface of the wafer where the semiconductor chip includes an active area with inactive semiconductor areas disposed on opposing sides of the active area and where the inactive semiconductor areas do not include an active semiconductor device;
• providing a plurality of pads only in said inactive areas on the surface of the semiconductor chip, each pad having a greater relative height measured from the surface of the wafer than the height of any portion of a respective active device;
• and
• removing the semiconductor chip from the wafer using a pick and place tool such that the pick and place tool only makes contact with the pads surrounding the active area of the semiconductor chip.