Patent · US Expired

Method of handling a silicon wafer

US6663674B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by

1References

7Claims

0Family size

Assignees

Infineon Technologies SC 300 GmbH & Co. KG · DE
Infineon Technologies AG · DE
Motorola, Inc. · US

Inventors

Michael Tucker · Dallas, US
Terry A. Breeden · Mabank, US
Stefan Ottow · Dresden, DE
Wolfram Kostler · Radeberg, DE
Dan Wissel · Austin, US

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 19, 2002
Grant date	Dec 16, 2003
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Apr 19, 2022

Classification

Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
CPC primaryH01L21/02271
WIPO fieldSemiconductors
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A recycling procedure for 300 mm nitride dummy wafers which have a stabilization layer of silicon dioxide is provided. The recycling procedure is essentially based on selectively wet etching the deposited silicon nitride with respect to the silicon dioxide stabilization layer, preferably with hot phosphoric acid at 160° C. In particular, a method of handling a silicon wafer which is employed as a dummy wafer during a nitride deposition process includes the steps of depositing a silicon dioxide layer on the wafer surface, performing the nitride deposition process on the wafer to deposit silicon nitride or silicon oxinitride on the wafer surface until a predetermined layer thickness is reached, and etching the silicon nitride or silicon oxinitride layer selectively with respect to the silicon dioxide layer.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.