Abrading – Abrading process
Utility Patent
1999-07-27
2001-01-02
Gerrity, Stephen F. (Department: 3729)
Abrading
Abrading process
C451S041000, C134S007000
Utility Patent
active
06168501
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a grinding method of a microelectronic device such as a thin-film magnetic head wafer.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
When fabricating a microelectronic device such as a thin-film magnetic head, various thin-film layers may be deposited by sputtering and then each of the deposited layers is patterned by using a lift-off process, a milling process or both lift-off and milling processes. During this patterning process, unnecessary protrusions such as burrs may be formed on the patterned layer of the microelectronic device.
However, there has been no method for effectively removing such unnecessary protrusions of the patterned layer without adversely affecting the quality of the magnetic head wafer. Such unnecessary protrusions may be in fact removed by sandblasting. However, the impinged abrasive will cause scratches or flaws on the sandblasted surface, and therefore the sandblasting method cannot be adopted for removing the protrusions.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a grinding method of a microelectronic device, whereby unnecessary protrusions such as burrs that may be produced on a patterned layer of the microelectronic device during patterning can be effectively removed.
According to the present invention, a method of grinding a microelectronic device includes a step of preparing an abrasive member by crushing a solid-phase liquid into massive form and by compacting the crushed solid-phase liquid, an abrasive member by compacting a solid-phase gas, or an abrasive member by crushing a solid-phase liquid into massive form, by mixing the crushed solid-phase liquid with a solid-phase gas and by compacting the mixed solid-phase liquid and solid-phase gas, and a step of pressing a surface of the microelectronic device to be ground against the abrasive member.
Grinding a microelectronic device by means of an abrasive member produced by crushing a solid-phase liquid into massive form and by compacting the crushed solid-phase liquid, an abrasive member produced by compacting a solid-phase gas, or an abrasive member produced by crushing a solid-phase liquid into massive form, by mixing the crushed solid-phase liquid with a solid-phase gas and by compacting the mixed solid-phase liquid and solid-phase gas will result that unnecessary protrusions such as burrs produced during patterning can be effectively removed without inviting scratches or flaws on the ground surface. Therefore, it is possible to enhance yields of the microelectronic device.
It is preferred that the method further includes a step of relatively moving the microelectronic device to be ground and the abrasive member. This relatively moving step may include a step of rotating the abrasive member and/or may include a step of rotating the microelectronic device itself about its axis.
It is preferred that the solid-phase liquid consists of ice.
It is also preferred that the solid-phase gas consists of dry ice. If dry ice is used as for the abrasive member, the ground surface of the microelectronic device can be kept dry resulting that better controls of products can be expected. In addition, since the ground surface of the microelectronic device is covered by a thin gaseous phase of vaporized gas from the dry ice, its patterned surface can be protected from occurrence of scratches or flaws.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5695384 (1997-12-01), Beratan
patent: 5972124 (1999-10-01), Sethuraman et al.
Armstrong, Westerman Hattori, McLeland & Naughton
Gerrity Stephen F.
Sands Rhonda E.
TDK Corporation
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