Thining Silicon Carbide (SiC) Substrates Processes

Objective: The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) seeks a vendor to thin silicon carbide (SiC) substrates produced at its facilities.

Background: The Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre (CPFC) is a pure-play foundry and semiconductor prototyping facility operated by the National Research Council of Canada. The CPFC produces photonic and electronic integrated circuits in a variety of semiconductor materials, including gallium nitride (GaN) grown on silicon carbide substrates. Client-designed circuits are fabricated for a variety of industrial, academic and government clients.

Interest: part of its offerings in GaN electronics, the NRC has an interest in thinning SiC substrates from a nominal thickness of 350 microns to a final thickness of 75 microns. Wafers will have partially processed GaN electronics on the front side and will be bonded by NRC for structural support to a 100 mm aluminum nitride (AlN) wafer using an adhesive which can withstand processing temperatures of up to 150C. The front-side electronics will be encapsulated in photoresist prior to wafer bonding to protect delicate structures such as airbridges. NRC desires that the final wafer have a total thickness variation (TTV) of not more than 5 microns, a surface roughness (Ra) less than 5 nm and sufficiently low residual stress and edge chipping to allow for successful dismounting from the carrier wafer.

Interested parties should contact: Philip Waldron Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre 1200 Montreal Road, Bldg. M50 Ottawa, ON K1A 0R6 Philip.Waldron@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca