A wafer in the semiconductor industry is used to describe a thin round slice of semiconductor material typically made of silicon. Wafers are primarily used for the fabrication of electronic devices, like integrated circuits, chips, diodes and transistors. Semiconductors play a crucial role in the military and defense industries with “all major U.S. defense systems and platforms relying on semiconductors for their performance”. In 2022, President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act (where CHIPS stands for “Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors”) into law investing over $50 billion in funding “to bring semiconductor supply chains back to the U.S.” Acting upon the initiative, large multinational semiconductor manufacturing companies, like GlobalWafers, have begun establishing facilities in the United States underscoring the critical importance of supporting domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer dicing is an extremely important step that divides a single wafer into multiple pieces, known as chips or dies. These individual chips are then packaged into encapsulated chip carriers and can function as independent electronic devices in various circuits. The success of a wafer dicing process is dependent upon the yield and quality of the separated chips. Splitting the chips delicately without cracks, distortions, and chipping is extremely challenging.
A traditional wafer dicing method is mechanical dicing, also known as blade or saw dicing. Mechanical dicing comes with many challenges including mechanical stress, material waste and the potential for human error. Mechanical stress relates to the pressure of the blade as it cuts through the wafer, resulting in cracking, chipping, or damaging of individual chips. The material that is removed by the dicing process, called kerf, can be irregular and large, resulting in material waste and a significant number of discarded chips. This process is inefficient, unprofitable, and eco-unfriendly.
The Time for Change is Now
China has become a significant strategic rival to the United States, channeling substantial resources into strengthening its military capabilities and the defense industry through advancements in semiconductor technology.
Significant strides are being made in the federal government to encourage the production of TAA-compliant, domestically produced, cutting edge semiconductor systems. After all, semiconductors are “vital to the U.S. national defense and to the strength and resilience of the U.S. national economy”.
Introducing DefenseTech Semiconductor Processing Systems by Fonon Technologies
Fonon Technologies DefenseTech Semiconductor Processing Systems offer cutting-edge laser technologies that revolutionize backend-of-the-line (BEOL) processing in the semiconductor industry. Our advanced systems provide precision and efficiency for wafer dicing, wafer serialization and chip package marking, delivering significant cost and performance benefits. With state-of-the-art laser dicing and marking solutions, we empower industries such as military, defense, and aerospace with innovative, high-quality processing capabilities.
- The DefenseTech BlackStar 7010 is a Wafer Dicing System utilizing patented Fantom Width Laser Dicing Technology™ (FWLDT™) developed to seamlessly enhance the wafer dicing method using lasers. As an alternative to mechanical saws, our system uses short-pulse laser technology for precise and waste-less die singulation.
- The DefenseTech Wafer Marking 7020 is specifically designed for automated serialization of various wafer materials in an enclosed work cell. The DTWM-7020 is equipped with a high-precision laser to ensure consistency and accuracy.
- The DefenseTech Chip Packaging 7030 is designed for marking molding compounds that encapsulate and protect integrated circuits. The DTCP-7030 laser system offers the utmost control in the permanent marking of even the smallest chip packaging, greatly optimizing this step in manufacturing.
Key Advantages of BlackStar 7010
- Non-contact Method
- Due to its non-contact, automated nature, the system removes the possibility of human error and maximizes accuracy and precision. It also removes any physical forces applied to the delicate wafer material, reducing the risk of micro-cracks, fragmentation or chipping.
- Reduced Heat Affected Zone
- By performing “cold laser cutting” with multiplied energy per pulse, the laser system significantly reduces the heat damage to the structure while increasing throughput.
- Versatile and Cost-Effective
- The FWLDT™ technology is capable of dicing complex chips regardless of shape, size or position making it a versatile solution for all end-user’s needs. The system’s single step process results in the reduction of cost and processing times per wafer.
- Operator Safe
- The BlackStar™ is a Class I enclosed laser system equipped with safe viewing windows that prevent accidental exposure to laser radiation, interlocks to deactivate the laser in open mode, key control, and other safety features.
Choose DefenseTech Laser Technology to Save The Nation
The growing demand for electronics and electric vehicles, the rise of industrial automation, and the adoption of AI by technologies across the Department of Defense (DOD) are just some factors that are propelling the chip design and fabrication market forward.
- Engineered with short-pulse laser technology, die singulation by the BlackStar 7010 involves minimal heat and does not require water jet cooling to separate brittle materials like silicon. This technique greatly improves die yield while minimizing the need for individual die processing, in turn reducing time and labor.
- Our Wafer Marking 7020 system is equipped with a SCARA wafer robot that picks up each wafer from a plastic carrier and transfers it to a pre-aligner. The pre-aligner rotates the wafer to the correct position for marking the serial number, after which the robot transports it to the laser marking field for serialization.
- Our Chip Packaging 7030 system contains an ultraviolet (UV) laser and XY table for marking semiconductors, such as JEDEC matrix trays full of computer chips. Using our through the optics vision (TTOV) system, the camera shares the same optical lens as the laser beam to recognize board fiducial markers and orientation of parts. The laser rotates the marking program based on the results of the vision system to properly align each marking on the semiconductor mold compound.
By modernizing our approach to the DOD’s supply chain resilience and acting upon the CHIPS Act, Fonon Technologies aims to aid the DOD in “delivering decisive advantages to our warfighters in a dynamic threat landscape”.