An IEEE Short Course in the S. F. Bay Area

Title:   "Challenges in Preassembly: Thin Silicon Dice and Developments in Chip Separation"
with Werner Kroninger, Infineon Technologies AG, Germany

Please Post and Circulate, through May 24, 2007

LOCATION:
Ramada Inn
1217 Wildwood Ave (Fwy 101 frontage road, between Lawrence Expressway and Great America Parkway), Sunnyvale

SPONSOR:
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers: the Components, Packaging, and Manufacturing Technology Society Chapter.

COST:

IEEE Members, $95 each: Additional Attendee Names:

Non-Members, $125 each: Additional Attendee Names:

includes class handbook, lunch and refreshments.

INFORMATION:
Contact Ed Aoki, aoki.ed@gmail.com,

OVERVIEW:
Preassembly of thin chips -- linking front-end and back-end semiconductor processing to turn wafers into chips -- has two main spheres: wafer-thinning, and chip-separation. This half-day class will introduce the technologies and methods used for thinning wafers down for ultra-thin applications. An overview regarding the different process-flows will be given. The methods used and the physical processes involved will be studied in detail. Different processes of backside-treatment, improving the mechanical performance of the chips, will be presented. Current and future technologies for chip-separation will be discussed. The various separation processes and their pros and cons will be discussed. Emerging technologies will also be presented and evaluated. Topics and solutions regarding the handling of thin wafers and assembly of thin chips will also be briefly covered.

Course Outline:

• Applications for thin dice
• Wafer thinning technologies: grinding, wet-etch, polish, dry-etch
• Inside silicon: The process of grinding
• Wafer-bow and wafer-warp
• Backside-treatment, chip thickness and strength
• Relevant for packaging: Surface roughness
• Limits to thinning wafers
• Separating the dice: Current and emerging technologies
• Shipping and handling of thinned dice or wafers
• Assembly of thinned dice

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR:
Werner Kroninger received his masters degree in physics from the University of Regensburg in 1989. In 1989 and 1990 he worked for the Fraunhofer Institut (ISC) in Wurzburg, as scientific collaborator investigating glasses, ceramics and ormoceres (organically modified ceramics).

From 1990 to 1995 he was with Rodenstock Precision Optics, Munich, developing optical systems as a member of the technology group and managing projects in the industrial optics devision. Since 1995 he has been working at Infineon Technologies, Regensburg. He worked as a senior process engineer for several front-end fields like CVD, epitaxy and tungsten. From 1997 to 2003 he was the responsible manager for preassembly. Today he is working for the corporate group responsible for new developments in wafer-finishing for logic devices as principal preassembly manager. He holds several patents and has numerous international publications.

HOW TO REGISTER:

Preregistration is over (except for the PayPal registration above). If you are paying be check, please email your intentions to Ed Aoki, aoki.ed@gmail.com, then bring your check to the Ramada on May 24th before lunchtime.