Sumco patented a method to reduce warp in silicon wafers with specific orientations by aligning film stress direction with crystal orientation. For (111) plane wafers, increasing oxygen concentration is recommended. GlobalData’s report on Sumco gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Sumco, 3D memory devices was a key innovation area identified from patents. Sumco's grant share as of May 2024 was 51%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Method to reduce warp in silicon wafers during film formation
A recently granted patent (Publication Number: US12004344B2) discloses a method aimed at reducing the amount of warp experienced by a silicon wafer during the formation of a multilayer film. The method involves strategically orienting the multilayer film on the silicon wafer's surface so that the direction of maximum warp coincides with the direction of the highest Young's modulus of the silicon wafer's crystal orientation. This innovative approach helps mitigate the impact of anisotropic film stress on the silicon wafer, particularly when the wafer has a (110) plane orientation and a <111> notch orientation.
Furthermore, the patent also covers a method specifically designed for silicon wafers with a (111) plane orientation, focusing on reducing warp induced by isotropic film stress. By controlling the oxygen concentration of the silicon wafer within a specific range before forming the multilayer film, the method aims to minimize the warping effect. This technique involves maintaining an oxygen concentration between 8.0×10^17 atoms/cm3 and 10.6×10^17 atoms/cm3, as per ASTM F-121, 1979 standards. The application of this method is particularly relevant for semiconductor device layers, including 3DNAND flash memory, where minimizing warp is crucial for ensuring the integrity and performance of the final product.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
