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US5418190A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of fabrication for electro-optical devices

Assignee: AT&T Inc
•
Filing: 1993-12-30
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Granted: 1995-05-23
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Expires: 2013-12-30
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Abstract

Abstract A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device in which a cleaving apparatus is used to separate the wafer into bars of semiconductor material by striking the wafer from the epitaxial side, directly beneath the substrate side scribe mark. A series of angularly shaped trenches are etched across the epitaxial side of the semiconductor bars to permit bar separation into individual devices that allows a plurality of bars to be processed simultaneously.

Inventors

  • 👤 Mark B. Cholewa
  • 👤 John W. Osenbach
  • 👤 Bryan P. Segner

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-06 01:50
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10P; H10P95/00; H10P54/00; H01; H01S; H01S5/00; H01S5/02; H01S5/0201; H01S5/0202

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim 101 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of: forming at least one epitaxial layer upon a substrate wafer; applying at least one oxide layer on said epitaxial layer; placing a scribe mark on the substrate side of said wafer at the position corresponding to the location at which the wafer-to-bar cleave of said wafer will occur; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one bar by striking the epitaxial side of said wafer with cleaving tool; mounting said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 101 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of: forming at least one epitaxial layer upon a substrate wafer; applying at least one oxide layer on said epitaxial layer; placing a scribe mark on the substrate side of said wafer at the position corresponding to the location at which the wafer-to-bar cleave of said wafer will occur; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one bar by striking the epitaxial side of said wafer with cleaving tool; mounting said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 117 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of forming pattern of lines across the epitaxial side of a wafer or bar of semiconductor material, said lines defining the boundary of potential semiconductor electro-optical devices; forming at least one epitaxial side trench in said wafer or bar by etching said pattern into the substrate such that said trench extends into said substrate; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one said bar; mounting at least one said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices by striking the bar at a corresponding position on the substrate side of the bar opposite said trench.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 117 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of forming pattern of lines across the epitaxial side of a wafer or bar of semiconductor material, said lines defining the boundary of potential semiconductor electro-optical devices; forming at least one epitaxial side trench in said wafer or bar by etching said pattern into the substrate such that said trench extends into said substrate; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one said bar; mounting at least one said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices by striking the bar at a corresponding position on the substrate side of the bar opposite said trench.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 22 words
The method of claim 2 in which the lower end of said trench is V-shaped defined by the intersection of two planes.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 162 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of: forming pattern of lines across the epitaxial side of a wafer or bar of semiconductor material, said lines defining the boundary of potential semiconductor electro-optical devices, or forming a pattern of scribe marks, said marks defining the of the boundary of potential semiconductor devices; forming at least one epitaxial side trench in said wafer or bar by etching said pattern into the substrate such that said trench extends into said substrate, or forming at least one epitaxial side scribe mark in said wafer or bar; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one said bar; mounting at least one said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices by striking the bar at a corresponding position on the substrate side of the bar opposite said trench or said scribe mark; and said cleaving of said bar performed by machine.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 162 words
A method of fabricating a semiconductor electro-optical device comprising the steps of: forming pattern of lines across the epitaxial side of a wafer or bar of semiconductor material, said lines defining the boundary of potential semiconductor electro-optical devices, or forming a pattern of scribe marks, said marks defining the of the boundary of potential semiconductor devices; forming at least one epitaxial side trench in said wafer or bar by etching said pattern into the substrate such that said trench extends into said substrate, or forming at least one epitaxial side scribe mark in said wafer or bar; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one said bar; mounting at least one said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices by striking the bar at a corresponding position on the substrate side of the bar opposite said trench or said scribe mark; and said cleaving of said bar performed by machine.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 99 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said cleaving of said bar into individual devices further comprises the steps of: forming a pattern of lines across the epitaxial side of a wafer or bar of semiconductor material to define the location of potential semiconductor electro-optical devices; forming at least one epitaxial side trench in said wafer or bar by etching said pattern into the substrate; cleaving said wafer into at least one said bar; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices by striking the bar at a corresponding position on the substrate side of the bar opposite said trench.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 114 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said cleaving of said wafer into at least one bar comprises the steps of: forming at least one epitaxial layer upon an substrate wafer; applying at least one oxide layer upon said epitaxial layer; placing a scribe mark on the substrate side of said wafer at the position corresponding to the place at which the wafer-to-bar cleave of said wafer will occur; mounting said wafer on a scribing platform; cleaving said wafer into at least one bar with a cleaving apparatus that strikes the epitaxial side of said wafer; and mounting at least one said bar on a scribing platform; and cleaving said bar into individual electro-optical devices.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said mounting steps are performed by machine.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 13 words
The method of claim 2, wherein said mounting steps are performed by machine.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4236296A Cited
US4237601A Cited
US4604161A Cited
US4904617A Cited
US5314844A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-05-22 1998-11-21 1999-05-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-05-22 2002-11-21 2003-05-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-05-22 2006-11-21 2007-05-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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