Lam Research Corporation
Asymmetric wafer bow compensation by physical vapor deposition

Abstract:

Methods for reducing warpage of bowed semiconductor substrates, particularly saddle-shaped bowed semiconductor substrates, are provided herein. Methods involve depositing a bow compensation layer by physical vapor deposition on the backside of the bowed semiconductor substrate in regions to form a compressive film on a tensile substrate and a tensile film on a compressive substrate. Methods involve sputtering material onto a backside of a substrate using a shadow mask or by using more than one target and rotating the semiconductor substrate being sputtering operations.