Speaker Information

Abstract

The global expansion of 5G and demand for higher mobile speed has created significant new RF filtering challenges. These include higher frequencies, higher bandwidth, more complex filtering requirements such as multiplexers and antennaplexers, lower insertion loss, etc. Many of these challenges demands extremely high precision of film thickness and frequency control in high-volume manufacturing. At higher frequency, the film thickness becomes thinner with higher sensitivity, leading to larger frequency variation.

Gas Cluster Beam (GCB) technology has been used in trimming of RF filters. There are a few unique features with GCB, including physically driven chemical reaction, high etch rate, low energy per molecule, tighter beam profile, low power without the need of wafer cooling. The low-mass wafer scanner makes its maneuver more responsive. With a high acceleration voltage of up to dozens of kV, the potential wafer charge of dozens of volts will have no impact of the etch rate. However, if the acceleration voltage is up to 1000V, the fluctuation of wafer charge voltage will lead to fluctuation of etch rate. Low thermal energy also means that GCB process will not cause photoresist hardening, thus rendering no issue in photoresist removal.

In some trimming applications, zero trimming amount is locally required. We have developed a unique way to control beam power down to zero. More importantly, it gives us a control knob to dynamically adjust beam power so that we can handle higher gradient which cannot by achieved with mechanical ways. Zero Trim capability also allows faster wafer turnaround without the need of larger scanning area, thus improving throughput and reducing the sputtering of non-wafer surface.

To handle large gradients in the input maps, the GCB beam is focused down to several mm's in FWHM (Full Width Half Max). The smaller the beam, the better the resolution is. The critical parameters to the trimming performance are beam size, beam shape, and alignment. We have developed novel ways to align beam and characterize the beam profile. Beam tuning can be done with this new metrics and gives better trimming performance.

Many hardware and software improvements have been implemented in UltraTrimmer Plus to overcome the challenges in HVM. GCB technology has been widely used in SAW, BAW, FBAR and Thin-Film SAW production. It is currently expanding the application field to MEMS, EUV mask blanks and AR lens production.

Speaker Biography

Henry is a Member of Technical Staff in the Technology Strategy Management group of TMEA (TEL Manufacturing and Engineering America), a TEL subsidiary. He has over 25 years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing and equipment technology, having worked in the fields of plasma etching, photolithography, low-k materials, Gas Cluster Beam (GCB), clean technology, Advanced Process Control (APC), etc.

He has been an innovative problem solver with 28 US patents issued. Henry received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Tsinghua University, and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.

Key Achievements:

• 25+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing and equipment technology
• Expertise in plasma etching, photolithography, low-k materials, and Gas Cluster Beam (GCB) technology
• Holder of 28 US patents as an innovative problem solver
• Education: Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Tsinghua University, Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from University of Texas at Austin
• Dedicated math educator, coaching middle and high school students with many successfully enrolling at MIT and Harvard