초록 ▼

A product and process for making backside thinned semiconductor image sensing devices employing neutral ion beams to reduce substrate volumes so that the image sensor can be illuminated from the backside, or side opposite etched circuitry. A neutral ion beam is contained in a vacuum chamber that has

A product and process for making backside thinned semiconductor image sensing devices employing neutral ion beams to reduce substrate volumes so that the image sensor can be illuminated from the backside, or side opposite etched circuitry. A neutral ion beam is contained in a vacuum chamber that has a fixture for holding a semiconductor image sensor, a control mechanism for controlling the neutral ion beam via the raster mechanism, and a map of the semiconductor image sensor. The image sensor is placed on the fixture within the vacuum chamber and the neutral ion beam removes a predetermined amount of substrate from the backside of the sensor. The result is an image sensor than can be backside thinned at the molecular level

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An image sensing product made from the steps comprising:providing a semiconductor image sensor having circuits etched upon a first major surface;providing vacuum chamber having a neutral ion beam and control means for directing neutral ion beam direction and intensity, a

[ What is claimed is:] [1.] An image sensing product made from the steps comprising:providing a semiconductor image sensor having circuits etched upon a first major surface;providing vacuum chamber having a neutral ion beam and control means for directing neutral ion beam direction and intensity, a carrier for the image sensor, and a translation drive having means for controlling relative position of the neutral ion beam to the carrier;placing the semiconductor image sensor within the vacuum chamber on the carrier such that the neutral ion beam will be incident upon a second major surface of the image sensor, the second major surface having no circuitry etched thereon, and being opposite the first major surface; andetching away a predetermined thickness of the image sensor by controlling the neutral ion beam to remove a part of the second surface.