The process of wafer coring uses two processes. The first involves removing a thin layer of silicon. The second stage is a chemical mechanical polish, which does not remove material but gives the wafer a mirror finish. Once this step is complete, the silicon wafer moves onto the final cleaning step.
Wafer Inspection
A silicon wafer producer uses a wafer inspection tool to detect and map defects. These inspection systems use a sophisticated algorithm to determine the wafer center, which is used to locate defects. These systems can also perform a two-tiered inspection of a wafer, ensuring that each individual layer is checked.