5th Forum on SiC Quantum Photonics | Nov 25, 2025 | 10 AM (CET)
Silicon carbide (SiC) is a key wide-bandgap semiconductor material enabling technologies ranging from high-power and high-temperature electronics to integrated photonics, quantum devices, and harsh-environment sensors. Its extreme hardness, chemical stability, and thermal conductivity make it ideal for advanced applications but also difficult to process with conventional methods. Mechanical sawing causes rapid tool wear, kerf losses, and surface damage, while chemical approaches are too slow for scalable manufacturing. Laser micromachining provides a non-contact, precise, and high-throughput alternative. This work investigates the key mechanisms governing laser-based splitting of 4H-SiC, with laser dicing discussed for context. We analyze how subsurface absorption, crack initiation, propagation, and crystallographic anisotropy influence process stability and surface quality. Inter- and intra-wafer variability in dopants, absorption, and stress are examined as critical factors affecting reproducibility. Controlled crack overlap is shown to be essential for kerf-free wafer separation, and adaptive process control is proposed to address material variability—supporting scalable SiC wafering.
Speaker: Hanan Mir, University of Freiburg and Fraunhofer ISE, Germany
Chair: Stefania Castelletto, RMIT, Australia
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