Patent ID: 8084335

Claim:
A method for thinning a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing the semiconductor wafer having first and second sides, a central region, a peripheral region, and first and second surfaces substantially parallel to each other, the first surface on the first side and the second surface on the second side, the first surface having a first portion spaced apart from the second surface by a first distance and a second portion spaced apart from the second surface by a second distance that is different from the first distance, a cavity extending into the central region of the semiconductor wafer from the first side, and a ring support structure in the peripheral region, the first portion of the first surface in the central region and the second portion of the first surface in the peripheral region; providing a film frame having first and second surfaces and a first tape mounted to the first surface of the film frame; mounting the semiconductor wafer to the first tape, wherein the second side of the semiconductor wafer contacts the first tape; thinning at least a portion of the ring support structure, wherein the ring support structure has a thinned portion that remains after thinning, the thinned portion having a thickness that is less than the second distance and a surface that is substantially parallel to the second surface; and after thinning the portion of the ring support structure, mounting a second tape to the second surface of the film frame and to the semiconductor wafer.