Patent ID: 8292690

Claim:
A method for thinning a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing the semiconductor wafer having first and second sides and a major surface; removing a first portion of the semiconductor material by grinding the semiconductor wafer from the second side using a grinding wheel to form a first portion of a cavity having a first depth and a first lateral dimension; removing a second portion of the semiconductor material by grinding the semiconductor wafer from the second side using the grinding wheel to form a second portion of the cavity having a second depth and a second lateral dimension; removing a third portion of the semiconductor material by grinding the semiconductor wafer from the second side using the grinding wheel to form a third portion of the cavity having a third depth and a third lateral dimension; removing a fourth portion of the semiconductor material by grinding the semiconductor wafer from the second side using the grinding wheel to form a fourth portion of the cavity having a fourth depth and a fourth lateral dimension to form a ring support structure in the second side of the semiconductor wafer, wherein the ring support structure has first and second support portions and wherein a width of the second support portion is greater than a width of the first support portion, wherein the first lateral dimension is greater than the second lateral dimension which is greater than the third lateral dimension.