Nxp B.v.

Ruhr-universitat Bochum

Martin Lapke

Hartmut Buenning

Guido Albermann

Sascha Moeller

Thomas Rohleder

Leo M Higgins, Iii

Thomas Musch

Christian Schulz

Robert Storch

Peter Awakowicz

Christian Zietz

Ilona Rolfes

Ralf Peter Brinkmann

Thomas Mussenbrock

Michael Zernack

Heiko Backer

Tim Styrnoll

Jens Oberrath

Embodiments are provided herein for separating integrated circuit (IC) device die of a wafer, the wafer having a front side with an active device region and a back side, the active device region having a plurality of active devices arranged in rows and columns and separated by cutting lanes, the method including: attaching the front side of the wafer onto a first dicing tape; forming a modification zone within each cutting lane through the back side of the wafer, wherein each modification zone has a first thickness near a corner of each active device and a second thickness near a center point of each active device, wherein the second thickness is less than the first thickness; and propagating cracks through each cutting lane to separate the plurality of active devices.

Variable stealth laser dicing process

Consistent with an example embodiment, there is a method for preparing an integrated circuit (IC) device from a wafer substrate, the wafer substrate having a top-side surface with a plurality of active device die separated by saw lanes and an opposite under-side surface. The method comprises coating the under-side surface of the wafer substrate with a resilient coating, locating the position of the saw lanes from the underside surface, blade dicing trenches in the resilient material to expose under-side bulk material in the position of saw lanes, and plasma etching through the trenches to remove the exposed under-side bulk material.

Plasma dicing with blade saw patterned underside mask

Consistent with an example embodiment, there is a method for preparing integrated circuit (IC) device die from a wafer substrate having a front-side with active devices and a back-side. The method comprises pre-grinding the backside of a wafer substrate to a thickness. The front-side of the wafer is mounted onto a protective foil. A laser is applied to the backside of the wafer, at first focus depth to define a secondary modification zone in saw lanes. To the backside of the wafer, a second laser process is applied, at a second focus depth shallower than that of the first focus depth, in the saw lanes to define a main modification zone, the secondary modification defined at a pre-determined location within active device boundaries, the active device boundaries defining an active device area. The backside of the wafer is ground down to a depth so as to remove the main modification zone. The IC device die are separated from one another by stretching the protective foil.

Combination grinding after laser (GAL) and laser on-off function to increase die strength

Consistent with an example embodiment, a method for preparing integrated circuit (IC) device die from a wafer substrate having a front-side with active devices and a back-side, comprises mounting the front-side of the wafer onto protective foil. A laser is applied to saw lane areas on the backside of the wafer, at a first focus depth to define a modification zone; the modification zone defined at a pre-determined depth within active device boundaries and the active device boundaries defined by the saw lane areas. The protective foil is stretched to separate IC device die from one another and expose active device side-walls. With dry-etching of the active device side-walls, the modification zone is substantially removed.

Plasma etching and stealth dicing laser process

An apparatus, device and method for wafer dicing is disclosed. In one example, the apparatus discloses: a wafer holding device having a first temperature; a die separation bar moveably coupled to the wafer holding device; and a cooling device coupled to the apparatus and having a second temperature which enables the die separation bar to fracture an attachment material in response to movement with respect to the wafer holding device. In another example, the method discloses: receiving a wafer having an attachment material applied to one side of the wafer; placing the wafer in a holding device having a first temperature; urging a die separation bar toward the wafer; and cooling the attachment material to a second temperature, which is lower than the first temperature, until the attachment material fractures in response to the urging.

Apparatus, device and method for wafer dicing

The invention relates to a device and method for measuring the density of a plasma by determining an impulse response to a high-frequency signal coupled into a plasma. The density, electron temperature and/or collision frequency as a function of the impulse response can be determined. A probe having a probe head and a probe shaft can be introduced into the plasma, wherein the probe shaft is connected to a signal generator for electrically coupling a high-frequency signal into the probe head. The probe core is enclosed by the jacket and has at its surface mutually insulated electrode areas of opposite polarity. A balun is arranged at the transition between the probe head and an electrically unbalanced high-frequency signal feed to convert electrically unbalanced signals into balanced signals.

Device and use of the device for measuring the density and/or the electron temperature and/or the collision frequency of a plasma

Embodiments of methods and systems for processing a semiconductor wafer are described. In one embodiment, a method for processing a semiconductor wafer involves performing laser stealth dicing on the semiconductor wafer to form a stealth dicing layer within the semiconductor wafer and after performing laser stealth dicing, cleaning the semiconductor wafer from a back-side surface of the semiconductor wafer with a blade to remove at least a portion of the stealth dicing layer. Other embodiments are also described.

Growing community of inventors

Hamburg, Germany

Martin Lapke