Semiconductor wafer dicing crack prevention using chip peripheral trenches
AssigneeInfineon Technologies Austria AG
InventorsArno Zechmann, Gianmauro Pozzovivo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor base substrate having a substantially planar growth surface is provided. A first type III-V semiconductor layer is epitaxially grown on the growth surface. First and second trenches that vertically extend from an upper surface of the first type III-V semiconductor layer at least to the growth surface are formed. The first and second trenches are filled with a filler material that is different from material of the type III-V semiconductor layer. A cut that separates the first type III-V semiconductor layer and the base substrate into two discrete semiconductor chips is formed. The cut is formed in a lateral section of the first type III-V semiconductor layer that is between the first and second trenches.
Claims16
A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor base substrate comprising a substantially planar growth surface;
- epitaxially growing a first type III-V semiconductor layer on the growth surface;
- forming first and second trenches that vertically extend from an upper surface of the first type III-V semiconductor layer at least to the growth surface;
- filling the first and second trenches with a filler material that is different from material of the type III-V semiconductor layer;
- and
- forming a cut that separates the first type III-V semiconductor layer and the base substrate into two discrete semiconductor chips,
- wherein the base substrate comprises an indicator feature that indicates a crystallographic orientation of the substrate,
- wherein the first and second trenches are formed to extend parallel to one another along a first trench length direction,
- wherein the indicator feature is used to orient the substrate prior to formation of the first and second trenchers such that the first trench length direction is antiparallel to a crystallographic cleavage plane of the substrate.
A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor base substrate comprising a substantially planar growth surface;
- epitaxially growing a first type III-V semiconductor layer on the growth surface;
- forming first and second trenches that vertically extend from an upper surface of the first type III-V semiconductor layer at least to the growth surface;
- filling the first and second trenches with a filler material that is different from material of the type III-V semiconductor layer;
- and
- forming a cut that separates the first type III-V semiconductor layer and the base substrate into two discrete semiconductor chips,
- wherein the first and second trenches are formed to define first, second and third lateral sections of the first layer, the first lateral section being disposed on one side of the first trench, the second lateral section being disposed between the first and second trenches, and the third lateral section being disposed on one side of the second trench,
- wherein the cut is formed in the second lateral section, and
- wherein filling the first and second trenches with a filler material comprises forming a diode in the first and second trenches.
A method of forming a semiconductor device, comprising:
- providing a semiconductor base substrate comprising a substantially planar growth surface;
- epitaxially growing a first type III-V semiconductor layer on the growth surface;
- forming first and second trenches that vertically extend from an upper surface of the first type III-V semiconductor layer at least to the growth surface;
- filling the first and second trenches with a filler material that is different from material of the type III-V semiconductor layer;
- and
- forming a cut that separates the first type III-V semiconductor layer and the base substrate into two discrete semiconductor chips,
- wherein forming the cut comprises exclusively cutting semiconductor material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.