Dicing tape and method of manufacturing semiconductor devices

#This description relates to a method of manufacturing semiconductor devices using a dicing tape that is resistant to plasma etching.

#Semiconductor devices are fabricated on substrates. For example, the substrate is a wafer having numerous devices (e.g., dies, chips, etc.). After fabrication on the substrate, the individual devices are singulated from each other using a dicing technique. However, the dicing techniques suffer from limitations that increase costs and material losses. For example, mechanical dicing techniques rely on blades to saw the substrate. Accordingly, the number of dies that the substrate yields is at least partially based on the width of the blades. Moreover, the substrate may be chipped or cracked during singulation due to the force exerted by the blade on the wafer. Similarly, laser dicing techniques can cause splintering of the substrate as a result of expansion during singulation.

#In one example, a method of forming an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The method includes applying a die attach film to a first surface of a wafer opposite a second surface. The method also includes applying a passivation layer to the second surface of the wafer. The method further includes patterning the passivation layer to define a number of scribe lines. The method yet further includes applying a dicing tape having a nonconductive material to the die attach film. The nonconductive material is resistant to plasma etching. The method includes plasma etching the wafer to form dies of a plurality of dies supported by the dicing tape based on the scribe lines.

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate affixed to a dicing tape, according to one example.

#FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a non-conductive material combined with a filler material of a dicing tape, according to one example.

#FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate affixed to a dicing tape having an etch stop layer, according to another example.

#In semiconductor industries, demands for miniaturization have accelerated the development of smaller integrated devices. However, dicing techniques suffer from limitations at the smaller sizes. Mechanical dicing and laser dicing techniques can cause chipping, splintering, and breakage along the die edges. Furthermore, the limitations of these dicing techniques are exacerbated as substrates become thinner. In addition to becoming thinner, the area of semiconductor devices is decreasing. However, the area consumed by the saw blade during mechanical dicing may be greater than 100 microns. For wafers containing small dies (e.g., individual semiconductor devices with a die size of 500 microns×500 microns and smaller) this can represent a loss of greater than 20%.

#Plasma dicing techniques are a non-mechanical alternative to mechanical dicing techniques. Rather than relying on a blade, plasma dicing uses high-energy plasma formed from gases, such as SF6 and C4F8, to etch the substrate. However, plasma dicing techniques can sever the dicing tape that secures the singulated dies, causing the singulated dies to scatter. A dicing tape and method of manufacturing semiconductor devices are described. The dicing tape includes a nonconductive material that acts as an etch stop. For example, the nonconductive material is silicon dioxide that is resistant to plasma dicing. Accordingly, the nonconductive material prevents the dicing tape from being severed during singulation. As one example, the dicing tape has a single structure, and the nonconductive material is incorporated with a filler material of the dicing tape. As another example, the dicing tape has a multilayer structure including a base layer and an etch stop layer having the nonconductive material.

#FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate affixed to a dicing tape according to one example. The substrate is a wafer 100 that is affixed to a dicing tape 102 by a die attach film 104. A plurality of semiconductor dies are formed on the wafer 100 according to respective fabrication processing steps. For example, each of the dies on the wafer 100 can contain any combination of active and passive devices, such as bipolar junction transistors, capacitors, optoelectronic devices, inductors, resistors, and diodes.