Frangible semiconductor wafer dicing apparatus which employs scribing and breaking

A breaking device for use in sequentially and successively separating a substrate along parallel scribe lines to be formed in a surface of the substrate with each scribe line spaced a predetermined distance, D, from a previously formed scribe line, said breaking device comprising:

• means for sequentially and successively scribing parallel scribe lines,
• a body member;
• and
• a plurality of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by said body member, said profile members each having a wall structure terminating in a narrow contact surface, one of said plurality of profile members being centrally located between a pair of flanking profile members, the amount of lateral spacing between adjacent profile members being substantially equal to D so that the contact surface of said central profile member is positioned for surface contact with the substrate along the scribe line to be broken when the two flanking profile members are positioned for surface contact with the substrate on opposite sides of said scribe line, with a contact surface of one of said flanking profile members positioned adjacent a previously formed scribe line, and
• means for moving the body member parallel to said scribe lines.

A breaking device for use in separating a substrate along a scribe line to be broken formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line, said breaking device comprising:

• a support member;
• a body member rotatably mounted on said support member;
• a pair of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by said body member, said profile members each having a wall structure terminating in a contact surface, the amount of lateral spacing between said profile members being substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer, so that the contact surfaces of said pair of profile members are arranged for surface contact with the substrate on opposite sides of the scribe line to be broken, with one of said contact surfaces positioned adjacent the previously formed scribe line;
• said support member including a shaft for receiving said body member and a positioning arm coupled to said shaft for controlling an attitude of said breaking device relative to the substrate;
• a mandrel positioned below said support member for supporting a portion of the substrate and providing a break edge for the scribe line to be broken, said mandrel including a substantially flat support surface terminating in said break edge;
• and
• means for adjustably supporting said mandrel to enable the angular position of said flat support surface relative to a reference plane to be set to a desired value.

A breaking device for use in sequentially and successively separating a substrate having a plurality of parallel scribe lines along scribe lines to be formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line, said breaking device comprising:

• means for sequentially and successively scribing parallel scribe lines,
• a body member;
• and
• a plurality of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by said body member, said profile members each having a wall structure terminating in a contact surface, one of said plurality of profile members being located on said body member at a position between a pair of flanking profile members and spaced unequally therefrom by predetermined amounts, the amount of lateral spacing between said pair of flanking profile members being substantially equal to 2D so that the contact surface of said one of said plurality of profile members is positioned for surface contact with the substrate along a portion of the substrate adjacent the scribe line to be broken when said pair of flanking profile members are positioned for surface contact with the substrate on opposite sides of the scribe line to be broken, with the contact surface of one of said pair of flanking profile members adjacent the previously formed scribe line.

A breaking device for use in separating a substrate along a scribe line to be formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line, a plurality of closely spaced, integrated circuits formed on the substrate, the distance D being the distance across the circuits of each chip plus the distance between the circuits of a chip and an adjacent chip, said breaking device comprising:

• means for sequentially and successively scribing parallel lines between the integrated circuits formed on the substrate separated by a distance ND,
• a unitary body member having a main body with a body axis and at least two laterally spaced circular members each extending radially from said body axis of said main body and terminating in a circular circumferential surface,
• the circumferential surfaces of said circular members contacting said substrate and being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer at least equal to two,
• said means for scribing supported by said main body.

A breaking device for use in breaking a substrate along scribe lines to be formed in a surface of a substrate with a spacing D between scribe lines that is determined by the distance across closely spaced patterns formed on the substrate comprising

• a body member,
• means for sequentially and successively producing a plurality of parallel scribe lines separated by a distance ND on a substrate carried by said body member, wherein N is an integer and
• a pair of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by said body member for movement parallel to the scribe line to be broken, said profile members each having a wall structure terminating in a contact surface, the amount of lateral spacing between said profile members being substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer, so that the contact surfaces of said pair of profile members are arranged for surface contact with the substrate on opposite sides of a scribe line formed on a surface of the substrate, with one of said contact surfaces positioned adjacent the previously formed scribe line,
• said profile members terminating in a contact surface that is narrow and substantially less than the distance D.

A breaking device for use in separating a substrate along a scribe line formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line, said breaking device comprising:

• a unitary body member having a main body with a body axis and at least two laterally spaced circular members each extending radially from said body axis of said main body and terminating in a circular circumferential surface,
• the circumferential surfaces of said circular members contacting said substrate and being spaced apart by a distance substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer at least equal to two,
• a support member having a planar surface terminating in a sharp edge underlying a scribe line formed on a surface of the wafer and along which the wafer is to be broken, and
• wherein said support member comprises a mandrel mounted for rotation about said sharp edge to change the angle of said planar surface relative to a plane parallel to the substrate and having point contact with the circumferential surfaces of the circular members at an intended point of contact with the substrate.

A breaking device for use in separating a substrate along a scribe line to be formed in a surface of the substrate and spaced a predetermined distance D from a previously formed scribe line, said breaking device comprising:

• means for sequentially and successively producing parallel scribe lines in the substrate, and
• a body member;
• having a pair of laterally spaced annular profile members carried by said body member for movement parallel to the scribe line, said profile members each having a wall structure terminating in a contact surface, the amount of lateral spacing between said profile members being substantially equal to ND, where N is an integer, so that the contact surfaces of said pair of profile members are arranged for surface contact with the substrate on opposite sides of a scribe line formed on a surface of the substrate, with one of said contact surfaces positioned adjacent the previously formed scribe line,
• said profile members terminating in a contact surface that is narrow and substantially less than the distance D.