# US 8,785,332 B2 · Method and apparatus for plasma dicing a semi-conductor wafer

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- Number: US 8,785,332 B2
- Document ID: US8785332B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/764,142
- Filed: 2013-02-11
- Published: 2013-09-05
- Granted: 2014-07-22
- Earliest claimed: 2012-03-05
- Assignees: Plasma-Therm LLC
- Applicants: Plasma-Therm LLC
- Inventors: Chris Johnson; David Johnson; Linnell Martinez; David Pays-Volard; Rich Gauldin; Russell Westerman; Gordon M. Grivna
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785332B2

## CPC

- H01J 37/32623: {Mechanical discharge control means}
- H01J 37/321: {the radio frequency energy being inductively coupled to the plasma}
- H01J 37/32155: {Frequency modulation}
- H01J 37/32642: {Focus rings}
- H01J 37/32651: {Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields}
- H01J 37/32724: {Temperature}
- H10P 50/242: {of Group IV materials}
- H10P 50/244: {comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps}
- H10P 54/00: Cutting or separating of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 72/0421: {for drying etching}
- H10P 72/50: for positioning, orientation or alignment
- H10P 72/72: using electrostatic chucks
- H10P 72/722: {Details of electrostatic chucks}
- H10P 72/7611: {characterised by edge profile or support profile}
- H10P 72/7612: {characterised by lifting arrangements, e.g. lift pins}
- H01J 37/32422: {Arrangement for selecting ions or species in the plasma}
- H10P 50/283: {by chemical means}
- H10P 72/33: {into and out of processing chamber}
- H10P 72/7416: {used during dicing or grinding}
- Y10S 414/139: including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- Y10S: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

## Abstract

The present invention provides a method for plasma dicing a substrate. The method comprising providing a process chamber having a wall; providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber; providing a work piece support within the process chamber; placing the substrate onto a support film on a frame to form a work piece work piece; loading the work piece onto the work piece support; providing a cover ring disposed above the work piece; generating a plasma through the plasma source; and etching the work piece through the generated plasma.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:
providing a transfer arm;
providing a process chamber having a wall;
providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;
providing a work piece support within the process chamber;
providing a lifting mechanism within the work piece support;
placing the substrate onto a support film on a frame to form the work piece, the frame of the work piece having an exposed lower surface, the lifting mechanism only touching a portion of the work piece overlapped by the frame;
loading the work piece onto the transfer arm;
transferring the work piece into the process chamber onto the lifting mechanism using the transfer arm, the transferring of the work piece into the process chamber being performed under vacuum, the transfer arm maintaining the frame coplanar to the substrate during the transferring step, the transfer arm does not contact the substrate;
generating a plasma through the plasma source; and
etching the work piece through the generated plasma.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method according to claim 1 further comprising aligning the work piece in the transfer arm using an alignment fixture.