Pre-patterned dry laminate mask for wafer dicing processes
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsJames M. Holden, Aparna Iyer, Brad Eaton, Ajay Kumar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Approaches for protecting a wafer during plasma etching wafer dicing processes are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer with a front surface having a plurality of integrated circuits thereon involves laminating a pre-patterned mask on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer. The pre-patterned mask covers the integrated circuits and exposes streets between the integrated circuits. The method also involves plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the streets to singulate the integrated circuits. The pre-patterned mask protects the integrated circuits during the plasma etching.
Claims19
A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a front surface having a plurality of integrated circuits thereon, the method comprising:
- laminating a pre-patterned mask on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer, the pre-patterned mask covering the integrated circuits and exposing streets between the integrated circuits, wherein laminating the pre-patterned mask comprises using a reel-to-reel carrier film that supports the pre-patterned mask and releasing the carrier film subsequent to adhering the pre-patterned mask on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer;
- and
- plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the streets to singulate the integrated circuits, wherein the pre-patterned mask protects the integrated circuits during the plasma etching.
A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a front surface having a plurality of integrated circuits thereon, the method comprising:
- laminating a pre-patterned mask on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer, the pre-patterned mask covering the integrated circuits and exposing streets between the integrated circuits, wherein laminating the pre-patterned mask comprises using a reel-to-reel carrier film that supports the pre-patterned mask and releasing the carrier film subsequent to adhering the pre-patterned mask on the front surface of the semiconductor wafer;
- laser scribing the streets to provide scribe lines between the integrated circuits;
- and
- plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the scribe lines to singulate the integrated circuits, wherein the pre-patterned mask protects the integrated circuits during the plasma etching.
A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a front surface having a plurality of integrated circuits thereon, the method comprising:
- forming a pre-patterned underfill material layer between and covering metal pillar/solder bump pairs of the integrated circuits, the pre-patterned underfill material layer exposing streets between the integrated circuits;
- plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the streets to singulate the integrated circuits, wherein the pre-patterned underfill material layer protects the integrated circuits during the plasma etching;
- and
- subsequent to the plasma etching, thinning but not removing the pre-patterned underfill material layer to partially expose the metal pillar/solder bump pairs of the integrated circuits.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.