# US 9,040,389 B2 · Singulation processes

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- Number: US 9,040,389 B2
- Document ID: US9040389B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/648,216
- Filed: 2012-10-09
- Published: 2014-04-10
- Granted: 2015-05-26
- Earliest claimed: 2012-10-09
- Assignees: Infineon Technologies AG
- Applicants: Infineon Technologies AG
- Inventors: Gunther Mackh; Maria Heidenblut; Adolf Koller; Anatoly Sotnikov
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9040389B2

## CPC

- H10P 54/00: Cutting or separating of wafers, substrates or parts of devices
- H10P 72/74: {using temporarily an auxiliary support}
- H10P 72/7402: {Wafer tapes, e.g. grinding or dicing support tapes}
- H10P 72/7416: {used during dicing or grinding}
- H10P 72/742: {involving stretching of the auxiliary support post dicing}
- H10P 72/7422: {used to protect an active side of a device or wafer}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a groove on and/or over a first side of a substrate. A dicing layer is formed from a second side of the substrate using a laser process. The second side is opposite the first side. The dicing layer is disposed under the groove within the substrate. The substrate is singulated through the dicing layer.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a groove at a first side of a silicon substrate, the groove extending partially into the silicon substrate without extending through the silicon substrate, the silicon substrate comprising doped regions, wherein the silicon substrate comprises active device regions proximate the first side;
forming a dicing layer from a second side of the silicon substrate, the dicing layer disposed under the groove within the silicon substrate, the second side being opposite the first side, wherein forming the groove comprises using a laser ablation process using light at a wavelength between ultraviolet and infrared, and wherein forming the dicing layer comprises using a stealth laser process using light at a wavelength above 900 nm; and
singulating the silicon substrate through the dicing layer and the groove, wherein the singulating comprises
attaching the silicon substrate to a tape, and
forming a crack from the groove through the dicing layer by expanding the tape.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the stealth laser dicing process uses wavelength of light more than about 1000 nm.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the groove is formed within a dicing channel on the silicon substrate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the dicing layer is formed within the dicing channel of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the groove has a depth of about 1 μm to about 50 μm in the silicon substrate.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the groove extends through a metallization layer disposed over the silicon substrate upto a top surface of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a water-soluble protective coating prior to forming the groove.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the silicon substrate comprises a silicon wafer.

### Claim 9

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
using a first laser process, forming a groove through a metallization layer disposed over a silicon substrate, the groove extending into the silicon substrate and the metallization layer coupled to device regions in the silicon substrate;
using a second laser process, forming a dicing layer under the groove within the silicon substrate, wherein the second laser process is performed using multi-passing scanning process, and wherein a focal point of a laser beam of the second laser process is adjusted progressively deeper in each subsequent scan step of the multi-passing scanning process, wherein using the first laser process comprises using a laser ablation process using light at a wavelength between ultraviolet and infrared, and wherein using the second laser process comprises using a stealth laser process using light at a wavelength above 900 nm;
attaching the silicon substrate to a tape; and
performing a tape expansion process on the tape with the silicon substrate, wherein performing the tape expansion process comprises forming a crack from the groove through the dicing layer by expanding the tape.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the first laser process is a laser ablation process, and wherein the second laser process is a stealth laser dicing process.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first laser process is a single scan process.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the first laser process is performed from a first side of the silicon substrate, and wherein the second laser process is performed from an opposite second side of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the second laser process uses light of wavelength greater than 1000 nm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9 wherein expanding the tape comprises heating the tape.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the groove is formed within a dicing channel on the silicon substrate, and wherein the dicing layer is formed within the dicing channel of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the groove has a depth of about 5 μm to about 20 μm in the silicon substrate.

### Claim 17 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising applying a water-soluble protective coating prior to forming the groove.

### Claim 18 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising thinning the silicon substrate prior to forming the groove.

### Claim 19 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising thinning the silicon substrate after forming the groove.

### Claim 20

A method of forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
using a first laser process, forming a groove through a metallization layer disposed over a silicon substrate, the groove extending into the silicon substrate and the metallization layer coupled to device regions in the silicon substrate;
using a second laser process, forming a dicing layer under the groove within the silicon substrate, wherein the second laser process is performed using multi-passing scanning process, and wherein a focal point of a laser beam of the second laser process is adjusted progressively deeper in each subsequent scan step of the multi-passing scanning process, wherein using the first laser process comprises using a laser ablation process using light at a wavelength between ultraviolet and infrared, and wherein using the second laser process comprises using a stealth laser process using light at a wavelength above 900 nm;
attaching the silicon substrate to a tape; and
performing a tape expansion process on the tape with the silicon substrate by heating the tape.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the first laser process is a laser ablation process, and wherein the second laser process is a stealth laser dicing process.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the first laser process is a single scan process.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the first laser process is performed from a first side of the silicon substrate, and wherein the second laser process is performed from an opposite second side of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 24 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the second laser process uses light of wavelength greater than 1000 nm.

### Claim 25 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the groove is formed within a dicing channel on the silicon substrate, and wherein the dicing layer is formed within the dicing channel of the silicon substrate.

### Claim 26 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, wherein the groove has a depth of about 5 μm to about 20 μm in the silicon substrate.

### Claim 27 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising applying a water-soluble protective coating prior to forming the groove.

### Claim 28 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising thinning the silicon substrate prior to forming the groove.

### Claim 29 (depends on 20)

The method of claim 20, further comprising thinning the silicon substrate after forming the groove.