Laser and plasma etch wafer dicing using UV-curable adhesive film
Laser and plasma etch wafer dicing using UV-curable adhesive films is described. In an example, a method includes forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer is coupled to a carrier substrate by a UV-curable adhesive film. The mask covers and protects the integrated circuits. The mask is patterned with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps. The patterning exposes regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to form singulated integrated circuits. The UV-curable adhesive film is then irradiated with ultra-violet (UV) light. The singulated integrated circuits are then detached from the carrier substrate.
1. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the method comprising:
forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer coupled to a carrier substrate by a UV-curable adhesive film, the mask covering and protecting the integrated circuits;
patterning the mask with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits;
etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask to form singulated integrated circuits;
subsequent to etching the semiconductor wafer, removing the mask;
subsequent to removing the mask, irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with ultra-violet (UV) light; and
detaching the singulated integrated circuits from the carrier substrate.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises reducing an adhesiveness of the UV-curable adhesive film by at least approximately 90%.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier substrate is transparent to UV light and irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises irradiating through the carrier substrate to the UV-curable adhesive film.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
subsequent to removing the mask and prior to irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film, applying a protective layer to the singulated integrated circuits.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the UV-curable adhesive film is a double-sided tape comprising a carrier film disposed between two adhesive layers.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the carrier film comprises polyvinyl chloride and the two adhesive layers are acrylic-based adhesive layers.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor wafer has a thickness approximately in the range of 100-600 microns.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein patterning the mask with the laser scribing process comprises patterning with a femtosecond-based laser scribing process, and wherein etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask comprises using a high density plasma etching process.
9. A system for dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the system comprising:
a factory interface;
a laser scribe apparatus coupled with the factory interface;
a plasma etch chamber coupled with the factory interface; and
an ultra-violet (UV) irradiation station coupled with the factory interface, the UV irradiation station configured to weaken a UV-curable adhesive film.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the UV irradiation station is configured to reduce an adhesiveness of the UV-curable adhesive film by at least approximately 90%.
11. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the method comprising:
forming a mask above a silicon substrate coupled to a carrier substrate by a UV-curable adhesive film, the mask covering and protecting integrated circuits disposed on the silicon substrate, the integrated circuits comprising a layer of silicon dioxide disposed above a layer of low K material and a layer of copper;
patterning the mask, the layer of silicon dioxide, the layer of low K material, and the layer of copper with a laser scribing process to expose regions of the silicon substrate between the integrated circuits;
etching the silicon substrate through the exposed regions to form singulated integrated circuits;
subsequent to etching the silicon substrate, removing the mask;
subsequent to removing the mask, irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with ultra-violet (UV) light; and
detaching the singulated integrated circuits from the carrier substrate.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises reducing an adhesiveness of the UV-curable adhesive film by at least approximately 90%.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the carrier substrate is transparent to UV light and irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises irradiating through the carrier substrate to the UV-curable adhesive film.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
subsequent to removing the mask and prior to irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film, applying a protective layer to the singulated integrated circuits.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the UV-curable adhesive film is a double-sided tape comprising a carrier film disposed between two adhesive layers.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the carrier film comprises polyvinyl chloride and the two adhesive layers are acrylic-based adhesive layers.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the silicon substrate has a thickness approximately in the range of 100-600 microns.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein patterning the mask, the layer of silicon dioxide, the layer of low K material, and the layer of copper with the laser scribing process comprises patterning with a femtosecond-based laser scribing process, and wherein etching the silicon substrate through the exposed regions comprises using a high density plasma etching process.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein patterning the mask, the layer of silicon dioxide, the layer of low K material, and the layer of copper with the laser scribing process comprises ablating the mask prior to ablating the layer of silicon dioxide, and ablating the layer of silicon dioxide prior to ablating the layer of low K material and the layer of copper.
20. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the method comprising:
forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer coupled to a carrier substrate by a UV-curable adhesive film, the mask covering and protecting the integrated circuits, wherein the UV-curable adhesive film is a double-sided tape comprising a carrier film disposed between two adhesive layers;
patterning the mask with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits;
etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask to form singulated integrated circuits;
irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with ultra-violet (UV) light; and
detaching the singulated integrated circuits from the carrier substrate.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises reducing an adhesiveness of the UV-curable adhesive film by at least approximately 90%.
22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the carrier substrate is transparent to UV light and irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises irradiating through the carrier substrate to the UV-curable adhesive film.
23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the carrier film comprises polyvinyl chloride and the two adhesive layers are acrylic-based adhesive layers.
24. The method of claim 20 , wherein the semiconductor wafer has a thickness approximately in the range of 100-600 microns.
25. The method of claim 20 , wherein patterning the mask with the laser scribing process comprises patterning with a femtosecond-based laser scribing process, and wherein etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask comprises using a high density plasma etching process.
26. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the method comprising:
forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer coupled to a carrier substrate by a UV-curable adhesive film, the mask covering and protecting the integrated circuits;
patterning the mask with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits, wherein patterning the mask with the laser scribing process comprises patterning with a femtosecond-based laser scribing process;
etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask to form singulated integrated circuits, wherein etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask comprises using a high density plasma etching process;
irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with ultra-violet (UV) light; and
detaching the singulated integrated circuits from the carrier substrate.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises reducing an adhesiveness of the UV-curable adhesive film by at least approximately 90%.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein the carrier substrate is transparent to UV light and irradiating the UV-curable adhesive film with UV light comprises irradiating through the carrier substrate to the UV-curable adhesive film.
29. The method of claim 26 , wherein the semiconductor wafer has a thickness approximately in the range of 100-600 microns.