Chips with high fracture toughness through a metal ring
View Patent ↗A method of making an edge-reinforced microelectronic element is disclosed. The steps include mechanically cutting along dicing lanes of a substrate at least partially through a thickness thereof to form a plurality of edge surfaces extending away from a front surface thereof and forming a continuous monolithic metallic edge-reinforcement ring that covers each of the plurality of edge surfaces and extends onto the front surface. The front surface may have a plurality of contacts thereat and the substrate may embody a plurality of microelectronic elements.
1. A method of making an edge-reinforced microelectronic element, comprising:
mechanically cutting along dicing lanes of a substrate at least partially through a thickness thereof to form a plurality of edge surfaces extending away from a front surface thereof the front surface having a plurality of contacts thereat, the substrate further including an exposed rear surface separated from the front surface by a semiconductor material and by wiring, the substrate embodying a plurality of microelectronic elements; and
forming a continuous monolithic metallic edge-reinforcement ring covering each of the plurality of edge surfaces and extending onto the front surface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of mechanically cutting includes sawing.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of mechanically cutting fully cuts through the thickness to separate the microelectronic elements from one another.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of forming a continuous monolithic metallic edge-reinforcement ring occurs after the step of mechanically cutting.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of mechanically cutting partially cuts through the thickness; and wherein the step of forming occurs after the step of mechanically cutting.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein during the step of mechanically cutting, a groove is formed, the groove having a base and the edge surfaces; and wherein the step of forming a continuous monolithic metallic edge-reinforcement right includes providing a metal along the base and the edge surfaces of the groove.
7. A method of making an edge-reinforced microelectronic element, comprising:
mechanically cutting along dicing lanes of a substrate partially through a thickness thereof to expose a plurality of edge surfaces extending away from a front surface thereof the first surface having a plurality of contacts thereat, the substrate further including an exposed rear surface separated from the front surface by a semiconductor material and by wiring, the substrate embodying a plurality of microelectronic elements;
forming a continuous monolithic metallic edge-reinforcement ring covering each of the plurality of edge surfaces and extending onto the front surface; and
separating the microelectronic elements from one another along the dicing lanes.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of mechanically cutting includes sawing.