Method and Apparatus for Plasma Dicing a Semi-conductor Wafer
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 clamping electrode for electrostatically clamping the work piece to the work piece support; providing a mechanical partition between the plasma source and the work piece; generating a plasma through the plasma source; and etching the work piece through the generated plasma.
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30 . 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, the work piece having an upper surface and a lower surface;
placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;
generating a plasma using the plasma source; and
etching the work piece using the generated plasma while all of the upper surface of the work piece is exposed to the generated plasma.
31 . The method according to claim 30 further comprising placing the frame of the work piece in thermal communication with the work piece support during the etching step.
32 . The method according to claim 30 further comprising:
providing an electrostatic clamp within the work piece support; and
electrostatically clamping the frame of the work piece using said electrostatic clamp during the etching step.
33 . The method according to claim 32 further comprising providing a seal band in the electrostatic clamp wherein the frame of the work piece overlaps said seal band.
34 . The method according to claim 32 further comprising providing a seal band in the electrostatic clamp wherein the support film of the work piece completely overlaps said seal band.
35 . The method according to claim 32 further comprising providing a clamping electrode in the electrostatic clamp wherein the frame of the work piece overlaps said clamping electrode.
36 . The method according to claim 32 wherein said electrostatic clamp further comprising a plurality of gas inlet holes and a region that is overlapped by the substrate, said region of said electrostatic clamp having no gas inlet holes.
37 . The method according to claim 36 wherein the plurality of gas inlet holes are positioned outside a periphery of the substrate.
38 . The method according to claim 36 wherein said seal band is positioned outside a periphery of the substrate.
39 . The method according to claim 30 wherein the frame of the work piece is exposed to plasma during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.
40 . 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 a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;
providing a cover ring in the process chamber;
generating a plasma using the plasma source;
etching said work piece using the generated plasma while said cover ring overlaps at least a part of the frame of the work piece.
41 . The method according to claim 40 further comprising placing the frame of the work piece in thermal communication with the work piece support during the etching step.
42 . The method according to claim 40 further comprising:
providing an electrostatic clamp within the work piece support; and
electrostatically clamping the frame of the work piece using said electrostatic clamp during the etching step.
43 . The method according to claim 42 further comprising providing a clamping electrode in the electrostatic clamp wherein the frame of the work piece overlaps said clamping electrode.
44 . The method according to claim 42 wherein said electrostatic clamp further comprising providing a plurality of lift pin holes, said lift pin holes being positioned outside a periphery of the substrate of the work piece.
45 . The method according to claim 42 wherein said electrostatic clamp further comprising a plurality of gas inlet holes, said plurality of gas inlet holes of said electrostatic clamp being positioned outside a periphery of the substrate of the work piece.
46 . The method according to claim 40 wherein said cover ring overlaps the frame of the work piece during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.
47 . The method according to claim 40 wherein said cover ring does not touch the frame of the work piece during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.
48 . The method according to claim 40 wherein a portion of the frame of the work piece is exposed to the generated plasma during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.