Method and apparatus for plasma dicing a semi-conductor wafer
View Patent ↗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.
1. 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;
providing an electrostatic clamp having a clamping electrode within the work piece support;
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; and
electrostatically clamping the frame of the work piece using said clamping electrode during the etching step, wherein at least a part of the frame of the work piece overlaps said clamping electrode.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising placing the frame of the work piece in thermal communication with the work piece support during the etching step.
3. The method according to claim 1 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.
4. The method according to claim 1 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.
5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said cover ring overlaps the frame of the work piece during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein said cover ring does not touch the frame of the work piece during the etching of the work piece using the generated plasma.
7. The method according to claim 1 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.