Backside metal patterning die singulation systems and related methods
Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die comprised in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a polymer layer over the backside metal layer and forming a groove entirely through the polymer layer and partially through a thickness of the backside metal layer. The groove may be located in a die street of the substrate. The method may also include etching through a remaining portion of the backside metal layer located in the die street, removing the polymer layer, singulating the plurality of die in the substrate by removing substrate material in the die street.
1. A method of singulating a plurality of die comprised in a substrate, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate;
forming a backside metal layer on a second side of the substrate;
applying a layer over the backside metal layer;
forming a groove entirely through the layer and partially through a thickness of the backside metal layer, wherein the groove is located in a die street of the substrate;
actively monitoring a formation of the groove;
etching through a remaining portion of the backside metal layer located in the die street;
removing the layer; and
singulating the plurality of die comprised in the substrate by removing substrate material in the die street.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising thinning the second side of the substrate.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the backside metal layer is 10 micrometers.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed using one of a laser beam or a saw blade.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein etching further comprises wet etching through the remaining portion of the backside metal layer, wherein the backside metal layer comprises copper.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing substrate material in the die street further comprises using one of a laser beam or a saw blade.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising remote plasma healing a sidewall of the plurality of die.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein removing substrate material in the die street further comprises plasma etching.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the layer comprises an organic layer coupled over the backside metal layer.
10. A method of singulating a plurality of die comprised in a substrate, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate;
forming a backside metal layer on a second side of the substrate;
applying a layer over the backside metal layer;
forming a groove entirely through the layer and partially through the backside metal layer in a die street;
actively monitoring a formation of the groove using a camera facing the second side of the substrate;
etching the backside metal layer, wherein the etching exposes a portion of the substrate in the die street;
removing the layer; and
singulating the plurality of die comprised in the substrate through plasma etching at the portion of the substrate exposed by the etching.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising thinning the second side of the substrate, wherein the substrate is thinned to less than 50 micrometers thick.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising thinning the second side of the substrate, wherein the substrate is thinned to less than 30 micrometers thick.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the groove is formed using one of a laser beam or a saw blade.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein etching further comprises wet etching the backside metal layer, wherein the backside metal layer comprises copper.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein a portion of the backside metal layer is between the groove and the substrate, the portion having a thickness of five micrometers.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the backside metal layer has a thickness of 10 micrometers.
17. A method of singulating a plurality of die comprised in a substrate, the method comprising:
forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate;
forming a backside metal layer on a second side of the substrate;
applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer;
patterning the photoresist layer using one of a laser beam or a saw blade;
forming a groove partially through the backside metal layer in a die street using one of the laser beam or the saw blade;
actively monitoring a formation of the groove using a camera facing the second side of the substrate;
etching through the backside metal layer in the die street;
removing the photoresist layer; and
singulating the plurality of die comprised in the substrate through removing substrate material of the substrate in the die street.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing substrate material in the die street further comprises plasma etching.
19. The method of claim 17 , wherein etching further comprises wet etching through the backside metal layer, wherein the backside metal layer comprises copper.
20. The method of claim 17 , wherein removing substrate material in the die street further comprises using one of a laser beam or a saw blade.