Solid-state transducer devices with optically-transmissive carrier substrates and related systems, methods, and devices
Semiconductor device assemblies having solid-state transducer (SST) devices and associated semiconductor devices, systems, and are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of forming a semiconductor device assembly includes forming a support substrate, a transfer structure, and a plurality semiconductor structures between the support substrate and the transfer structure. The method further includes removing the support substrate to expose an active surface of the individual semiconductor structures and a trench between the individual semiconductor structures. The semiconductor structures can be attached to a carrier substrate that is optically transmissive such that the active surface can emit and/or receive the light through the carrier substrate. The individual semiconductor structures can then be processed on the carrier substrate with the support substrate removed. In some embodiments, the individual semiconductor structures are singulated from the semiconductor device assembly and include a section of the carrier substrate attached to each of the individual semiconductor structures.
1. A method of forming a semiconductor device assembly, comprising:
forming a semiconductor device assembly that includes a support substrate, a transfer structure comprising a tape, and a plurality of semiconductor structures between the support substrate and the transfer structure, wherein individual semiconductor structures of the plurality of semiconductor structures include an active surface, and wherein forming the semiconductor device assembly includes
forming a trench that extends between the support substrate and the transfer structure, and between the individual semiconductor structures such that the trench separates the individual semiconductor structures from one another, and
attaching the tape to the individual semiconductor structures;
removing the support substrate to expose the active surface of the individual semiconductor structures and the trench between the individual semiconductor structures, wherein the active surface of the individual semiconductor structures is arranged to emit and/or receive light, and wherein removing the support substrate includes disposing a chemical etchant at the trench while the tape is attached to the individual semiconductor structures;
attaching the active surface of the individual semiconductor structures to a carrier substrate, wherein the carrier substrate is substantially optically transmissive such that the active surface can emit and/or receive the light through the carrier substrate; and
processing the plurality of semiconductor structures on the carrier substrate with the support substrate removed.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the plurality of semiconductor structures comprises singulating the semiconductor structures such that the singulated semiconductor structures include a section of the carrier substrate.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the tape is a die-attach tape.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein removing the support substrate further comprises submerging at least a portion of the semiconductor device assembly in a bath containing a chemical etchant.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein forming the semiconductor device assembly comprises:
forming semiconductor material on the support substrate;
forming conductive material on the semiconductor material; and
removing material from the conductive material and the semiconductor material to form the trench such that the trench extends through the conductive material and the semiconductor material to expose a surface of the support substrate.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming openings in the conductive material to expose portions of the semiconductor material through the openings in the conductive material, wherein the openings define electrical contacts in the conductive material and the location of the trench.
7. The method of claim 5 wherein forming the semiconductor device assembly further comprises:
defining electrical contacts in the conductive material, wherein each of the electrical contacts include a contact surface; and
attaching the transfer structure to the contact surfaces of the electrical contacts.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the plurality of semiconductor structures comprises electrically testing the individual semiconductor structures attached to the carrier substrate.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the carrier substrate is substantially transmissive to light in the spectrum ranging from about 390 nm to about 750 nm.
10. A method for forming direct-attach solid state transducer (SST) devices, comprising:
forming a stack of semiconductor materials on a support substrate;
forming a conductive material on the stack of semiconductor materials;
attaching a tape to the conductive material;
removing material from the stack of semiconductor materials and the conductive material to form individual mesas that include a portion of the stack of semiconductor materials and a portion of the conductive material on the stack of semiconductor materials, wherein removing the material from the stack of semiconductor materials and the conductive material includes forming a trench that extends between the individual mesas, and between the support substrate and the tape;
removing the support substrate from the individual mesas to expose an active surface of the stack of semiconductor materials, wherein removing the support substrate includes disposing a chemical etchant at the trench while the tape is attached to the individual mesas; and
attaching an optically transmissive material to the active surface of the individual mesas, wherein the optically transmissive material is arranged such that the active surface emits and/or receives light through the optically transmissive material.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising singulating the individual mesas and the optically transmissive material to form an SST device having a section of the optically transmissive material attached to the active surface of the stack of semiconductor materials.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising patterning the conductive material to define locations of electrical contacts and to define locations of trenches in the stack of semiconductor materials.
13. The method of claim 10 wherein removing the support substrate comprises submerging the support substrate in a bath of chemical etchant.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising roughening the active surfaces of the stack of semiconductor materials.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein attaching the optically transmissive material to the active surface includes attaching the optically transmissive material to the roughened active surfaces of the stack of semiconductor materials.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein attaching the tape to the conductive material further comprises attaching a die-attach tape to the conductive material.