Segmented edge protection shield

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10622218-B2
Application number	US-201715707176-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2015
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

A segmented edge protection shield for plasma dicing a wafer. The segmented edge protection shield includes an outer structure and a plurality of plasma shield edge segments. The outer structure defines an interior annular edge configured to correspond to the circumferential edge of the wafer. Each one of the plurality of plasma shield edge segments is defined by an inner edge and side edges. The inner edge is interior to and concentric to the annular edge of the outer structure. The side edges extend between the inner edge and the annular edge.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of plasma dicing a wafer, comprising:
providing a wafer that has been patterned to expose kerf lines on a surface of the wafer;
providing a segmented edge protection shield above the surface of the wafer, wherein the segmented edge protection shield includes a plurality of plasma shield edge segments configured to shield corresponding ones of a plurality of edge segments on the surface of the wafer; and
plasma etching the surface of the wafer through the segmented edge protection shield to singulate a plurality of die within the kerf lines and to singulate a plurality of wafer edge areas that are spaced apart around a circumferential edge of the wafer and separated from each other by a gap, wherein each of the plurality of wafer edge areas is larger than each of the plurality of singulated die.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein singulating the plurality of wafer edge areas comprises etching interconnected kerf lines of partial ones of the plurality of die that are adjacent to and exterior to the plurality of edge segments.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein singulating the plurality of wafer edge areas comprises side edges of the plurality of edge segments having a same length.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein singulating the plurality of die within the kerf lines comprises singulating ones of the plurality of die between side edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of edge segments, wherein a distance between the side edges of the adjacent ones of the plurality of edge segments is greater than a maximum distance between adjacent kerf lines.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a distance between an inner edge of the plurality of edge segments and the circumferential edge of the wafer is about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a distance between side edges of adjacent ones of the plurality of edge segments is about 1 mm to about 10 mm.

7. A method of processing a substrate, comprising:
patterning the substrate to expose kerf lines on a surface of the substrate; and
singulating a plurality of die within the kerf lines and singulating a plurality of substrate edge areas that are arranged around an edge of the substrate and separated from each other by a gap, wherein each of the plurality of substrate edge areas is larger than each of the plurality of singulated die.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein singulating the plurality of substrate edge areas comprises exposing the surface of the substrate to a plasma through a segmented edge protection shield.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein singulating the plurality of substrate edge areas comprises:
providing a segmented edge protection shield over the surface of the substrate, wherein the segmented edge protection shield includes a plurality of shield edge segments; and
exposing the surface of the substrate to a plasma through the segmented edge protection shield.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein exposing the surface of the substrate to the plasma through the segmented edge protection shield comprises the plurality of shield edge segments shielding corresponding ones of a plurality of edge segments on the surface of the substrate from the plasma.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein exposing the surface of the substrate to the plasma through the segmented edge protection shield comprises etching interconnected kerf lines of partial ones of the plurality of die that are adjacent to and exterior to the plurality of edge segments.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein singulating the plurality of substrate edge areas comprises each one of the plurality of substrate edge areas including one of the plurality of edge segments and the partial ones of the plurality of die that are adjacent to and exterior to the one of the plurality of edge segments.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein singulating the plurality of die within the kerf lines comprises singulating ones of the plurality of die between side edges of adjacent ones of the corresponding edge segments.

14. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer in a plasma reaction chamber, comprising:
providing a wafer that has been patterned to expose kerf lines on a surface of the wafer;
exposing the surface of the wafer to a plasma through a segmented edge protection shield spaced above the surface of the wafer, wherein the segmented edge protection shield includes a plurality of shield edge segments configured to shield corresponding ones of a plurality of edge segments on the surface of the wafer from the plasma; and
singulating a plurality of die on the wafer that are exterior to the plurality of edge segments, wherein each of the plurality of edge segments is larger than each of the plurality of singulated die.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising singulating a plurality of wafer edge areas that each include one of the plurality of edge segments and singulated partial ones of the plurality of die that are adjacent to the one of the plurality of edge segments.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein singulating the plurality of wafer edge areas comprises an inner edge of the plurality of edge segments having a length that is greater than a maximum distance between adjacent kerf lines.

Assignees

• Infineon Technologies Ag

Inventors

• Engelhardt Manfred
• Roesner Michael
• Ehrentraut Georg

Classifications

• H10P72/0428

  Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting · CPC title

• H10P54/00 Primary

  Cutting or separating of wafers, substrates or parts of devices · CPC title

• H10P50/242 Primary

  of Group IV materials · CPC title

• H01J37/32642

  Focus rings · CPC title

• H01J37/32651

  Shields, e.g. dark space shields, Faraday shields · CPC title