Method of etching substrates
First Claim
1. A method of separating individual semiconductor devices from a substrate, comprising:
- procuring a substrate having a plurality of at least partially formed individual semiconductor devices;
forming a mask pattern having scribe lines over the substrate, wherein the scribe lines expose the substrate to reactive ion etching while the remainder of the mask pattern protects the substrate;
etching trenches in the substrate and along the scribe lines using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RE); and
stressing the substrate to produce stress lines and separation of the substrate at the trenches to dice out at least one of the plurality of at least partially formed individual semiconductor devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Thinning and dicing substrates using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RIE). When dicing, a hard photo-resist pattern or metal mask pattern that defines scribe lines is formed on a sapphire substrate or on a semiconductor epitaxial layer, beneficially by lithographic techniques. Then, the substrate is etched along the scribe lines to form etched channels. An etching gas comprised of BCl3 and/or BCl3/Cl2 gas is used (optionally, Ar can be added). Stress lines are then produced through the substrate along the etched channels. The substrate is then diced along the stress lines. When thinning, a surface of a substrate is subjected to inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RIE) using BCl3 and/or BCl3/Cl2 gas, possibly with some Ar. ICP RIE is particularly useful when working sapphire and other hard substrates.
55 Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method of separating individual semiconductor devices from a substrate, comprising:
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procuring a substrate having a plurality of at least partially formed individual semiconductor devices;
forming a mask pattern having scribe lines over the substrate, wherein the scribe lines expose the substrate to reactive ion etching while the remainder of the mask pattern protects the substrate;
etching trenches in the substrate and along the scribe lines using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RE); and
stressing the substrate to produce stress lines and separation of the substrate at the trenches to dice out at least one of the plurality of at least partially formed individual semiconductor devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of forming semiconductor devices, comprising:
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procuring a substrate;
forming a plurality of individual semiconductor devices on the substrate;
forming a mask pattern having scribe lines over the substrate, wherein the scribe lines expose the substrate between the individual semiconductor devices to reactive ion etching while the remainder of the mask pattern protects the substrate;
etching trenches in the substrate and along the scribe lines using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RIE); and
stressing the substrate to produce stress lines and separation of the substrate at the trenches to dice out at a plurality of individual semiconductor devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of forming semiconductor devices, comprising:
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procuring a sapphire substrate;
forming a plurality of individual GaN semiconductor devices on the sapphire substrate;
forming a mask pattern having scribe lines over the sapphire substrate, wherein the scribe lines expose the sapphire substrate between the individual GaN semiconductor devices to reactive ion etching while the remainder of the mask pattern protects the sapphire substrate;
etching trenches in the sapphire substrate and along the scribe lines using inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching (ICP RIE); and
stressing the sapphire substrate to produce stress lines and separation of the sapphire substrate at the trenches to dice out at a plurality of individual GaN semiconductor devices. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method of thinning a substrate comprising:
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locating a substrate on an electrode in a reactive ion chamber;
evacuating the chamber;
applying RF power and a DC bias to the electrode; and
etching the substrate by inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching using an etching gas comprised of BCl3. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification