METHODS OF SEPARATING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT CHIPS FABRICATED ON A WAFER

• US 20090311849A1
• Filed: 06/17/2008
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dang, Bing, Andry, Paul S., Tsang, Cornelia K., Farinelli, Matthew J.
• Application Number:
  US12/140,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20090311849A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/464
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6836 Wafer tapes, e.g. grinding or dicing support tapes adhesive tapes in general C09J7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/78 with subsequent division of the substrate into plural individual devices cutting to change the surface-physical characteristics or shape of semiconductor bodies H01L21/304
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68327 used during dicing or grinding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68354 used to support diced chips prior to mounting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2221/68381 Details of chemical or physical process used for separating the auxiliary support from a device or wafer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits

Abstract

Improved methods of separating integrated circuit chips fabricated on a single wafer are provided. In an embodiment, a method of separating integrated circuit chips fabricated on a wafer comprises: attaching a support to a back surface of the wafer; dicing the wafer to form individual integrated circuit chips attached to the support; attaching a carrier comprising a releasable adhesive material to a front surface of the wafer opposite from the back surface; separating the support from the back surface of the wafer; subjecting the carrier to an effective amount of heat, radiation, or both to reduce the adhesiveness of the adhesive material to allow for removal of at least one of the integrated circuit chips from the carrier; and picking up and moving at least one of the integrated circuit chips using a tool configured to handle the integrated circuit chips.

Claims

1. A method of separating integrated circuit chips fabricated on a wafer, comprising:

attaching a support to a back surface of the wafer;

dicing the wafer to form individual integrated circuit chips attached to the support;

attaching a carrier comprising a releasable adhesive material to a front surface of the wafer opposite from the back surface;

separating the support from the back surface of the wafer;

subjecting the carrier to an effective amount of heat, radiation, or both to reduce the adhesiveness of the adhesive material to allow for removal of at least one of the integrated circuit chips from the carrier; and

picking up and moving at least one of the integrated circuit chips using a tool configured to handle the integrated circuit chips.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wafer has a thickness of less than about 100 micrometers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said dicing the wafer is performed such that the support remains intact.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said attaching the support to the back surface of the wafer comprises applying an adhesive between the back surface and the support that is capable of releasing the support when subjected to laser ablation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the releasable adhesive material comprises benzocyclobutene, a poly(arylene ether), a modified photoresist material, a modified polyimide material, thermal release tape, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.