Semiconductor wafer having identification indication and method of manufacturing the same

• US 6,268,641 B1
• Filed: 03/30/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Yano, Hiroyuki, Okumura, Katsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Bowers, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAWRANEK, SCOTT J
• Application Number:
  US09/050,035
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 235/462.01, 257/48, 257/620.2, 257/618, 438/459, 438/401, 438/959
• US Class Current: 257/620
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54406 comprising alphanumeric information
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54413 comprising digital information, e.g. bar codes, data matrix
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/54493 Peripheral marks on wafers, e.g. orientation flats, notches, lot number
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/544 Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g. registration marks, alignment structures, wafer maps test patterns for characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes H01L22/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/959 Mechanical polishing of wafer

Abstract

An identification indication is formed on a side surface of a semiconductor wafer, and thus even if various treatment processes are repeatedly conducted for forming a semiconductor circuit, or even by the wrapping treatment on the rear side of the wafer, the identification indication cannot disappear or become unclear so that the identification indication can be clearly recognized at least until the process for cutting the wafer into chips.

Claims

1. A semiconductor wafer comprising a semiconductor wafer identification indication on a selected side surface portion of the semiconductor wafer to remain after performing the semiconductor wafer abrading treatment from a rear side for making the semiconductor wafer thinner, wherein a side surface of the semiconductor wafer includes an upper slant face portion elongating from a front surface, a lower slant face portion elongating from a rear surface, and a peripheral surface portion between the slant face portion elongating from the front surface and the slant face portion elongating from the rear surface, and the selected side surface portion is the slant face portion elongating from the front surface.

2. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 1, wherein the upper slant face portion and the lower slant face portion form a curved surface.

3. A semiconductor wafer comprising a semiconductor wafer identification indication on a selected side surface portion of the semiconductor wafer to remain after performing a semiconductor wafer abrading treatment from a rear side for making the semiconductor wafer thinner, wherein the side surface of the semiconductor wafer includes an upper slant face portion elongating from a front surface, a lower slant face portion elongating from a rear surface, and a peripheral surface portion between the slant face portion elongating from the front surface and the slant face portion elongating from the rear surface, and the selected side surface portion is a portion at a side adjacent to the slant face portion elongating from the front surface.

4. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 3, wherein the upper slant face portion and the lower slant face portion form a curved surface.

5. A semiconductor wafer structure comprising a semiconductor wafer having an identification indication formed either on a slant surface elongating from a front surface or a back surface of the semiconductor wafer or on a peripheral surface elongating from a slant surface of the semiconductor wafer.

6. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 5, wherein the semiconductor wafer is provided by thinning an original semiconductor wafer by abrading the original semiconductor wafer from a back surface thereof.

7. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 5, wherein the identification indication is an engraving formed either on the slant surface elongating from either the front surface or the back surface or on the peripheral surface elongating from the slant surface of the semiconductor wafer.

8. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 7, wherein the engraving is formed by applying laser beam radiation either to the slant surface elongating from the front surface or the back surface or to the peripheral surface elongating from the slant surface.

9. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 5, wherein the identification indication includes a visibly recognizable indication.

10. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 9, wherein the identification indication includes a numeral and/or a mark.

11. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 5, wherein the identification indication includes an optically recognizable indication.

12. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 11, wherein the optically recognizable indication includes a bar code.

13. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 5, wherein the identification indication includes an identification indication recognizable by a laser beam.

14. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 13, wherein the identification indication recognizable by a laser beam includes a bar code.

15. A semiconductor wafer structure comprising a semiconductor wafer having an indentification indication formed on a side surface except for a portion elongating from a front surface and a portion elongating from a back surface of the semiconductor wafer.

16. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 15, wherein the semiconductor wafer is a semiconductor wafer which is provided by thinning an original semiconductor wafer by abrading the original semiconductor wafer from the back surface thereof.

17. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 16, wherein the engraving is formed by applying laser beam radiation to the side surface of the semiconductor wafer.

18. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 15, wherein the identification indication is an engraving formed on the side surface of the semiconductor wafer.

19. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 15, wherein the identification indication includes a visibly recognizable indication.

20. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 19, wherein the visibly recognizable indication includes a numeral and/or a mark.

21. The semiconductor wafer according to a claim 15, wherein the identification indication includes an optically recognizable indication.

22. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 21, wherein the optically recognizable indication includes a bar code.

23. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 15, wherein the identification indication includes an identification indication recognizable by a laser beam.

24. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 23, wherein the identification indication recognizable by a laser beam includes a bar code.

25. A semiconductor wafer structure comprising a semiconductor wafer having a front surface, a back surface and a side surface located between the front surface and the back surface, the side surface having an upper slant portion extending from the front surface to a peripheral surface portion and a lower slant portion extending from the back surface to the peripheral surface portion, the peripheral surface located between the upper slant portion and the lower slant portion, said semiconductor wafer further including an identification indication formed on the side surface.

26. The semiconductor wafer according to claim 25, wherein the identification indication is formed on a portion of the side surface other than the lower slant portion.