Method for manufacturing semiconductor device

• US 7,291,510 B2
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Issued: 11/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pannova Semic, LLC (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Maeda, Syuusaku
• Primary Examiner(s): Lebentritt; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roman; Angel
• Application Number:
  US11/188,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20060115962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 438/33, 438/462, 438/42
• US Class Current: 438/33
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2101/40 Semiconductor devices
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• 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 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination

Abstract

The inventive method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using irradiation with laser light to partition a substrate having semiconductor layers formed thereon, with gallium contained in at least one of the substrate and the semiconductor layers, wherein the method comprises: forming grooves to be used as boundaries between individual substrates by irradiating the substrate along partitioning locations with laser light, immersing the substrate into an acid solution, and partitioning the substrate into individual substrates along the boundaries where grooves are formed. In this manner, it provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which, during the partitioning of a gallium-containing semiconductor device substrate, deposits of gallium compounds adhered during laser irradiation are removed, partitioning surfaces are formed flat and uniform, and the incidence of electrode continuity failures and resin peeling is low.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device using irradiation with laser light to partition a substrate having semiconductor layers formed thereon, with gallium contained in at least one of the substrate and the semiconductor layers, wherein the method comprises:

forming grooves to be used as boundaries between individual substrates by irradiating the substrate along partitioning locations with laser light,

removing gallium compounds as deposits generated by the irradiation with laser light by immersing the grooved substrate into an acid solution, and

partitioning the substrate into individual substrates along the boundaries where the grooves are formed,

wherein the semiconductor device is a light-emitting element.

2. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the substrate is partitioned into individual substrates along the boundaries where the grooves are formed after removing it from the acid solution.

3. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1 wherein, upon partitioning into individual substrates along the boundaries where the grooves are formed, the substrates are immersed in an acid solution.

4. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein locations irradiated with laser light have grooves formed by irradiation on a side opposite a side on which the semiconductor layers are formed.

5. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the grooves are formed by performing irradiation with laser light in an oblique direction so as to form quasi V-shaped cross-sections.

6. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein locations irradiated with laser light have grooves formed by irradiation on a side on which the semiconductor layers are formed.

7. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the acid solution is a solution whose main ingredient is hydrochloric acid or nitric acid.

8. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the grooves extend to not less than 30% of the thickness of the substrate.

9. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the light-emitting element has an n-type semiconductor layer and a p-type semiconductor layer formed on top of the substrate.

10. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a Pt layer and, on top of it, a rhodium layer, are formed in the p-type semiconductor layer region in order to establish an ohmic contact with the p-type semiconductor layer, thereby producing a dual layer structure acting as a reflective film, with a p-type electrode composed of gold formed thereon.

11. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to claim 9, wherein a Ti layer and, on top of it, a Au layer, are formed in the n-type semiconductor layer region in order to establish an ohmic contact with the n-type semiconductor layer region in order to establish an ohmic contact with the n-type semiconductor layer, thereby producing a dual layer structure acting as an n-type electrode.