Optical device processing method

• US 8,945,963 B2
• Filed: 06/04/2013
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Disco Corporation
• Inventors: Sekiya, Kazuma
• Primary Examiner(s): Roman, Angel
• Application Number:
  US13/909,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20130330869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 438/44
• US Class Current: 438/42
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/007 comprising nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/20 with a particular shape, e.g. curved or truncated substrate

Abstract

An optical device processing method including: a groove forming step of forming a plurality of grooves on a front side of a sapphire substrate; a film forming step of forming an epitaxial film on the front side of the sapphire substrate after performing the groove forming step, thereby forming a plurality of optical devices and a plurality of crossing division lines for partitioning the optical devices; and a dividing step of dividing the sapphire substrate with the epitaxial film along the division lines after performing the film forming step, thereby obtaining a plurality of individual optical device chips.

Claims

1. An optical device processing method comprising:

a groove forming step of forming a plurality of grooves on a front side of a sapphire substrate;

a film forming step of forming an epitaxial film on the front side of the sapphire substrate after performing the groove forming step, thereby forming a plurality of optical devices and a plurality of crossing division lines for partitioning the optical devices, said grooves relieving stresses due to the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion or lattice constant between the sapphire substrate and the epitaxial film, thereby preventing the occurrence of warpage of the sapphire substrate;

a division start point forming step of forming division start points along the crossing division lines; and

a dividing step of dividing the sapphire substrate with the epitaxial film along the division lines after performing the division start point forming step, thereby obtaining a plurality of individual optical device chips.

2. The optical device processing method according to claim 1, wherein the grooves to be formed in the groove forming step are respectively aligned with the division lines to be formed in the film forming step.

3. The optical device processing method according to claim 1, wherein the sapphire substrate has a diameter of 8 inches or more and a thickness of 1 mm or less.

4. The optical device processing method according to claim 1, wherein said grooves are filled by said epitaxial film completely in said film forming step.