Method and Apparatus for Plasma Dicing a Semi-conductor Wafer

• US 20140235034A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Plasma-Therm Corporation
• Original Assignee: Plasma-Therm Corporation
• Inventors: Pays-Volard, David, Martinez, Linnell, Johnson, Chris, Johnson, David, Westerman, Russell, Grivna, Gordon M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,705 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/460
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/334 Etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32 Gas-filled discharge tubes heating by discharge H05B
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32009 Arrangements for generation of plasma specially adapted for examination or treatment of objects, e.g. plasma sources plasma generation in general H05H1/24
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32532 Electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32715 Workpiece holder
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0262 Reduction or decomposition of gaseous compounds, e.g. CVD
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3065 Plasma etching; Reactive-ion etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/30655 comprising alternated and repeated etching and passivation steps, e.g. Bosch process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67069 for drying etching
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67092 Apparatus for mechanical treatment or grinding or cutting, see the relevant groups in subclasses B24B or B28D
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6831 using electrostatic chucks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68721 characterised by edge clamping, e.g. clamping ring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68735 characterised by edge profile or support profile
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68742 characterised by a lifting arrangement, e.g. lift pins
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68771 characterised by supporting more than one semiconductor substrate
• 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 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for plasma dicing a substrate. The method comprising providing a process chamber having a wall; providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber; providing a work piece support within the process chamber; placing the substrate onto a support film on a frame to form a work piece work piece; loading the work piece onto the work piece support; providing a clamping electrode for electrostatically clamping the work piece to the work piece support; providing a mechanical partition between the plasma source and the work piece; generating a plasma through the plasma source; and etching the work piece through the generated plasma.

Claims

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30. A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a process chamber having a wall;

providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;

providing a work piece support within the process chamber;

placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;

providing a mechanical partition within the process chamber, said mechanical partition being positioned between the plasma source and said work piece;

generating a plasma using the plasma source; and

etching the work piece using the generated plasma.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition segregating the source from the process chamber.

32. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition being positioned a first distance from said work piece, said first distance being greater than a second distance of a plasma sheath.

33. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition being positioned at least one millimeter above the substrate.

34. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition is electrically conductive.

35. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition reducing ion density reaching said work piece.

36. The method according to claim 35 wherein the plasma between said work piece and said mechanical partition being sustained by RF bias power.

37. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition reducing plasma emission intensity reaching said work piece.

38. The method according to claim 30 further comprising maintaining a temperature of said mechanical partition in a range of 0°

C. to 350°

C.

39. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition overlapping a portion of the substrate.

40. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition completely overlapping the substrate.

41. The method according to claim 30 wherein said mechanical partition further comprising a plurality of perforations.

42. The method according to claim 41 wherein said plurality of perforations being uniformly distributed across said mechanical partition.

43. The method according to claim 41 wherein said plurality of perforations being non-uniformly distributed across said mechanical partition.

44. A method for plasma etching a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a process chamber having a wall;

providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;

providing a substrate support within the process chamber;

placing the substrate on said substrate support;

providing a mechanical partition within the process chamber, said mechanical partition being positioned between the plasma source and the substrate;

applying an RF bias power to said substrate support, said RF bias power having an RF bias frequency greater than ion plasma frequency;

generating a plasma using the plasma source;

etching the substrate using the generated plasma; and

exposing an insulating layer using said etching step.

45. The method according to claim 44 wherein said substrate is a work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate.

46. The method according to claim 44 further comprising pulsing said RF bias power.

47. The method according to claim 44 wherein said ion plasma frequency is approximately 4 MHz.

48. The method according to claim 44 wherein said RF bias frequency having a range from 4 MHz to 160 MHz.

49. The method according to claim 44 wherein said insulating layer is a substrate carrier.

50. The method according to claim 44 wherein said insulating layer is a layer within the substrate.

51. The method according to claim 44 wherein said insulating layer is tape.

52. A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a process chamber having a wall;

providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;

providing a work piece support within the process chamber;

placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;

providing a plurality of mechanical partitions within the process chamber, said plurality of mechanical partitions being positioned between the plasma source and said work piece;

generating a plasma using the plasma source; and

etching the work piece using the generated plasma.

53. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions segregating the source from the chamber.

54. The method according to claim 52 wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanical partitions overlapping at least a portion of one of said plurality of mechanical partitions.

55. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions being positioned a first distance from said work piece, said first distance being greater than a second distance of a plasma sheath.

56. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions are electrically conductive.

57. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions reducing ion flux reaching said work piece.

58. The method according to claim 57 wherein the plasma between said work piece and said plurality of mechanical partitions being sustained by RF bias power.

59. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions reducing plasma emission intensity reaching said work piece.

60. The method according to claim 52 further comprising maintaining a temperature of said plurality of mechanical partitions in a range of 0°

C. to 350°

C.

61. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions overlapping a portion of the substrate.

62. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions completely overlapping the substrate.

63. The method according to claim 52 wherein said plurality of mechanical partitions further comprising a plurality of perforations.

64. The method according to claim 63 wherein said plurality of perforations being uniformly distributed across said plurality of mechanical partitions.

65. The method according to claim 63 wherein said plurality of perforations being non-uniformly distributed across said plurality of mechanical partitions.

66. A method for plasma dicing a substrate, the method comprising:

providing a process chamber having a wall;

providing a plasma source adjacent to the wall of the process chamber;

providing a work piece support within the process chamber;

placing a work piece onto said work piece support, said work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate;

providing a mechanical partition within the process chamber, said mechanical partition being positioned between the plasma source and said work piece;

generating a plasma using the plasma source;

etching the work piece using the generated plasma;

measuring a property uniformity; and

adjusting said positioning of said mechanical partition based on said measuring step.

67. The method according to claim 66 wherein said property uniformity is an etch rate.

68. The method according to claim 66 wherein said property uniformity is a feature profile.

69. The method according to claim 66 wherein said property uniformity is an etch selectivity.

70. The method according to claim 66 wherein said property uniformity is a critical dimension.

71. The method according to claim 66 wherein said mechanical partition having a plurality of perforations having a perforation size.

72. The method according to claim 71 further comprising adjusting said perforation size on said mechanical partition.

73. The method according to claim 66 wherein said mechanical partition having a plurality of perforations having a perforation spacing.

74. The method according to claim 73 further comprising adjusting said perforation spacing on said mechanical partition.

75. The method according to claim 66 wherein said mechanical partition having a plurality of perforations having a perforation shape.

76. The method according to claim 75 further comprising adjusting said perforation shape on said mechanical partition.

77. The method according to claim 66 wherein said mechanical partition having a plurality of perforations having a perforation aspect ratio.

78. The method according to claim 77 further comprising adjusting said perforation aspect ratio on said mechanical partition.

79. The method according to claim 66 further comprising adjusting a partition thickness of said mechanical partition.