Wafer cutting using laser marking

• US 6,911,377 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 06/28/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Atienza, Reynaldo S. Jr., Taar, Reginald T., Nepomuceno, Lamberto V.
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, CRAIG
• Application Number:
  US10/777,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20040161877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 438/462, 438/401, 438/800, 438/5, 438 7- 9, 438/16, 257/797, 700/121, 716/4
• US Class Current: 438/462
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/08 Devices involving relative movement between laser beam and workpiece
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
• 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

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention includes a chuck, an imaging sensor, and a laser. The chuck holds a wafer having a front side attached to a tape. The imaging sensor obtains a scribe pattern on the front side through the tape. The laser is mounted above the chuck to mark an alignment pattern on a back side of the wafer based on the scribe pattern.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture comprising:

a machine-accessible medium including data that, when accessed by a machine, causes the machine to;

control an imaging sensor to obtain a scribe pattern on a front side of a wafer placed on a chuck, the front side being attached to a tape;

recognize the scribe pattern; and

control a laser to mark an alignment pattern on a back side of the wafer based on the scribe pattern, the laser being mounted above the chuck.

2. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data causing the machine to control the imaging sensor comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

control the imaging sensor mounted above the wafer.

3. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data causing the machine to control the imaging sensor comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

control the imaging sensor mounted underneath the wafer.

4. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data causing the machine to control the laser comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

emit a laser beam from the laser to etch the alignment pattern on the back side, the alignment pattern being directly opposite to the scribe pattern.

5. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

activate a flipping mechanism to turn the back side of the wafer up.

6. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

save the scribe pattern in a memory.

7. The article of manufacture of claim 1 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

recognize the alignment pattern on the back side of the wafer.

8. The article of manufacture of claim 7 wherein the data further comprises data that, when accessed by the machine, causes the machine to:

control a cutting mechanism to cut the back side of the wafer based on the alignment pattern.

9. A method comprising:

controlling an imaging sensor to obtain a scribe pattern on a front side of a wafer placed on a chuck, the front side being attached a tape;

recognizing the scribe pattern; and

controlling a laser to mark an alignment pattern one back side of the wafer based on the scribe pattern, the laser being mounted above the chuck.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein controlling the imaging sensor comprises:

controlling the imaging sensor mounted above the wafer.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein controlling the imaging sensor comprises:

controlling the imaging sensor mounted underneath the wafer.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein controlling the laser comprises:

emitting a laser beam from the laser to etch the alignment pattern on the back side, the alignment pattern being directly opposite to the scribe pattern.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein further comprising:

activating a flipping mechanism to turn the back side of the wafer up.

14. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

saving the scribe pattern in a memory.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

recognizing the alignment pattern on the back side of the wafer.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein further comprising:

controlling a cutting mechanism to cut the back side of the wafer based on the alignment pattern.