Method of severing a semiconductor device composite

• US 9,263,334 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 02/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OSRAM OLED GMBH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Original Assignee: Osram Opto Semiconductors GmbH (Ams-Osram AG)
• Inventors: Weiss, Guido, Perchtaler, Albert
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheung
• Application Number:
  US14/351,975
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,237 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/172 wherein at least one of the layers is non-metallic
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 2103/50 Inorganic material, e.g. metals, not provided for in B23K2103/02 – B23K2103/26
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/364 for making a groove or trench, e.g. for scribing a break initiation groove
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/38 by boring or cutting
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 26/40 taking account of the properties of the material involved
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/3043 Making grooves, e.g. cutting
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6835 using temporarily an auxiliary support
• 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 2221/68327 used during dicing or grinding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/0095 Post-treatment of devices, e.g. annealing, recrystallisation or short-circuit elimination
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 33/382 the electrode extending partially in or entirely through the semiconductor body

Abstract

A method of severing a semiconductor device composite includes a carrier having a main surface and a semiconductor layer sequence arranged on the main surface including forming a separating trench in the semiconductor device composite by a first laser cut such that the separating trench only partially severs the semiconductor device composite in a vertical direction running perpendicular to the main surface, and severing the semiconductor device composite completely along the separating trench with a severing cut with a laser.

Claims

1. A method of severing a semiconductor device composite which comprises a carrier having a main surface and a semiconductor layer sequence arranged on the main surface comprising:

forming a separating trench in the semiconductor device composite by a first laser cut such that the separating trench only partially severs the semiconductor device composite in a vertical direction running perpendicular to the main surface;

applying a second laser cut that only partially severs the carrier along the separating trench;

applying a third laser cut that only partially severs the carrier along the separating trench; and

severing the semiconductor device composite completely along the separating trench with a severing cut with a laser.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor device composite has a metal layer arranged on a side of the carrier remote from the semiconductor layer sequence.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a bottom surface of the separating trench is arranged in the vertical direction between the metal layer and the main surface prior to the severing cut.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is fixed to the carrier by a bonding layer and the first laser cut severs the bonding layer completely.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first laser cut reaches into the carrier.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is structured into device regions prior to the first laser cut.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the separating trench runs between adjacent device regions.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is deposited epitaxially on a growth substrate and the growth substrate is removed.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the semiconductor layer sequence is deposited epitaxially on a growth substrate and the growth substrate is removed, and the device regions are formed after the growth substrate has been removed.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is based on a semiconductor material.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the carrier has a thickness of at most 200 μ

m.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein

the semiconductor layer sequence is fixed to the carrier by a bonding layer;

the first laser cut reaches into the carrier;

the semiconductor device composite has a metal layer arranged on a side of the carrier remote from the semiconductor layer sequence; and

a bottom surface of the separating trench is arranged in the vertical direction between the metal layer and the main surface prior to the severing cut.