Thin Die Release of Semiconductor Device Assemblies

By using porous mounting tape and ejecting components to dissolve the sacrificial layer on the back of the semiconductor die, the problem of microcracks during the thinning process is solved, the yield and reliability of the semiconductor die is improved, and the cutting time is reduced.

CN112992782BActive Publication Date: 2025-08-05MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202011456023.5
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2019-12-13
Filing Date
2020-12-10
Publication Date
2025-08-05
Estimated Expiration
2040-12-10

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In thinning of semiconductor dies, the prior art tends to cause microcracks, reduce yields and increase the time of the cutting process, especially when the substrate thickness is reduced to 50 μm or less.

Method used

Using porous mounting tape and ejection assembly, the sacrificial layer is dissolved by applying a fluid dissolving sacrificial layer on the back side of the semiconductor die to avoid mechanical force separation, the fluid dissolving sacrificial layer is used to release the semiconductor die, and the support assembly is used to support the die.

Benefits of technology

It improves the yield of semiconductor dies, reduces the risk of microcracks during the cutting process, shortens the cutting time, and improves the reliability and production efficiency of semiconductor device assembly.

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Abstract

This application relates to the release of thin dies from semiconductor device assemblies. A method and associated apparatus for releasing a thinned semiconductor die from a mounting tape are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sacrificial layer may be disposed at a backside of a thinned substrate that includes a semiconductor die. The sacrificial layer includes a material that is soluble upon contact with a fluid (and / or vapor). A piece of porous mounting tape may be attached to the sacrificial layer, and a pop-up assembly may be provided under a target semiconductor die to be released. The pop-up assembly is configured to create a locally confined puddle of the fluid under the target semiconductor die such that the sacrificial layer is removed to release the target semiconductor die from the mounting tape. Additionally, a support assembly may be provided to pick up the target semiconductor die after releasing the target semiconductor die from the mounting tape.
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Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to semiconductor device assemblies, and more particularly, to releasing thin dies of semiconductor device assemblies. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor packages typically include one or more semiconductor dies (such as memory chips, microprocessor chips, imager chips) mounted on a substrate and encapsulated in a protective coating. The semiconductor die may include functional features such as memory cells, processor circuits, or imager devices and bonding pads electrically connected to the functional features. The bonding pads may be electrically connected to corresponding conductive structures of the substrate, and the corresponding conductive structures may be coupled to terminals outside the protective coating so that the semiconductor die can be connected to a higher-level circuit system.

[0003] In some semiconductor packages, two or more semiconductor dies may be stacked on top of each other to reduce the footprint of the semiconductor package (this may be referred to as a multi-chip package). The stacked semiconductor dies may include three-dimensional interconnects (such as through-silicon vias (TSVs)) to route electrical signals between the semiconductor dies. The semiconductor dies may be thinned to reduce the total thickness of such semiconductor packages and mitigate issues associated with forming three-dimensional interconnects through stacked semiconductor dies. Typically, a piece of mounting tape is attached to the front side of a substrate (such as a wafer) on which a semiconductor die is fabricated so that the substrate can be thinned from its back side. In addition, the substrate may be diced to singulate individual semiconductor dies attached to the adhesive layer of the mounting tape. Subsequently, the individual semiconductor dies may be picked up from the adhesive layer, for example, by applying a force to eject them from the adhesive layer. However, when the substrate (and thus the semiconductor die) is thinned to less than a certain thickness (such as 50 μm or less), the thinned semiconductor die may be prone to experiencing non-uniform forces sufficient to create microcracks when it is ejected from the adhesive layer. Such microcracks can reduce the yield of the semiconductor die or make the semiconductor die subject to reliability issues. In some cases, the throughput time of the dicing process may increase as the final thickness of the substrate is further reduced to reduce the risk of creating microcracks. Summary of the Invention

[0004] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided that includes: thinning the substrate from the back side of the substrate, the substrate including a plurality of semiconductor dies formed on the front side of the substrate; attaching a piece of mounting tape to the back side of the thinned substrate, the piece of mounting tape including a plurality of openings configured to facilitate fluid reaching the back side of the substrate; dicing the substrate to singulate individual semiconductor dies of the plurality of semiconductor dies such that each individual semiconductor die is attached to the piece of mounting tape; and releasing a target semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies from the piece of mounting tape.

[0005] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a device including: a piece of mounting tape including a set of openings; and an ejection assembly configured to, in operation: apply a fluid through a subset of the set of openings toward a backside of a target semiconductor die attached to a substrate of the piece of mounting tape; remove a sacrificial layer disposed between the backside of the target semiconductor die and an adhesive layer of the piece of mounting tape, the sacrificial layer including one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with the fluid; collect by-products, the fluid, or both resulting from applying the fluid toward the backside of the target semiconductor die through the subset of openings; and release the target semiconductor die from the piece of mounting tape when the sacrificial layer is removed.

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a method including: forming a sacrificial layer on a backside of a substrate including a target semiconductor die, the sacrificial layer including one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with a fluid of a solvent, water, or both; attaching an adhesive mounting tape to the sacrificial layer, the adhesive mounting tape including a plurality of openings configured to facilitate the fluid reaching the sacrificial layer; singulating the target semiconductor die attached to the adhesive mounting tape via the sacrificial layer by cutting the substrate from a front side of the substrate; and releasing the target semiconductor die from the adhesive mounting tape when the sacrificial layer is removed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007] Many aspects of the present invention can be better understood with reference to the accompanying drawings. The components in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale. Instead, emphasis is placed on clearly illustrating the principles of the present invention.

[0008] Figures 1A to 1D Illustrate a process of releasing a thin die of a semiconductor device assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] Figure 2 And 3 Is a flowchart illustrating a method of releasing a thin die of a semiconductor device assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0010] Specific details of several embodiments for releasing a thinned semiconductor die (“thin die release”) and associated equipment and methods are described below. The thin die release described herein can improve the yield of the thinned semiconductor die or mitigate its reliability issues during the dicing process, which in turn improves the yield and reliability performance of the semiconductor device assembly. The term “semiconductor device or die” generally refers to a solid-state device that includes one or more semiconductor materials. Examples of semiconductor devices particularly include logic devices, memory devices, microprocessors, or diodes. Such semiconductor devices may include integrated circuits or components, data storage elements, processing components, and / or other features fabricated on a semiconductor substrate. Additionally, the term “semiconductor device or die” may refer to a finished device or an assembly or other structure at various processing stages before becoming a finished device. Depending on the context in which it is used, the term “substrate” may refer to a wafer-level substrate or a singulated die-level substrate. Moreover, the substrate may include a semiconductor wafer, a package support substrate, an interposer, a semiconductor device or die, or the like. Those of ordinary skill in the relevant art should recognize that the appropriate steps of the methods described herein can be performed at the wafer level or the die level.

[0011] As used herein, the terms “vertical,” “lateral,” “downward,” “upward,” “upper,” and “lower” may refer to the relative directions or positions of features in a semiconductor device assembly in view of the orientation shown in the figures. For example, “upper” or “uppermost” may refer to a feature positioned closer to the top of the page than another feature. However, these terms should be construed broadly to include semiconductor devices having other orientations. Those skilled in the relevant art should also understand that the present invention may have additional embodiments, and the present invention can be practiced without some of the details of the embodiments described herein Figures 1A to 1D , 2, and 3.

[0012] Figures 1A to 1DDescribe the process of thin die release (i.e., releasing a thinned semiconductor die from a mounting tape) for a semiconductor device assembly ("assembly") according to an embodiment of the present invention. As described herein, thin die release utilizes a process that employs a fluid (i.e., a liquid or a vapor) to remove a layer (such as a sacrificial layer, which in some cases can be an adhesive layer) disposed between the thin die and the mounting tape. That is, compared to an alternative method of applying a mechanical force (e.g., in some cases using a needle-like pointed structure) to separate the adhesive layer between the thin die and the mounting tape, thin die release uses a fluid (such as a chemical solution, a solvent, and / or water, depending on the materials contained in the sacrificial layer) to remove (e.g., dissolve, chemically etch) the sacrificial layer to release the thin die from the mounting tape. Thus, the thin die can be ejected from the mounting tape without applying a mechanical force to the thin die (e.g., thereby reducing the risk of die cracking), thereby improving the yield or reliability performance of the dicing process. In addition, thin die release can reduce the throughput time of the dicing process or reduce the thickness of the thin die as the height of the assembly is reduced.

[0013] Thin die release can use a porous mounting tape (which can be referred to as a porous dicing tape) to inject a fluid through openings in the mounting tape such that the fluid can dissolve (or otherwise remove) a portion of the sacrificial layer located between the target semiconductor die to be released and the mounting tape. In addition, thin die release can employ an ejection assembly configured to selectively dispense a fluid onto a portion of the sacrificial layer under the target semiconductor die to be released. In some embodiments, a device can include a porous mounting tape and an ejection assembly. The device can also include a support assembly configured to lift the target semiconductor die after removing the sacrificial layer between the target semiconductor die and the mounting tape.

[0014] Figure 1A Describe a cross-sectional view 100a of a substrate 105 that includes semiconductor dies (such as Figure 1C the semiconductor dies 110a to 110c depicted therein) fabricated on its front side 106. The substrate 105 may have been thinned from its back side on which the sacrificial layer 115 was disposed (e.g., the back side was coated with the sacrificial layer 115). In some embodiments, the thickness of the substrate 105 can be about 50 μm or less. The sacrificial layer 115 can include one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with a fluid (such as a solvent, water, or both in a liquid phase or a gas phase). In some embodiments, the device can also include a coating assembly configured to form the sacrificial layer 115 (as Figure 1C depicted therein) on the back side of the substrate 105 that includes the target semiconductor die 110c.

[0015] Figure 1BCross-sectional view 100b illustrating substrate 105, where sacrificial layer 115 is mounted on a piece of mounting tape 120. Substrate 105 may be positioned between film frames 133. Mounting tape 120 may include a tape adhesive layer 125 configured to attach to sacrificial layer 115 and tape backing 130. Additionally, mounting tape 120 includes a plurality of openings 140. In some embodiments, mounting tape 120 may include sacrificial layer 115 (e.g., above tape adhesive layer 125) such that when a thinned substrate (e.g., substrate 105 without sacrificial layer 115) is positioned on mounting tape 120, the thinned substrate may attach to sacrificial layer 115. In such embodiments, sacrificial layer 115 may bond to the surface in contact with sacrificial layer 115 (e.g., the back side of substrate 105).

[0016] Figure 1C Cross-sectional view 100c illustrating substrate 105 after substrate 105 is cut through scribe lanes 135, where sacrificial layer 115 is mounted on a piece of mounting tape 120. In some embodiments, the device may include a cutting assembly configured to cut substrate 105 through scribe lanes 135 of substrate 105 to singulate semiconductor die 110 from substrate 105 including target semiconductor die 110c.

[0017] In some embodiments, the cutting assembly may be configured with a blade for cutting substrate 105 (e.g., blade cutting). In other embodiments, the cutting assembly may be configured with a plasma source for performing laser cutting (which may be referred to as stealth cutting). In some cases, sacrificial layer 115 may include a material that dissolves when contacted with a solvent during blade cutting. In other cases, sacrificial layer 115 may include a material that dissolves in water during laser cutting. When substrate 105 is cut using blade cutting or laser cutting to singulate semiconductor die 110, debris is generated on the front side of substrate 105. In some embodiments, such debris may be collected by a support assembly (e.g., support assembly 150 depicted in FIG. 100d of FIG. 1).

[0018] In some embodiments, the sacrificial layer 115 may be cut together with the substrate 105, as illustrated in FIG. 100c. In other embodiments, the sacrificial layer 115 may be partially cut or remain intact (not shown). FIG. 100c depicts a singulated semiconductor die 110 (such as semiconductor die 110a, semiconductor die 110b, semiconductor die 110c) that includes a target semiconductor die (such as semiconductor die 110c) to be released from the mounting tape 120 (i.e., to be released from the tape adhesive layer 125 of the mounting tape 120). Additionally, the set of openings 140 includes a plurality of openings (such as openings 140a, openings 140b, openings 140c) under each semiconductor die (such as the target semiconductor die 110c). Some of the openings under each semiconductor die 110 may facilitate the injection of fluid to reach the sacrificial layer 115 under the semiconductor die 110 (e.g., the fluid enters the mounting tape 120 via the opening 140b), while other openings under the semiconductor die 110 may facilitate the conveyance of fluid away from the semiconductor die 110 through the dissolved sacrificial layer (or by-products of the wet process between the fluid and the sacrificial layer) (e.g., the fluid exits the mounting tape 120 via the opening 140a and / or the opening 140c).

[0019] Although FIG. 100c depicts three (or four) openings under each semiconductor die 110, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the mounting tape may include a greater number of openings (such as 6, 10, 20 or even more) under each semiconductor die 110 or a lesser number of openings (such as two (2) openings, one for an inlet and the other for an outlet) under each semiconductor die 110. Additionally, different semiconductor dies 110 of the substrate 105 may correspond to different numbers of openings. In some embodiments, a porous dicing tape (such as a piece of the mounting tape 120) may include an overall pattern of openings similar to a pattern (such as a lithographic wafer map) of semiconductor dies placed on a semiconductor wafer. For example, regions in the porous dicing tape with a relatively dense distribution of openings may correspond to the locations of the semiconductor dies 110 on the substrate 105. Moreover, regions in the porous dicing tape with a relatively sparse distribution of openings may correspond to the dicing lanes 135 on the substrate 105. Additionally or alternatively, the openings may include any shape suitable for facilitating the entry and / or exit of fluid into and out of the mounting tape, such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, an oval shape, a square shape, a rectangular shape, a long rectangular shape, or a combination thereof.

[0020] Figure 1DCross-sectional view 100d of a substrate 105 that has been cut to singulate individual semiconductor dies 110. Except for the target semiconductor die 110c, the individual semiconductor dies 110 are attached to the tape adhesive layer 125 of the mounting tape 120 via a sacrificial layer 115. FIG. 100d depicts that a portion of the sacrificial layer 115 under the target semiconductor die 110c has been removed, as described in more detail below. FIG. 100d illustrates an ejection assembly 160 configured to release one semiconductor die at a time (e.g., semiconductor die 110a, semiconductor die 110b, semiconductor die 110c). For example, in Figure 1D , the ejection assembly 160 is positioned under the target semiconductor die 110c. The ejection assembly 160 covers a plurality of openings (e.g., openings 140a to 140c) under the target semiconductor die 110c. Additionally, FIG. 100d illustrates a support assembly 150 configured to support (e.g., hold up) the target semiconductor die 110c from the front side of the target semiconductor die 110c.

[0021] The ejection assembly 160 can be configured to apply fluid toward the sacrificial layer disposed at the back side of the target semiconductor die 110c and collect the fluid (and dissolved sacrificial layer) away from the target semiconductor die 110c. That is, the ejection assembly 160 can be considered to create a puddle of fluid that contacts the sacrificial layer to be removed, where the puddle is confined to the perimeter of the target semiconductor die 110c. In some embodiments, the ejection assembly 160 can be configured to dispense fluid at its central portion and collect the fluid (and dissolved sacrificial layer) at its peripheral (or edge) portion, such as central dispense and edge vacuum.

[0022] In this regard, the ejection assembly 160 includes an inlet (e.g., inlet 165) at its central portion. The inlet can be configured to supply fluid toward the back side of the target semiconductor die 110c via some of the openings (e.g., opening 140b) covered by the ejection assembly 160. Thus, the ejection assembly 160 can remove the sacrificial layer (e.g., the sacrificial layer 115c depicted in FIG. 100c) disposed between the back side of the target semiconductor die 110c and the tape adhesive layer 125 of the mounting tape 120 by injecting fluid through the mounting tape 120. As described above, the sacrificial layer 115 includes one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with the fluid. Additionally, the ejection assembly 160 includes an outlet (e.g., outlet 170) at its peripheral portion such that the ejection assembly 160 can provide vacuum suction through the outlet. The outlet can be configured to collect by-products (e.g., dissolved sacrificial layer, by-products resulting from injecting fluid toward the sacrificial layer), fluid, or both through some of the openings (e.g., opening 140a, opening 140c) covered by the ejection assembly 160. As depicted in FIG. 100d, the peripheral portion of the ejection assembly 160 can at least partially surround the central portion of the ejection assembly.

[0023] In addition, the inlet 165 and the outlet 170 may be interchangeable. That is, in some embodiments, the outlet 170 may be used to supply (e.g., dispense, inject) fluid toward the backside of the target semiconductor die 110c, while the inlet 165 may be used to collect by-products and / or fluid, such as edge dispense and center vacuum. Additionally or alternatively, the ejector assembly 160 may be configured to confine the fluid applied toward the backside of the target semiconductor die within the boundaries (e.g., boundary 175) of the ejector assembly 160 that are associated with the perimeter of the target semiconductor die 110c. In some embodiments, the ejector assembly 160 may use a vacuum (e.g., edge vacuum, center vacuum) or a seal at the boundary of the ejector assembly 160 or both to confine the fluid. Additionally or alternatively, the ejector assembly 160 may advance the tape backing 130 to prevent the fluid from spreading toward other semiconductor dies adjacent to the target semiconductor die 110c.

[0024] The support assembly 150 provides mechanical support for the target semiconductor die 110c such that when the sacrificial layer 115 under the target semiconductor die 110c is completely removed due to the application of fluid to the sacrificial layer 115, the target semiconductor die 110c does not fall out of the substrate 105. In some embodiments, the support assembly 150 may be configured to provide suction to lift the target semiconductor die from the mounting tape 120 when the target semiconductor die 110c is released from the mounting tape 120 (e.g., when a portion (e.g., sacrificial layer 115c) of the sacrificial layer 115 under the target semiconductor die 110c is completely removed such that the target semiconductor die 110c is no longer attached to the mounting tape 120). In some embodiments, the support assembly 150 may include a suction cup having a vacuum suction for picking up the target semiconductor die. In other embodiments, the support assembly 150 may include an electrostatic chuck (ESC) for picking up the target semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the support assembly 150 may further be configured to collect debris from the front side of the target semiconductor die 110c, where the debris may be generated due to the substrate 105 being cut to singulate the target semiconductor die 110c, as described in reference Figure 1C Once the target semiconductor die 110c is released from the mounting tape 120 and picked up by the support assembly 150, the target semiconductor die 110c can be dried using a nozzle configured to apply nitrogen (N2) or air.

[0025] Figure 2 FIG. 200 is a flow chart illustrating a method of releasing a thinned semiconductor die of a semiconductor device assembly in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The flow chart 200 may include aspects of the method described in reference Figures 1A to 1D described.

[0026] The method includes thinning a substrate from the backside of the substrate, the substrate including a plurality of semiconductor dies formed on the front side of the substrate (block 210). The method further includes attaching a piece of mounting tape to the backside of the thinned substrate, the piece of mounting tape including a plurality of openings configured to facilitate fluid access to the backside of the substrate (block 215). The method further includes dicing the substrate to singulate individual semiconductor dies among the plurality of semiconductor dies such that each individual semiconductor die is attached to the piece of mounting tape (block 220). The method further includes releasing a target semiconductor die among the plurality of semiconductor dies from the piece of mounting tape (block 225).

[0027] In some embodiments, the plurality of openings include a plurality of openings under each semiconductor die among the plurality of semiconductor dies. In some embodiments, the method may further include applying a fluid through a plurality of the openings among the plurality of openings under the target semiconductor die to the backside of the substrate, wherein the fluid is configured to dissolve a sacrificial layer disposed at the backside of the substrate, and wherein releasing the target semiconductor die is at least partially based on applying the fluid. In some embodiments, the fluid includes a solvent, water, or both in a liquid phase or a gas phase.

[0028] In some embodiments, the method may further include confining the fluid applied to the backside of the substrate within a boundary associated with the perimeter of the target semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the method may further include collecting by-products, the fluid, or both resulting from applying the fluid to the backside of the substrate from the backside of the substrate. In some embodiments, the method may further include attaching a support assembly to the target semiconductor die before releasing the target semiconductor die from the piece of mounting tape. In some embodiments, the method may further include forming a sacrificial layer on the backside of the substrate after thinning the substrate, the sacrificial layer including one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with the fluid. In some embodiments, the piece of mounting tape includes a sacrificial layer configured to be attached to the backside of the substrate, wherein the sacrificial layer includes one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with the fluid.

[0029] Figure 3 is a flowchart 300 illustrating a method of releasing a thinned semiconductor die of a semiconductor device assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. Flowchart 300 may include aspects of the method described with reference to Figures 1A to 1D the method described.

[0030] The method includes forming a sacrificial layer on a back side of a substrate that includes a target semiconductor die, the sacrificial layer including one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with a fluid of a solvent, water, or both (block 310). The method further includes attaching an adhesive mounting tape to the sacrificial layer, the adhesive mounting tape including a plurality of openings configured to facilitate fluid access to the sacrificial layer (block 315). The method further includes dicing the substrate from a front side of the substrate to singulate the target semiconductor die attached to the adhesive mounting tape via the sacrificial layer (block 320). The method further includes releasing the target semiconductor die from the adhesive mounting tape upon removal of the sacrificial layer (block 325).

[0031] In some embodiments, the method may further include applying a fluid to the sacrificial layer through an opening subset of the plurality of openings, the opening subset being located beneath the target semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the method may further include restricting the fluid applied to the sacrificial layer from diffusing beyond a boundary associated with a perimeter of the target semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the method may further include collecting the fluid and the sacrificial layer dissolved upon contact with the fluid through the opening subset. In some embodiments, the method may further include providing, from a front side of the substrate, a support assembly that propping the target semiconductor die before releasing the target semiconductor die, the support assembly being configured to provide a vacuum suction force to the target semiconductor die. In some embodiments, the method may further include using the support assembly to lift the target semiconductor die when the target semiconductor die is released from the adhesive mounting tape due to the application of the fluid to the sacrificial layer.

[0032] Note that the above method descriptions may be implementation examples, and the operations and steps may be rearranged or otherwise modified and other implementations are possible. In addition, embodiments from two or more than two methods may be combined.

[0033] It should be understood from the above that specific embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but various modifications may be made without departing from the present invention. For example, although FIG. 100d illustrates an ejection assembly 160 (and a corresponding support assembly 150 that supports one semiconductor die) configured to release one semiconductor die at a time, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, two or more than two ejection assemblies 160 may be combined to release two or more semiconductor dies at a time in combination with two or more than two support assemblies 150. In addition, two or more semiconductor dies may be adjacent to each other or separated from each other.

[0034] Additionally, although specific features or components have been shown in the illustrated embodiments as having a particular arrangement or configuration, other arrangements and configurations are possible. For example, although FIG. 100d depicts a pop-up component 160 having one inlet and two outlets, the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, the pop-up component 160 can be configured to include more than one inlet and / or any number of outlets. Additionally, the pop-up component 160 can be modified within the scope of the present invention to include a relative positioning of inlets and outlets different from the embodiment depicted in FIG. 100d without losing its purpose and / or function. Further, certain aspects of the present invention described in the context of a particular embodiment may also be combined or eliminated in other embodiments.

[0035] The devices discussed herein, including semiconductor devices, can be formed on a semiconductor substrate or die such as silicon, germanium, silicon-germanium alloy, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, etc. In some cases, the substrate is a semiconductor wafer. In other cases, the substrate can be a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate (such as silicon-on-glass (SOG) or silicon-on-sapphire (SOP)) or an epitaxial layer of semiconductor material on another substrate. The conductivity of the substrate or a sub-region of the substrate can be controlled by doping using various chemical species including, but not limited to, phosphorus, boron, or arsenic. The doping can be performed by ion implantation or any other doping method during the initial formation or growth of the substrate.

[0036] As used herein (including in the claims), the "or" in a list of items (such as a list of items beginning with a phrase such as "at least one of..." or "one or more of...") indicates an inclusive list, such that (for example) a list of at least one of A, B, or C means A or B or C or AB or AC or BC or ABC (i.e., A and B and C). Also, as used herein, the phrase "based on..." should not be construed as referring to a closed set of conditions. For example, a exemplary step described as "based on condition A" can be based on both condition A and condition B without departing from the scope of the present invention. In other words, as used herein, the phrase "based on..." should be interpreted in the same manner as the phrase "at least partially based on...".

[0037] It should be understood from the above that specific embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Specifically, in the above description, numerous specific details have been discussed to provide a thorough and advantageous description of embodiments of the present invention. However, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present invention can be practiced without one or more of the specific details. In other instances, well-known structures or operations typically associated with memory systems and devices have not been shown or described in detail so as not to obscure other aspects of the present invention. Generally, it should be understood that various other devices, systems, and methods in addition to those specific embodiments disclosed herein are also within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for releasing a target semiconductor die, comprising: thinning a substrate from a backside of the substrate, the substrate including a plurality of semiconductor dies formed on a frontside of the substrate; attaching a piece of mounting tape to the back side of the thinned substrate, the piece of mounting tape including a plurality of openings configured to facilitate fluid reaching the back side of the substrate; dicing the substrate to singulate individual semiconductor dies of the plurality of semiconductor dies such that each individual semiconductor die is attached to the sheet of mounting tape; and releasing a single target semiconductor die from the plurality of semiconductor die from the sheet of mounting tape, wherein the method further comprises: applying the fluid to the backside of the substrate through a plurality of the plurality of openings beneath the single target semiconductor die, the fluid being configured to dissolve a sacrificial layer disposed at the backside of the substrate, wherein releasing the single target semiconductor die is based at least in part on applying the fluid; and The fluid applied to the backside of the substrate is confined to boundaries correlated with a perimeter of the single target semiconductor die. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of openings comprises a plurality of openings beneath each semiconductor die of the plurality of semiconductor dies.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises a solvent, water, or both in liquid or gas phase.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Byproducts generated by applying the fluid to the back side of the substrate, the fluid, or both are collected from the back side of the substrate.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: A support assembly is attached to the single target semiconductor die before releasing the single target semiconductor die from the sheet of mounting tape.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: After thinning the substrate, a sacrificial layer is formed on the backside of the substrate, the sacrificial layer comprising one or more materials configured to dissolve in contact with the fluid.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the piece of mounting tape comprises a sacrificial layer configured to attach to the backside of the substrate, the sacrificial layer comprising one or more materials configured to dissolve in contact with the fluid.

8. An apparatus for releasing a target semiconductor die, comprising: a piece of mounting tape containing a set of openings; and A popup component configured to, in operation: applying a fluid through a subset of the set of openings toward a backside of a single target semiconductor die attached to a substrate of the piece of mounting tape; removing a sacrificial layer disposed between the backside of the single target semiconductor die and the adhesive layer of the piece of mounting tape, the sacrificial layer comprising one or more materials configured to dissolve in contact with the fluid; collecting, through the subset of openings, byproducts generated by applying the fluid toward the backside of the single target semiconductor die, the fluid, or both; and When the sacrificial layer is removed, the single target semiconductor die is released from the piece of mounting tape, wherein the ejection assembly is further configured to: The fluid applied toward the backside of the single target semiconductor die is confined within boundaries of the ejection assembly that are interrelated with a perimeter of the single target semiconductor die.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the ejection assembly comprises: an inlet at a central portion of the ejection assembly, the inlet configured to supply the fluid toward the backside of the single target semiconductor die; and An outlet at a peripheral portion of the ejection assembly is configured to provide vacuum suction toward the backside of the single target semiconductor die to collect the byproducts, the fluid, or both, wherein the peripheral portion at least partially surrounds the central portion.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: A support assembly is configured to support the single target semiconductor die from a front side of the single target semiconductor die.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the support component is further configured to provide a suction force that lifts the single target semiconductor die from a sheet of mounting tape when the single target semiconductor die is released from the sheet of mounting tape.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the support assembly is further configured to collect debris from the front side of the single target semiconductor die, the debris resulting from cutting the substrate to singulate the single target semiconductor die.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: A dicing assembly is configured to dic the substrate through dicing streets of the substrate to singulate two or more semiconductor dies from the substrate including the single target semiconductor die.

14. The apparatus of claim 8, further comprising: A coating assembly is configured to form the sacrificial layer on a backside of the substrate including the single target semiconductor die.

15. A method for releasing a target semiconductor die, comprising: forming a sacrificial layer on a backside of a substrate including the target semiconductor die, the sacrificial layer including one or more materials configured to dissolve upon contact with a fluid of a solvent, water, or both; attaching an adhesive mounting tape to the sacrificial layer, the adhesive mounting tape comprising a plurality of openings configured to facilitate the fluid reaching the sacrificial layer; cutting the substrate from the front side of the substrate to singulate the target semiconductor die attached to the adhesive mounting tape via the sacrificial layer; and Upon removing the sacrificial layer, releasing a single target semiconductor die from the adhesive mounting tape, wherein the method further comprises: applying the fluid to the sacrificial layer through a subset of the plurality of openings, the subset of openings being positioned beneath the single target semiconductor die; limiting the fluid applied to the sacrificial layer from spreading beyond boundaries associated with a perimeter of the single target semiconductor die; and The fluid and the sacrificial layer dissolved by contact with the fluid are collected through the subset of openings.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising: providing a support component from the front side of the substrate to hold the single target semiconductor die before releasing the single target semiconductor die, the support component being configured to provide a vacuum suction force to the single target semiconductor die; and When the single target semiconductor die is released from the adhesive mounting tape as a result of applying the fluid to the sacrificial layer, the single target semiconductor die is lifted using the support assembly.

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