Adaptive Plasma Dicing Control for Consistent Element Chip Etching
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Solution Overview
Problem
The production of element chips through plasma etching is unstable due to variations in the shape of the protection layer or mask, leading to inconsistent etching amounts and quality issues.
Innovation Solution
A dicing system and method that includes a control unit to modify recipes based on real-time processing data, using feedback and feedforward controls to adjust the protection layer forming, patterning, and plasma etching processes, ensuring optimal conditions for high-quality element chip production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple steps (protection layer formation, patterning, plasma etching) are used to produce element chips, then the production process can be completed, but the quality and shape consistency of element chips become unstable due to variations in protection layer or mask shape
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the shape measurement results of the protection layer and mask are fed back to automatically adjust the etching amount in the plasma etching step. The control unit modifies the etching parameters based on the measured deviations, thereby compensating for shape variations and ensuring consistent element chip quality despite variations in previous processing steps.
2Productivity
If the protection layer shape varies during production, then productivity is maintained, but the etching amount becomes inconsistent leading to quality issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the etching parameters (etching amount, power, gas flow rate, pressure, temperature) based on the measured protection layer shape. The control unit adjusts these parameters in real-time according to the actual shape deviations, ensuring that the etching amount remains consistent even when the protection layer shape varies during continuous production.
3Productivity
If the mask shape varies during production, then productivity is maintained, but the element chip quality becomes inconsistent
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures the mask shape after the patterning step and feeds this information back to the control unit. Based on the measured mask shape variations, the control unit automatically adjusts the plasma etching parameters to compensate for the deviations, ensuring that element chips produced from masks with varying shapes still meet quality specifications.
4Device complexity
If fixed recipes are used for protection layer formation, patterning, and plasma etching, then process simplicity is maintained, but quality stability deteriorates due to inability to compensate for variations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transforms the static, fixed recipe-based process into a dynamic, adaptive process. The control unit automatically modifies the etching parameters in real-time based on measured shape variations, making the process flexible and responsive to actual conditions while maintaining overall process simplicity through automated control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method improves the quality and consistency of element chips by dynamically adjusting processing parameters, enhancing productivity and reducing the number of steps required.
Implementation Method 1
a plasma treatment apparatus that plasma etches the substrate exposed from the mask to form a plurality of element chips
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a dicing system including a protection layer forming apparatus, a patterning apparatus, a plasma treatment apparatus, a measuring apparatus that obtains at least of first processing data relating to a protection layer, second processing data relating to a mask, and third processing data relating to element chips, and a control unit that operates at least one of the protection layer forming apparatus, the patterning apparatus, and the plasma treatment apparatus on a recipe that is defined for each of the apparatuses. The control unit determines, based on at least one of the first processing data, whether or not to modify the recipe, the second processing data, and the third processing data, modifies the at least one of the recipes if the recipe needs to be modified, and operates at least one of the protection layer forming apparatus, the patterning apparatus, and the plasma treatment apparatus based on the modified recipe.