Alternating Pad Arrangement for Semiconductor Wafer Dicing Stress Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing methods for manufacturing semiconductor devices by dicing semiconductor wafers along a dicing line often result in chipping and cracking due to metal particles attaching to the dicing blade, which can cause stress and affect the characteristics of the semiconductor device, and require complex manufacturing processes and specialized probe needles.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor wafer and manufacturing method where pads are alternately formed on either side of the dicing line, allowing the dicing blade to avoid abutting pads during cutting, thereby reducing stress and preventing metal particles from attaching to the blade, and enabling the use of conventional probe needles without complicating the manufacturing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If pads are formed in a portion of the dicing line closer to one chip forming region, then metal particles attaching to the dicing blade can be reduced, but large stress is generated in that portion causing chipping and cracking
Solution Approach 1:
The pads are segmented and alternately arranged on both sides of the dicing line rather than being concentrated on one side. This segmentation distributes the stress across different regions while still allowing the dicing blade to avoid abutting all pads during cutting, thus reducing both metal particle attachment and localized stress concentration.
Solution Approach 2:
The pad arrangement uses asymmetric positioning relative to the dicing line, with pads alternately placed on opposite sides. This asymmetric distribution prevents symmetric stress concentration that would occur if all pads were on one side, while maintaining the benefit of reduced metal particle attachment during dicing.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If pad size is miniaturized to reduce metal film diced with dicing blade, then metal particles attaching to dicing blade are reduced, but sophisticated positional precision is required for probe needle abutting and manufacturing process becomes complicated
Solution Approach 1:
The solution dynamically adjusts the pad arrangement pattern along the dicing line, alternating pads between left and right sides. This dynamic spatial arrangement allows larger pad sizes to be maintained while still reducing metal particle attachment, avoiding the need for miniaturization and the associated complexity in probe needle positioning and manufacturing processes.
3Ease of manufacture
If all pads are arranged on one side of the dicing line, then manufacturing process is simplified, but large stress is generated causing chipping and cracking in the dicing line
Solution Approach 1:
The pads are segmented and distributed alternately on both sides of the dicing line. This segmentation approach maintains manufacturing simplicity through a regular alternating pattern while effectively distributing stress to prevent chipping and cracking, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and stress reduction.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device manufacturing method is provided. In a semiconductor wafer prepared, the width of a dicing line is larger than a cut region to be diced with a dicing blade, a first chip forming region and a second chip forming region are adjacent and have the dicing line therebetween, some of the pads are formed on a first chip forming region side, and the remaining pads are formed on a second chip forming region side. The semiconductor wafer is diced with the dicing blade in such manner that, when the some of the pads are diced, a part of the dicing blade on the second chip forming region side does not abut the some of the pads, and, when the remaining pads are diced, a part of the dicing blade on the first one chip forming region side does not abut the remaining pads.