Element Chip Plasma Dicing With Protective Film Fluorine Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for producing element chips using plasma dicing often result in residual fluorine, which can react with moisture to form fluoric acid, reducing the reliability of the chips and increasing production costs.
Innovation Solution
A method that includes preparing a substrate with element regions and dicing regions, forming a protective film to cover the substrate and associated components, patterning the protective film to expose the dicing regions, performing plasma dicing using a fluorine-containing plasma to individualize the substrate into element chips, and finally removing the protective film and attached fluorine in a subsequent step.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If plasma dicing with fluorine-containing gas is used to individualize substrates, then dicing efficiency and precision are improved, but residual fluorine remains on the substrate and holding sheet causing reliability issues
Solution Approach 1:
A protective film is introduced as an intermediary layer between the plasma environment and the substrate/holding sheet. This film captures residual fluorine during plasma dicing, preventing direct contamination of the substrate and holding sheet while maintaining dicing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful residual fluorine is converted into a beneficial protective layer by allowing it to deposit on the protective film instead of contaminating the substrate. The fluorine that would otherwise be harmful is thus sequestered in a controlled manner on the removable protective film.
2Ease of manufacture
If residual fluorine is not removed, then production cost is reduced, but chip reliability decreases due to fluoric acid formation
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film serves as a sacrificial intermediary that absorbs fluorine during plasma processing. This eliminates the need for complex and costly fluorine removal processes while ensuring chip reliability, as the fluorine is already captured on the protective film which is subsequently removed.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective film is applied in advance before plasma dicing to prevent fluorine contamination from occurring in the first place. This preliminary protective action avoids the need for subsequent expensive cleaning and reliability testing procedures.
3Device complexity
If protective film is not used, then process complexity is reduced, but fluorine contamination of substrate and holding sheet occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The protective film is a simple intermediary layer that is applied, patterned, and removed in straightforward steps. This single film structure provides comprehensive protection against fluorine contamination without requiring complex multi-layer systems or sophisticated process equipment.
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
This method effectively suppresses the negative effects of residual fluorine, enabling the reliable and cost-effective production of element chips by ensuring the removal of fluorine residues along with the protective film.
Implementation Method 1
plasma dicing step including a process that uses a plasma that contains fluorine, the plasma dicing step being a step of individualizing the substrate into a plurality of element chips
Implementation Method 2
forming a protective film to cover the frame, the holding sheet, and the substrate... removing, together with the protective film, fluorine attached to the protective film
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for producing element chips. The method includes: a preparing step of preparing a substrate 10 that is held on a holding sheet 22 that is supported by a frame 21, the substrate including element regions and dicing regions; a protective film forming step of forming a protective film 15 so as to cover the frame 21, the holding sheet 22, and the substrate 10; a patterning step of removing a part of the protective film 15 so as to expose the dicing regions of the substrate 10; a plasma dicing step including a process that uses a plasma that contains fluorine, the plasma dicing step being a step of individualizing the substrate 10 into a plurality of element chips; and a fluorine removing step of removing, together with the protective film 15, fluorine attached to the protective film 15 in the plasma dicing step.