Partial Saw Street Trench for Through-Hole Vias
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semiconductor packaging methods require dicing tape or other support materials for forming through-hole vias along saw streets, adding manufacturing steps and cost to the process.
Innovation Solution
A method of forming through-hole vias in semiconductor wafers without using dicing tape or other support materials, by creating a trench in the saw street, forming metal vias, electrically connecting them to contact pads, and then singulating the wafer, which maintains structural support during processing steps.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If dicing tape or support material is used to hold the wafer during THV formation, then the wafer can be supported structurally, but manufacturing steps and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The saw street is partially removed in advance before THV formation, creating a pre-prepared structure that eliminates the need for support materials during subsequent processing steps. This preliminary action allows the THV formation to proceed without requiring dicing tape or other support materials to hold the wafer together.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the problematic support materials (dicing tape) from the manufacturing process entirely. By partially removing the saw street material beforehand, the process eliminates the need for external support structures, simplifying the manufacturing steps while maintaining structural integrity during THV formation.
2Strength
If dicing tape or support material is used to hold the wafer during THV formation, then the wafer can be supported structurally, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partial removal of the saw street is performed as a preliminary step before THV formation, eliminating the need for expensive support materials like dicing tape. This advance preparation reduces material costs while ensuring the wafer maintains sufficient structural support during the THV formation process.
3Productivity
If the trench extends fully through the wafer, then THV formation is complete, but structural support is lost during processing
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of removing the entire saw street material, the invention applies partial action by removing only a portion of the saw street. This partial removal is sufficient to enable THV formation while leaving enough material to maintain structural support during processing, avoiding the need for additional support materials.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming through-hole vias in a semiconductor wafer involves forming a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of die with contact pads disposed on a surface of each die. The semiconductor wafer has a saw street between each die. A trench is formed in the saw street without using support material to support the semiconductor wafer. The trench extends only partially through the semiconductor wafer. The portion of the saw street below the trench along a backside of the semiconductor wafer has sufficient thickness to maintain structural support for the semiconductor wafer without support material during formation of conductive vias between the die, and electrically connection of the conductive vias to the contact pads. The portion of the saw street below the trench along the backside of the semiconductor wafer is removed. The semiconductor wafer is singulated along the saw street to separate the die.