Plasma Dicing Cleaning After Interruption to Remove Adhesive Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
During plasma dicing, the exposure of the adhesive layer of the holding sheet between the frame and the substrate leads to scattering of organic components, which can contaminate the wafer and disrupt the plasma etching process, especially when processing wafers of different sizes in the same apparatus.
Innovation Solution
A plasma processing method that includes a cleaning process using a plasma containing an oxidizing gas to decompose and remove the organic components attached to the substrate, allowing for the resumption of the plasma etching process after interruptions, thereby preventing contamination and ensuring continuous processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the holding sheet is exposed between the frame and the substrate to accommodate different wafer sizes, then the adaptability of the plasma processing apparatus is improved, but the organic component of the adhesive layer scatters during plasma processing and attaches to the inner wall of the chamber and the wafer, causing contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A cover is attached to the holding sheet before plasma processing to prevent the adhesive layer from being exposed to plasma. This preliminary protective action eliminates the source of organic component scattering while maintaining the ability to process different wafer sizes, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and contamination prevention
2Reliability
If the plasma etching process is interrupted due to an error, then the wafer is held in a cooled state in the chamber, but the component of the adhesive layer tends to attach to the wafer, contaminating it and disrupting the process
Solution Approach 1:
The cover is attached in advance to prevent adhesive exposure, so that even if the plasma etching process is interrupted and the wafer is cooled, there is no exposed adhesive layer to scatter and contaminate the wafer. This preliminary protective measure ensures process reliability without introducing contamination risks
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
Effectively removes organic components from the substrate, preventing contamination and allowing for uninterrupted plasma dicing, even when processing wafers of varying sizes, by incorporating a cleaning step with an oxidizing gas plasma exposure.
Implementation Method 1
a cleaning process of exposing a surface of the substrate to a plasma containing an oxidizing gas
Implementation Method 2
a plasma etching process of etching the substrate with a plasma generated in the chamber
Data Source
AI summary
A plasma processing method including: a process of placing a work piece on a stage provided in a chamber, the work piece including a substrate and a holding member having an adhesive layer on a surface and holding the substrate via the adhesive layer, and having an exposed portion where the adhesive layer is exposed outside the substrate; and a plasma etching process of etching the substrate with a plasma generated in the chamber, with the exposed portion exposed to the plasma. In response to occurrence of an interruption in the plasma etching process, a cleaning process of exposing a surface of the substrate to a plasma containing an oxidizing gas is performed, and then the plasma etching process is resumed.