Semiconductor Package Backside Edge Pattern for Low-Stress Dicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices often suffer from damage such as chipping and cracking during the wafer cutting process, particularly on the backside, leading to reduced production yield and inefficiencies in manufacturing high-capacity and high-performance semiconductor packages.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device and package design featuring a semiconductor substrate with a divided second surface, an insulating protective layer having an edge pattern in the surrounding region, and a through-electrode connecting pads, which reduces stress propagation during cutting and enhances precision and protection of the device region.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a conventional wafer cutting process is applied to manufacture semiconductor devices, then manufacturing productivity is maintained, but mechanical damage such as chipping and cracking occurs on the backside of the semiconductor device
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating protective layer is divided into a first region overlapping the device region and a second region surrounding the first region, with the second region having a different thickness than the first region. This segmentation allows the cutting process to occur in regions with reduced material thickness, minimizing stress concentration and mechanical damage to the device while maintaining protective coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating protective layer exhibits local quality variations through its dual-region structure: the first region provides full thickness protection for the device region, while the second region has reduced thickness to facilitate low-stress cutting. This localized thickness variation optimizes both device protection and cutting processability.
2Reliability
If the insulating protective layer has uniform thickness across the entire second surface, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but stress propagation during cutting cannot be effectively blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating protective layer is segmented into functionally distinct first and second regions with different thicknesses. The first region maintains full thickness for stress blocking, while the second region has reduced thickness to minimize resistance during cutting, achieving both protection and manufacturability.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the insulating protective layer are assigned different thickness qualities: the first region overlapping the device region has greater thickness for stress blocking, while the second region has smaller thickness for cutting facilitation. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between protection and simplicity.
3Reliability
If the second region has the same thickness as the first region, then manufacturing precision is simplified, but cutting-induced stress propagates to the device region causing damage
Solution Approach 1:
The insulating protective layer is segmented into a first region with greater thickness for stress blocking and a second region with smaller thickness for precise cutting. This segmentation enables the cutting process to be performed with higher precision in the thinner second region while the thicker first region maintains stress blocking capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating protective layer exhibits local quality variations in thickness: the first region has greater thickness to block stress propagation, while the second region has smaller thickness to enable precise cutting operations. This local differentiation simultaneously achieves stress blocking and cutting precision.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposing each other, a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first surface in a device region, an insulating protective layer, and a connection pad. The second surface is divided into a first region overlapping the device region, and a second region surrounding the first region. The insulating protective layer is disposed on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and includes an edge pattern positioned in the second region. The edge pattern includes a thinner portion having a thickness smaller than a thickness of a center portion of the insulating protective layer positioned in the first region and/or an open region exposing the second surface of the semiconductor substrate. The connection pad is disposed on the center portion of the insulating protective layer and is electrically connected to the semiconductor elements.