Semiconductor RDL Sidewall Isolation for Singulation Crack Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
The miniaturization of semiconductor devices leads to increased complexity in manufacturing, resulting in issues such as inaccurate component placement, poor electrical interconnections, crack development, delamination, and high yield loss, which complicates the modification of semiconductor structures and increases manufacturing costs.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor structure with a substrate, redistribution layer (RDL), conductive bump, and an isolation layer is implemented, where the isolation layer is disposed over the sidewall to fill and seal recesses formed during the singulation process, thereby minimizing crack propagation and enhancing the reliability of the semiconductor structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If semiconductor devices are miniaturized to reduce size, then device size is reduced, but manufacturing complexity increases and reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation layer is applied to the sidewall before the final singulation cut is made. This preliminary action prevents cracks from propagating into the device during the cutting process, thereby maintaining reliability even as device size is reduced
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation layer acts as an intermediary material between the sidewall and the cutting tool. It absorbs the mechanical stress and prevents direct transmission of cutting forces to the device structure, thus preventing crack formation during miniaturization
2Manufacturing precision
If more manufacturing steps are implemented to handle complexity, then manufacturing precision may improve, but device complexity increases and yield loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crack prevention function is extracted from the main device structure and implemented as a separate isolation layer. This allows crack prevention to be addressed independently without complicating the core device design or manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The isolation layer is applied locally only to the sidewall region where cracks are most likely to form during cutting. This localized approach prevents unnecessary complexity in other parts of the device while maintaining manufacturing precision
3Adaptability or versatility
If manufacturing operations are increased to assemble more components, then device functionality is improved, but material wastage increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The isolation layer provides beforehand cushioning to the sidewall, preventing crack formation that would lead to device failure and material wastage. This protective measure ensures that more devices survive the manufacturing process, reducing yield loss
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor structure includes a substrate comprising a die pad disposed over the substrate, and a passivation disposed over the substrate and surrounding the die pad, a redistribution layer (RDL) comprising a dielectric layer disposed over the passivation and an interconnect structure disposed within the dielectric layer and electrically connecting with the die pad, a conductive bump disposed over and electrically connected with the interconnect structure; and an isolation layer surrounding the substrate and the RDL.