Semiconductor Material Film Trench for Dicing Crack Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

During the dicing process of semiconductor wafers, material films can peel off from the substrate in the dicing region, leading to failures in semiconductor chips when the peeling propagates to the device region.

Innovation Solution

A semiconductor device configuration that includes a trench in the material film between the device region and the dicing region, which induces and terminates cracks that could propagate from the dicing region to the device region, thereby preventing material film peeling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If dicing is performed to separate semiconductor chips, then productivity is improved, but material film peeling occurs in the dicing region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechip separation efficiencyVSAvoidmaterial film integrity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the semiconductor substrate into distinct functional regions: a device region containing semiconductor elements and a dicing region for chip separation. This segmentation allows the dicing process to be confined to a specific area, improving productivity while protecting the device region from damage through the introduced trench structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The trench acts as an intermediary structure between the device region and dicing region. It serves as a physical barrier that terminates cracks and prevents material film peeling from propagating from the dicing region into the device region, thus resolving the contradiction between efficient dicing and film integrity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If dicing is performed to separate semiconductor chips, then manufacturing speed is improved, but crack propagation occurs from dicing region to device region

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvechip separation speedVSAvoidcrack propagation control

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The trench is formed in advance before the dicing process. This preliminary action creates a pre-defined crack termination path that guides and limits crack propagation during subsequent dicing operations, ensuring that cracks remain confined to the dicing region and do not affect the device region.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the potentially harmful effect of crack propagation during dicing into a beneficial outcome by designing the trench to serve as a controlled crack path. Cracks are allowed to form and propagate along the trench in the dicing region, but the trench structure ensures they terminate before reaching the device region, thus benefiting from the dicing process without suffering its harmful effects.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

Data Source

PatentUS20250038135A1Semiconductor device

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 KIOXIA CORP

AI summary

A semiconductor device according to the present embedment includes a substrate having a first region provided with a semiconductor element and a second region provided from the first region to an end. A material film is provided above the first and second regions. A first metal film is provided on the material film in the second region or on the material film between the first region and the second region. A trench, which caves in toward the substrate from a surface of the material film in the first region and from a surface of the material film under the first metal film, is provided in the material film between the first metal film and the first region.