Semiconductor Substrate Cleaving via Pre-Crack and Backside Pressing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor device manufacturing methods require high-cost plasma etching to form dividing grooves and precise depth control, making the process costly and complex.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a semiconductor substrate with a metal film, where a crack is formed along the boundary between element regions on the first surface, allowing for division of both the substrate and the metal film by pressing a dividing member from the opposite surface, simplifying the process and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If plasma etching is used to form dividing grooves, then the substrate can be divided, but the manufacturing cost increases and process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A crack is formed in advance along the boundary between element regions before the metal film is formed. This preliminary crack serves as a pre-defined division path, eliminating the need for subsequent plasma etching to create dividing grooves. The crack is created by pressing a pressing member against the substrate surface, which is a simpler and more cost-effective process than plasma etching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the plasma etching process (a complex chemical/physical system requiring precise depth control) with a mechanical pressing process. By pressing a pressing member against the substrate, a crack is formed along the element region boundaries. This mechanical approach is simpler, more cost-effective, and eliminates the need for precise depth control associated with plasma etching.
2Productivity
If plasma etching is used to form dividing grooves, then the substrate can be divided, but the process complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the substrate division process with the metal film formation process. The crack is formed before the metal film is deposited, and then both the substrate and metal film are divided simultaneously by pressing a dividing member from the opposite surface. This merging of operations eliminates separate plasma etching steps and simplifies the overall process flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the division function from the complex plasma etching process and implements it through a simpler mechanical pressing process. The dividing member presses against the substrate from the back surface, utilizing the pre-formed crack to separate the substrate and metal film along the element region boundaries, thereby removing unnecessary process complexity.
3Ease of manufacture
If pressing is used to form cracks and divide substrate, then manufacturing cost reduces, but substrate damage may occur
Solution Approach 1:
A crack is formed in advance along the element region boundaries before the actual division process. This pre-formed crack acts as a stress release path and guides the division process, allowing the pressing force to be applied more uniformly and reducing the risk of unpredictable substrate damage during division.
Solution Approach 2:
The pressing member and dividing member are designed with specific geometries that distribute the pressing force evenly across the substrate surface. The dividing member presses from the opposite surface of the metal film, using the pre-formed crack as a mediator to guide the separation process and minimize damage to both the substrate and metal film.
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
This method enables efficient and cost-effective division of semiconductor substrates and metal films in a single step, reducing manufacturing complexity and costs while minimizing damage to the substrate and metal film.
Implementation Method 1
forming a crack extending in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate along a boundary between the plurality of element regions by pressing a pressing member against the first surface of the semiconductor substrate along the boundary
Implementation Method 2
dividing the semiconductor substrate and the metal film along the boundary by pressing a dividing member against the semiconductor substrate along the boundary from a direction facing the second surface of the semiconductor substrate
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes preparing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of element regions and having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, forming a crack extending in a thickness direction of the semiconductor substrate along a boundary between the plurality of element regions by pressing a pressing member against the first surface of the semiconductor substrate along the boundary, forming a metal film over the plurality of element regions on the first surface of the semiconductor substrate after the forming of the crack, and dividing the semiconductor substrate and the metal film along the boundary by pressing a dividing member against the semiconductor substrate along the boundary from a direction facing the second surface of the semiconductor substrate after the forming of the metal film.