Tapered Cutting Member Tip Design for Semiconductor Dicing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing semiconductor piece manufacturing method faces challenges in forming narrow and deep grooves on the front surface of a substrate, leading to breakage issues when trying to increase the number of semiconductor pieces per wafer, as the etching process is hindered by the narrow width and the dicing blade is prone to breaking.
Innovation Solution
A design method for the tip shape of a cutting member with varying degrees of taper is employed, where multiple cutting members with different taper angles are tested to identify which ones do not cause breakage, allowing for the selection of a taper range that prevents breakage during mass production, even when forming narrow and shallow grooves.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the groove width on the front surface is reduced to increase the number of semiconductor pieces, then the number of pieces per wafer increases, but the groove becomes difficult to form deeply and the semiconductor piece may break
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters of the cutting member by introducing a tapered tip shape with specific taper angles (15-45 degrees). This parameter modification allows the cutting member to effectively form narrow grooves (several micrometers to several tens of micrometers) without causing semiconductor piece breakage, while maintaining sufficient groove depth for proper separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting member features a localized tapered tip portion with different geometric properties from the main body. This local quality change concentrates the cutting action at the tapered tip, enabling precise formation of narrow grooves without affecting the overall structural integrity of the semiconductor piece during the cutting process.
2Productivity
If a narrow groove is formed on the front surface, then more semiconductor pieces can be obtained, but the etching gas cannot easily enter the deep inside and etching progress is disturbed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary mechanical cutting with the tapered cutting member to create an initial groove structure before chemical etching. This preliminary action opens pathways for etching gas to penetrate deeper into the groove, facilitating subsequent etching processes and enabling the formation of narrow, deep grooves that would be difficult to achieve by etching alone.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention partially replaces the purely chemical etching process with a mechanical cutting approach using the tapered cutting member. This mechanical intervention creates the initial groove structure more effectively than chemical etching alone, particularly for narrow grooves where gas penetration is limited, thereby complementing or substituting the mechanical limitations of the etching process.
3Productivity
If a thin dicing blade is used to form narrow grooves, then more semiconductor pieces can be obtained, but the blade is easily broken
Solution Approach 1:
The invention modifies the geometric parameters of the cutting member by implementing a tapered tip shape with specific taper angles (15-45 degrees) and controlling the tip thickness to be smaller than the groove width. This parameter optimization allows the blade to be sufficiently thin for forming narrow grooves while maintaining adequate strength through the tapered design that distributes mechanical stresses away from the tip.
Solution Approach 2:
The cutting member is constructed as a composite structure combining a thin, tapered tip portion for precise cutting with a thicker, stronger base portion for structural support. This composite design enables the blade to maintain both the thinness required for narrow groove formation and the strength necessary to prevent breakage during the cutting process.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2(A)~2(D)
Figure 3(E)~3(I)
AI summary
A design method of a tip shape of a cutting member includes a process of forming a groove on a front surface side on a front surface of a substrate, and a process of forming a groove on a rear surface side that communicates with the groove on the front surface side by a rotating cutting member that has a thickness larger than the width of the groove on the front surface side from a rear surface of the substrate and individualizing the substrate into semiconductor pieces. The design method includes a process of preparing plural cutting members having different degrees of taper in a tip portion thereof, a process of preparing plural grooves on the front surface side having the same shape, a process of confirming a breakage status when the groove on the rear surface side is formed by the plural cutting members, and a process of selecting, when it is confirmed that both of a cutting member that causes breakage and a cutting member that does not cause the breakage are included, the degree of taper of the cutting member that does not cause the breakage as a tip shape of a cutting member to be used in a mass production process.