Wafer Adhesion Layer for Stable Protective Tape During Back Grinding
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, the delamination of protective tapes during the back surface grinding step is a significant issue due to uneven adhesive strength, leading to increased costs and reduced yields, as conventional protective tapes either delaminate prematurely or fail to delaminate properly, affecting the thickness accuracy and warpage of wafers.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method that includes forming an adhesion layer in the outer peripheral region of the wafer, which enhances the adhesive strength of the protective tape, preventing delamination during the cutting step and allowing for easier removal post-grinding, thereby improving throughput and reducing costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a protective tape is applied to the wafer surface, then the wafer is protected during back surface grinding, but the protective tape may delaminate during the cutting step due to uneven adhesive strength
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different adhesive strength characteristics to different regions of the protective tape. The outer peripheral region has higher adhesive strength to prevent delamination during cutting, while the central region has lower adhesive strength to allow easy removal after grinding. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction between maintaining adhesion during processing and enabling easy removal afterward.
Solution Approach 2:
The protective tape is divided into functionally distinct regions: an outer peripheral region with high adhesive strength for stability during cutting and grinding, and a central region with low adhesive strength for easy removal. This segmentation allows each region to perform its specific function optimally, preventing delamination while facilitating post-processing removal.
2Reliability
If the protective tape has high adhesive strength throughout, then delamination during cutting is prevented, but the tape fails to delaminate properly after grinding
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tape incorporates spatially varying adhesive properties: the outer peripheral region maintains high adhesive strength to prevent delamination during cutting and grinding operations, while the central region is designed with low adhesive strength to enable easy manual or automated removal after the grinding process completes.
Solution Approach 2:
The tape structure is segmented into two functional zones with contrasting adhesive characteristics. The peripheral zone provides structural stability and adhesion during mechanical processing, while the central zone facilitates clean separation from the wafer surface after processing, resolving the contradiction between holding strength and release ease.
3Ease of operation
If the protective tape has low adhesive strength, then easy removal is achieved, but delamination occurs during the cutting step
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tape features region-specific adhesive strength: the outer peripheral region has high adhesion to prevent delamination during cutting that would compromise wafer thickness accuracy, while the central region has low adhesion for easy removal. This local differentiation simultaneously achieves both requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
By segmenting the tape into high-adhesion peripheral regions and low-adhesion central regions, the patent ensures that the critical cutting operations occur on a stable, well-adhered surface that maintains thickness precision, while the central area remains easily removable without affecting the already-processed wafer surface.
4Ease of manufacture
If conventional protective tapes are used without regional adhesive differentiation, then manufacturing cost is reduced, but delamination leads to increased costs and reduced yields
Solution Approach 1:
The protective tape incorporates spatially differentiated adhesive properties that can be implemented through standard manufacturing techniques such as selective adhesive application or co-extrusion. This relatively simple modification prevents delamination-related defects and rework, thereby improving overall manufacturing throughput and yield without significantly complicating the manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The segmented adhesive structure prevents delamination during critical processing steps, eliminating the need for costly rework or scrap. Although the tape manufacturing is slightly more complex, the improvement in yield and reduction in waste more than compensates, resulting in net productivity gains.
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor apparatus, including: preparing a wafer on which an adhesion layer is provided in an outer peripheral region of a front surface; applying a protective tape on the front surface of the wafer, wherein the protective tape is applied on the adhesion layer; cutting a front surface of the protective tape; and grinding a back surface of the wafer while holding the wafer by a grinding apparatus through the protective tape, is provided. In addition, a semiconductor apparatus, including: a wafer; a semiconductor device provided in a central region of a front surface of the wafer; and an adhesion layer of a polyimide film provided in an outer peripheral region surrounding the central region on the front surface of the wafer, is provided.