Semiconductor Wafer Dicing Sequence for Thin-Die Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional semiconductor manufacturing methods for thinner products often result in wafer warpage or breakage during the grinding process, making it difficult and costly to produce, as they are not applicable to products with thicknesses less than 250 micrometers.
Innovation Solution
A manufacturing method involving adhering a back protection film on a semiconductor substrate, cutting to a set depth from the front side, applying a front protection film, grinding from the back side to expose dies and scribing lines, and performing evaporation to attach metal particles on multiple surfaces, enhancing heat dissipation efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the wafer is ground before cutting in the conventional manufacturing method, then the heat-dissipation path is established through metal coating on the bottom surface, but wafer warpage or breakage occurs during the production process for thinner products
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the cutting operation before the grinding operation. Specifically, the wafer is first cut to separate individual chips, and then ground to establish the heat-dissipation path through metal coating on the bottom surface. This reverses the conventional sequence (grind-then-cut) to prevent warpage and breakage that occur when thin wafers are ground while still in wafer form, thereby maintaining structural integrity during the most critical operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If the conventional grinding method is applied to thinner products, then the manufacturing process can be completed, but wafer warpage or breakage often occurs making manufacturing difficult and costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the cutting operation before the grinding operation. Specifically, the wafer is first cut to separate individual chips, and then ground to establish the heat-dissipation path through metal coating on the bottom surface. This reverses the conventional sequence (grind-then-cut) to prevent warpage and breakage that occur when thin wafers are ground while still in wafer form, thereby maintaining structural integrity during the most critical operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies inversion by completely reversing the conventional operation sequence. Instead of grinding the wafer first and then cutting, the method cuts the wafer first and then grinds the individual chips. This inverted approach transforms an unreliable process for thin products into a reliable manufacturing method by performing operations in the opposite order.
3Device complexity
If metal is only coated on the bottom surface of the wafer, then the manufacturing process is simple, but the heat-dissipation efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensionality change by extending the heat-dissipation structure from a two-dimensional bottom surface coating to a three-dimensional structure that includes vertical side surfaces. Metal particles are deposited not only on the bottom surface of each chip but also on the vertical side surfaces created by the cutting operation. This multi-surface coating approach significantly increases the heat-dissipation area and efficiency while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through the use of vapor deposition techniques.
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 protects the substrate from breakage, prevents warpage, and significantly increases heat dissipation efficiency by distributing metal particles on the bottom and side surfaces of the dies, making it suitable for thinner products.
Implementation Method 1
adhering a back protection film on a back side of a semiconductor substrate and cutting the semiconductor substrate to a set depth from a front side firstly... the back side of the semiconductor substrate is protected from the risk of breaking during cutting
Implementation Method 2
performing an evaporation to the semiconductor substrate to attach a plurality of metal particles to the dies
Implementation Method 3
The main heat-dissipation path is through the metal coated on the bottom of the wafer, which facilitates the heat-dissipation by connecting with the metal frame
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor includes steps of (a) providing a semiconductor substrate having a front side and a back side, (b) adhering a back protection film on the back side, (c) cutting the semiconductor substrate to a set depth along a plurality of cutting paths from the front side to form a plurality of scribing lines and separate a plurality of dies by the scribing lines, (d) adhering a front protection film on the front side, (e) removing the back protection film, (f) grinding the semiconductor substrate from the back side until a remaining thickness of the semiconductor substrate equals to the set depth to expose the dies and the scribing lines, and (g) performing an evaporation to the semiconductor substrate to attach a plurality of metal particles to the dies. Therefore, the efficiency of heat-dissipation is effectively enhanced because of the distribution of the metal particles.