The main objective of this study was to establish which of the many dicing tapes used in the semiconductor industry, would be most suitable for use in plasma dicing. Tape design over the past 40 years has continually evolved through advancements in both dicing technologies and the incessant revision of integrated circuit packaging. Die singulation has traditionally been accomplished using a diamond saw, laser-based technology or combinations of both. The stress on dicing tape was therefore limited to fatigue through the physical nature of saw dicing or heat energies induced during laser dicing. These processes do not expose dicing tape to either high vacuum or a variety of plasma chemistry. This investigative work is a continuation of studies examining dicing tape behavior when employed for use in plasma dicing. Results show that Polyolefin (PO) UV-tape with low to medium adhesion strength exhibit the greatest resilience in harsh plasma etch conditions and that efficient photoinitiated cross-linking (or curing) of the adhesive is triggered if directly exposed to the photonic energies present in a pure SF6 plasma or full plasma dicing process. However, the post plasma dice, post UV cure adhesive strength can still be minimized if the tape manufacturers recommended time limitations between tape mount, plasma dice and the die pick-up process are adhered to.
This thesis describes an investigation of the suitability of standard semiconductor dicing tape when used in plasma dicing applications. The traditional methods of dividing a fully processed semiconductor wafer into individual integrated circuits are cleaving, sawing or laser based. These are all physical techniques and tape properties have been developed to ensure optimum performance for these processes. Conversely, plasma dicing is less physical as the material between each device is eliminated at the atomic level using a gentle chemical process. The properties of standard dicing tapes have been designed to withstand the rigors of the well-established device singulation techniques. However, they have not been fully investigated when exposed to a high vacuum plasma environment. The aim of this program of work was to characterise the performance of dicing tape when subjected to conditions unique to those in a plasma dicing reactor. Results have helped in providing more accurate tape recommendations to semiconductor IC fabrication companies but with the involvement of several major dicing tape manufacturers, have also served as the insight and motivation to support further development of dicing tape for use in plasma dicing throughout the industry.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.