JPH0677318A - Manufacture of semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the separation of semiconductor chips without causing damage in the vicinity of the semiconductor chips, or the semiconductor chips themselves, by forming V-shaped trenches in the areas to be scribed on a semiconductor substrate on which a number of semiconductor chips are formed by means of selective etching, and separating the semiconductor chips by scribing the inside of the trenches. CONSTITUTION:A resist pattern 7 is formed for protecting the surfaces of chips 2 on a substrate 1 while areas 3 to be scribed of the resist pattern are partially opened. V-shaped trenches 4 are formed by subjecting the substrate 1 having resist openings 8 to wet etching in which etching is obliquely carried out. The substrate on which the etched trenches 4 are made is thinned layer by polishing the rear surface thereof, whereby the chips are finished. Scribing areas are formed by scribing the bottoms of the etching trenches 4 in the areas 3 to be scribed, and thereafter the chips are separated. Thereby, the separation of the chips can be assured without causing damage in the vicinity of the chips, or the chips themselves.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method of dividing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of elements formed into elements.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a method for separating elements formed on a compound semiconductor substrate, the substrate is inscribed by a hard crystal needle such as a diamond scriber, and then stress is applied to separate the inscribed portions, or a blade dicer is used. There is known a method of directly cutting the substrate.

As an example of a conventional element isolation technique,
A device isolation process for manufacturing a GaAs semiconductor device will be described. FIGS. 2A and 2B show a separation process in which a semiconductor element formed on a GaAs substrate is performed using a diamond scriber.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the GaAs substrate 11
Planned scribe area 13 formed at the same time as element 12
Then, 19 parts of scribing are provided from the surface of the substrate 11 with a diamond scriber 15.

Next, as shown in FIG. 2B, in order to partially apply stress to the scribed portion 19 of the substrate 11 from the front surface or the back surface, for example, tweezers 16 or a roller is pressed to complete the process.

[0006]

In the above, if the thickness of the substrate 11 is as large as 100 μm or more and there is a non-uniform portion in the plane, the diamond scriber 15 cannot apply a constant pressure scribing. However, even if stress is applied later, there is a problem such that the element cannot be separated, or the peripheral portion of the element is chipped as shown in FIG. There is a cutting method using a blade dicer as a method for surely separating the elements, but this causes more damage to the element periphery than the scribe method described in the former, and it adversely affects the element itself depending on the cleavage of the substrate. There was such a problem.

In view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to facilitate element isolation and improve element quality.

[0008]

A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to the present invention comprises a step of forming a V-shaped groove by selective etching in a planned scribe area of a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of semiconductor elements are formed, and the groove. And a step of performing elemental isolation by performing scribing inside.

[0009]

In the separation of a plurality of elements formed on the semiconductor substrate, the separation can be reliably achieved without damaging the peripheral portion of the element and the element itself. Further, since the shape of the element is improved, the element is less damaged even in the assembly process of handling the element alone.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

1A to 1D are sectional views showing an embodiment of the present invention in the order of steps. FIG. 1A shows a compound semiconductor substrate,
For example, a state in which the element forming surface process of the GaAs semiconductor substrate is completed is shown, the surface of the element 2 of the substrate 1 is protected, and a part of the planned scribe area 3 is opened, for example, a resist pattern 7 is formed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, a V-shaped groove 4 is formed by wet etching with a phosphoric acid-based etchant which can obliquely etch the substrate 1 in the resist opening 8. Here, the depth of the etching groove 4 until it becomes V-shaped depends on the size of the resist opening portion 8, and G
When the aAs semiconductor substrate (100) is used, approximately 1/2 of the resist opening size corresponds to the depth of the etching groove. For example, if the resist opening 8 is 30 to 40 μm, the depth of the etching groove 4 is about 15 to 20 μm.

As shown in FIG. 1 (c), the substrate is thinned by polishing in the same manner as in the prior art on the back surface of the substrate on which the etching groove 4 has been formed, to complete the element. At this time, the substrate 1 may be cracked by a mechanical shock that may occur during polishing, but since the impact force concentrates on the V-shaped groove bottom 4 formed in the planned scribe area 3, the element itself is not damaged. .

Next, as shown in FIG. 1 (d), a diamond scriber 5 is used to scribing on the bottom of the etching groove 4 in the planned scribing area 3 to provide a scribing portion 9, and then the elements are separated in the same manner as in the prior art.

According to this method, even if the thickness of the substrate is a little uneven in the surface and the pressure of the diamond scriber 5 is not constant, the etching groove can surely separate the scribed region.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, since the peripheral portion of the upper portion of the element is separated into an inclined state, chipping of the substrate and damage to the element itself due to subsequent handling can be extremely reduced.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the isolation of the element formed on the compound semiconductor substrate, the isolation can be surely achieved without damaging the peripheral portion of the element and the element itself.

Also, in the case of an assembly process in which the element is handled alone, damage to the element, for example, the fact that the upper part of the element is chipped due to tweezers or the like is reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

1A to 1D are cross-sectional views each showing a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention in process order.

2A and 2B are cross-sectional views each showing a method of manufacturing a conventional semiconductor device in the order of steps.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the external appearance of an element separated by the method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the external appearance of an element separated by a conventional method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, 11 Semiconductor substrate 2, 12 Semiconductor conductor 3, 13 Scheduled scribe area 4 Etching groove 5, 15 Scriber 7 Resist pattern 8 Resist opening 9 and 19 Scribing

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A semiconductor device comprising: a step of forming a V-shaped groove by selective etching in a planned scribe area of a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of semiconductor elements are formed; and a step of performing element separation by scribing in the groove. Manufacturing method.