JPH08102453A - Manufacture of semiconductor element and structure of wafer dicing part - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To make it possible to inhibit not only the generation of large cracks but also the generation of small cracks on a wafer by a method wherein members with a hardness smaller than that of a passivation film on semiconductor element main bodies are provided along dicing parts on the side of the surface, which are formed with the semiconductor element main bodies, of the wafer and after that, the wafer is diced into the semiconductor element main bodies. CONSTITUTION: A wafer 1 is diced between semiconductor light-emitting elements 2 by a high-speed rotation diamond blade and is split into a plurality of the semiconductor light-emitting elements 2 by the dicing. Members 10 with a hardness smaller than that of a passivation film 9 on the side of the surface of the wafer 1 are provided along dicing parts on the passivation film 9. When the wafer 1 is diced, vibrations, which are generated on a substrate 4, are absorbed by the metal members 10 and the generation of cracks on the substrate 4 can be inhibited. Thereby, the elements 2 are prevented from being produced as a defective by the crack and the dimensional accuracy of the elements 2 can be prevented from being reduced by the crack.

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 having a step of dividing a wafer into a plurality of semiconductor devices by dicing, and a dicing structure of the wafer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a single wafer is divided into a plurality of semiconductor elements by dicing, it is necessary to prevent chipping of the semiconductor elements. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, each semiconductor element 1 formed on the wafer 101
The passivation film 104 of No. 03 is removed by etching along the dicing portion to form the groove-shaped dicing line 105. When the wafer 101 is diced along the dicing line 105, the passivation film 10 is diced as shown in (1) of FIG.
A chip 106 is generated in the area where 4 is removed, but the elongation of the chip is blocked at the edge 105 ′ of the dicing line 105. This is because chipping occurs during dicing because vibration is generated by cutting the substrate 102 such as silicon (Si) having a high hardness that constitutes the wafer 101 so as to cut, and the vibration acts as a shock. It is considered that, due to the stress generated as a result, the presence of the passivation film 104 of silicon nitride (SiN) or the like, which is different from the substrate 102, absorbs the vibration and prevents the elongation of the chip.

[0003]

However, the dicing line 105 does not have a sufficient effect of preventing the chipping, and as shown in FIG. 7B, the chipping 106 occurs beyond the dicing line 105. Semiconductor element 103
Was sometimes defective. In addition, the semiconductor element 103
In the case where the dimensional accuracy of No. 2 is strictly required and it is necessary to suppress not only a large chipping but also a small chipping, such a dicing line 105 cannot handle it.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device and a wafer dicing structure which can solve the above problems.

[0005]

The method of the present invention is a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which comprises a step of dividing a wafer into a plurality of semiconductor devices by dicing, and the semiconductor device body is formed on the front surface side of the wafer. It is characterized in that a member having a hardness smaller than that of the passivation film of the semiconductor element is provided along the dicing portion, and then the wafer is diced. It is preferable that the members provided along the dicing portion are simultaneously formed of the same metal material as the electrodes of the semiconductor element.

According to the present invention, in a wafer divided into a plurality of semiconductor elements by dicing, a member having a hardness smaller than that of the passivation film of the semiconductor element is formed in the dicing portion on the surface side of the wafer on which the semiconductor element body is formed. It is characterized in that it is provided along.

[0007]

According to the present invention, since a member having a hardness smaller than that of the passivation film of the semiconductor element is provided along the dicing portion on the front surface side of the wafer, the member constitutes a substrate forming the wafer. Vibration generated during dicing can be absorbed to suppress the occurrence of chipping.
As a result, it is possible to prevent each semiconductor element from being defective due to chipping, and it is also possible to prevent deterioration of dimensional accuracy due to chipping. Further, by simultaneously forming the members provided along the dicing portion with the same metal material as the electrodes of the semiconductor element, it is possible to prevent the number of manufacturing processes from increasing.

[0008]

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

The wafer 1 shown in FIG. 1 has one n-type Si.
It is manufactured by forming a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements 2 on a substrate. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, each semiconductor light emitting element 2 includes an n-type Si substrate 4 and a plurality of LEDs (semiconductor element body) 5 formed on the front surface side of the wafer 1.
An individual electrode 6 connected to each LED 5 and its substrate 4
It has a common electrode 7 connected to the back surface 4b thereof and a passivation film 9 covering each LED 5 and the surface 4a of the substrate 4, and is used as, for example, a light source for exposure of a photosensitive drum of a page printer.

In each LED 5, a semiconductor crystal is grown on the surface 4a of the substrate 4 by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) or the like, and the growth layer is etched leaving a portion to become the LED 5. It can be formed. For example, gallium arsenide (GaAs),
Gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP), gallium phosphide (Ga)
Buffer layer 5a which is a growth layer of P) and the like, and n-type semiconductor layer 5b, p-type semiconductor layer 5c and p ^{+ -type} semiconductor layer 5 which are growth layers of aluminum gallium arsenide (AlGaAs).
and d. The passivation film 9 is formed by growing silicon nitride (SiN _x ) or silicon oxide (SiO ₂ ) formed by plasma CVD or the like. Each individual electrode 6 is connected to the p ⁺ type semiconductor layer 5d after exposing the p ⁺ type semiconductor layer 5d by removing a part of the passivation film 9 by etching to form an opening 9a. It is formed by growing a metal layer by vapor deposition and patterning it. As the material of the individual electrode 6, for example, gold (Au) that makes ohmic contact with the p ⁺ type semiconductor layer 5d is used. Each common electrode 7
Is formed by covering the back surface 4b of the substrate 4 with a metal layer grown by vapor deposition. As a material of the common electrode 7, a three-layer metal material of, for example, chromium-antimony-gold (Cr-Sb-Au) that makes ohmic contact with the substrate 4 is used.

The wafer 1 is diced between the semiconductor light emitting elements 2 by a diamond blade that rotates at a high speed, and divided into a plurality of semiconductor light emitting elements 2 by the dicing. On the passivation film 9 on the front surface side of the wafer 1, a member 10 having a hardness lower than that of the passivation film 9 is provided along the dicing portion. The member 10 provided along the dicing part is
It is formed by growing a metal layer by vapor deposition and patterning the same, and its material is the same as that of each individual electrode 6, and its formation is performed simultaneously with vapor deposition and patterning of the metal layer for forming each individual electrode 6. It

FIG. 4 shows the divided semiconductor light emitting device 2
The edge 2'of the dicing part is shown, and the occurrence of chipping is suppressed as compared with the conventional case.

According to the above structure, since the metal member 10 having a hardness smaller than that of the passivation film 9 of each semiconductor light emitting element 2 is provided along the dicing portion on the front surface side of the wafer 1, the metal member 10 allows the wafer to be formed. It is possible to absorb the vibration generated in the substrate 4 when dicing 1 and suppress the occurrence of chipping. As a result, it is possible to prevent each semiconductor light emitting element 2 from being defective due to chipping, and it is also possible to prevent deterioration in dimensional accuracy due to chipping. Further, the metal member 10 provided along the dicing part is attached to each LED.
By simultaneously forming the individual electrodes 6 connected to 5 with the same metal material, it is possible to prevent the number of manufacturing processes from increasing.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, as shown in the modified example of FIG. 5, when the passivation film 9 is removed by etching to form the opening 9a exposing the p ⁺ type semiconductor layer 5d, at the same time, the groove 11 is etched along the dicing portion. The member 10 having a hardness smaller than that of the passivation film may be provided in the groove 11 formed. Further, the members provided along the dicing portion are not particularly limited to Au except those which are fluid as long as the hardness is smaller than that of the passivation film, and for example, silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti), etc. May be used, and need not be metal, and may be resin, for example. The material of the substrate is not particularly limited to Si as long as it has a hardness higher than that of the member provided along the dicing portion, and may be GaAs, GaP, alumina (Al ₂ O ₃ ) or the like. Further, the present invention can be applied to any semiconductor device built into the substrate, and is not limited to the semiconductor light emitting device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wafer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged plan view of the wafer.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged sectional view of the wafer.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view showing a state of a cut end of a dicing portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a wafer according to a modified example of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partially enlarged sectional view of a conventional wafer.

7A and 7B are enlarged plan views showing a state of a cut, and FIG. 7B is an enlarged plan view showing a state where a chip is generated.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Wafer 2 Semiconductor Light-Emitting Element 4 Substrate 5 LED (Semiconductor Element Main Body) 6 Individual Electrode 9 Passivation Film

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor element, which comprises a step of dividing a wafer into a plurality of semiconductor elements by dicing, wherein a hardness of a semiconductor element main body formed on the surface of the wafer is higher than that of a passivation film of the semiconductor element. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that a small member is provided along a dicing portion, and then the wafer is diced. 2. The method of manufacturing a semiconductor element according to claim 2, wherein the members provided along the dicing portion are simultaneously formed of the same metal material as the electrodes of the semiconductor element. 3. In a wafer divided into a plurality of semiconductor elements by dicing, a member having a hardness smaller than that of a passivation film of the semiconductor element is provided along a dicing portion on the surface side of the wafer on which the semiconductor element body is formed. A wafer dicing unit structure characterized by being provided.