Patent ID: 9349648
Filing Date: 2016-05-24
CPC Classification: B23K,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer comprising a plurality of integrated circuits, the method comprising: forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask comprising a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits; patterning the mask with a top hat laser beam profile laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits, wherein the top hat laser beam profile laser scribing process comprises scribing with a laser beam having a rectangular shaped two-dimensional top hat beam, wherein scribing with the laser beam having the rectangular shaped two-dimensional top hat beam comprises shaping a Gaussian-shaped beam into the rectangular shaped two-dimensional top hat beam; subsequent to patterning the mask with the top hat laser beam profile laser scribing process, cleaning the exposed regions of the semiconductor wafer with a plasma process; and subsequent to cleaning the exposed regions of the semiconductor wafer with the plasma process, plasma etching the semiconductor wafer through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.