Patent ID: 6465329
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for protecting an array of sensitive microcircuits on the front face of a semiconductor wager from contamination during sawing, comprising:forming a sealed, protective dome over each of the microcircuits on the front face of the wafer without contacting any portion of the respective microcircuits, wherein forming a sealed, protective dome over each of the microcircuits comprises selecting a first sheet having upper and lower surfaces and an area sufficient to cover all of the microcircuits on the wafer, forming a pattern of productive domes into the first sheet through the lower surface thereof, the pattern corresponding to the array of microcircuits on the wafer, each of the domes having a height greater than the maximum height of any microcircuit feature extending upward from the face of the wafer, and a periphery at least as great as the periphery of a corresponding one of the microcircuits, and adhering the lower surface of the first sheet to the face of the wafer such that each microcircuit on the wafer is individually covered by and protectively sealed within a corresponding one of the protective domes; trimming at least one edge of the first sheet such that, when the first sheet is adhered to the wafer, at least one end of at least one set of saw-alignment scribe line on the face of the wafer is exposed at that edge of the first sheet; and sawing through the wafer and between the domes from the front face of the wafer to singulate the microcircuits, while leaving, the protective dome over each microcircuit.