Patent ID: 9029242
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
Classification: B23K,H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of dicing a substrate comprising a front surface having a plurality of ICs thereon and having a back surface opposite the front surface, the method comprising: receiving the substrate with an unpatterned mask on the front surface of the substrate, the unpatterned mask covering and protecting the ICs and a thin film IC stack; ablating with a laser a predetermined pattern of trenches into the mask, into the thin film IC stack and partially into but not through the substrate, the laser having a beam with a centrally peaked spatial power profile, each of the trenches having a first kerf at an interface of the thin film IC stack and substrate; and plasma etching through the trenches in the substrate to form corresponding trench extensions and to singulate the ICs, each of the corresponding trench extensions having the first kerf.