Patent ID: 8809120
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: B23K,H01L

Abstract:
1. A method of dicing a semiconductor wafer, the method comprising: forming a layer stack on a first main surface of a substrate, the layer stack comprising a final passivation layer and a metal region at an intended lateral dicing location, wherein no seal ring is provided between adjacent chips of the semiconductor wafer; forming a photoresist layer on the final passivation layer; performing a photolithographic process to selectively remove the photoresist layer at a location that is substantially aligned to the metal region; etching the final passivation layer at the location that is substantially aligned to the metal region due to the photolithographic process; etching the metal region of the layer stack to expose the first main surface of the substrate at the intended lateral dicing location; etching the substrate through an opening in the layer stack obtained during the etching of the metal region to obtain a trench structure in the substrate; irradiating the substrate with a laser beam to locally modify the substrate between a bottom of the trench structure and a second main surface of the substrate opposite to the first main surface; and singulating individual chips.