Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for dicing substrates by both laser scribing and plasma etching. A method includes laser ablating material layers, the ablating by a laser beam with a centrally peaked spatial power profile to form an ablated trench in the substrate below thin film device layers which is positively sloped. In an embodiment, a femtosecond laser forms a positively sloped ablation profile which facilitates vertically-oriented propagation of microcracks in the substrate at the ablated trench bottom. With minimal lateral runout of microcracks, a subsequent anisotropic plasma etch removes the microcracks for a cleanly singulated chip with good reliability.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0001]    Embodiments of the present invention pertain to the field of semiconductor processing and, in particular, to methods for dicing substrates, each substrate having an integrated circuit (IC) thereon. 
       BACKGROUND DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART 
       [0002]    In semiconductor substrate processing, ICs are formed on a substrate (also referred to as a wafer), typically composed of silicon or other semiconductor material. In general, thin film layers of various materials which are either semiconducting, conducting or insulating are utilized to form the ICs. These materials are doped, deposited and etched using various well-known processes to simultaneously form a plurality of ICs, such as memory devices, logic devices, photovoltaic devices, etc, in parallel on a same substrate. 
         [0003]    Following device formation, the substrate is mounted on a supporting member such as an adhesive film stretched across a film frame and the substrate is “diced” to separate each individual device or “die” from one another for packaging, etc. Currently, the two most popular dicing techniques are scribing and sawing. For scribing, a diamond tipped scribe is moved across a substrate surface along pre-formed scribe lines. Upon the application of pressure, such as with a roller, the substrate separates along the scribe lines. For sawing, a diamond tipped saw cuts the substrate along the streets. For thin substrate singulation, such as &lt;150 μms (μm) thick bulk silicon singulation, the conventional approaches have yielded only poor process quality. Some of the challenges that may be faced when singulating die from thin substrates may include microcrack formation or delamination between different layers, chipping of inorganic dielectric layers, retention of strict kerf width control, or precise ablation depth control. 
         [0004]    While plasma dicing has also been contemplated, a standard lithography operation for patterning resist may render implementation cost prohibitive. Another limitation possibly hampering implementation of plasma dicing is that plasma processing of commonly encountered interconnect metals (e.g., copper) in dicing along streets can create production issues or throughput limits. For example microcracks formed during the laser scribing process may remain following a plasma etch. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    Embodiments of the present invention include methods of laser scribing substrates. In the exemplary embodiment, the laser scribing is implemented with a laser beam having a centrally peaked spatial power profile to form a sloped ablated sidewall in a substrate. 
         [0006]    In an embodiment, a method of dicing a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of ICs includes receiving a masked semiconductor substrate, the mask covering and protecting ICs on the substrate. The masked substrate is ablated along streets between the ICs with a laser beam having a centrally peaked spatial power profile. In one embodiment, a center portion of the mask thickness and a thin film device thickness in the street is ablated through to provide a patterned mask with a positively sloped profile. A portion of the substrate ablated by the laser also has a positively sloped profile along a plane substantially perpendicular to the direction of laser travel. Sloped sidewall of the substrate are etched with an anisotropic deep trench etch process to singulate the dice and remove microcracks in the substrate generated during laser scribe. 
         [0007]    In another embodiment, a system for dicing a semiconductor substrate includes a laser scribe module and a plasma etch chamber, integrated onto a same platform. The laser scribe module is to ablate material with a laser beam having a centrally peaked spatial power profile and the plasma chamber is to etch through the substrate and singulate the IC chips in a manner which removes microcracks in the substrate generated by the laser ablation. The laser scribe module may include a beam shaper to provide the centrally peaked spatial power profile. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, and not limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1A  is a graph illustrating a top hat laser beam spatial profile; 
           [0010]      FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of a trench ablated in a substrate with a laser beam having the spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 1A ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  is a graph illustrating a laser beam with a centrally peaked spatial profile, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0012]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a trench ablated in a substrate with a laser beam having the spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 2A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2C  is a cross-sectional view of an anisotropically etched trench in a substrate which had been ablated by a laser beam having the spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 2A ; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3A  is a flow diagram of a hybrid laser scribing plasma etch dicing process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 3B  is a flow diagram of a mask application method which may be practiced as part of the hybrid laser scribing plasma etch dicing process illustrated in  FIG. 3A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0016]      FIG. 4A  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a substrate including a plurality of ICs corresponding to operation  301  of the dicing method illustrated in  FIG. 3 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0017]      FIG. 4B  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a substrate including a plurality of ICs corresponding to operation  325  of the dicing method illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0018]      FIG. 4C  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a substrate including a plurality of ICs corresponding to operation  330  of the dicing method illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0019]      FIG. 4D  illustrates a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of ICs corresponding to operation  340  of the dicing method illustrated in  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  illustrates an expanded cross-sectional view of an mask and thin film device layer stack ablated by a laser and plasma etched, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
           [0021]      FIG. 6A  illustrates a block diagram of an integrated platform layout for laser and plasma dicing of substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0022]      FIG. 6B  illustrates a block diagram of a laser scribing module for laser scribing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and 
           [0023]      FIG. 7  illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system which controls automated performance of one or more operation in the laser scribing methods described herein, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0024]    Methods of dicing substrates, each substrate having a plurality of ICs thereon, are described. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth, such as femtosecond laser scribing and deep silicon plasma etching conditions in order to describe exemplary embodiments of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known aspects, such as IC fabrication, substrate thinning, taping, etc., are not described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring embodiments of the present invention. Reference throughout this specification to “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Thus, the appearances of the phrase “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Also, it is to be understood that the various exemplary embodiments shown in the Figures are merely illustrative representations and are not necessarily drawn to scale. 
         [0025]    The terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used herein to describe structural relationships between components. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” my be used to indicate that two or more elements are in either direct or indirect (with other intervening elements between them) physical or electrical contact with each other, and/or that the two or more elements co-operate or interact with each other (e.g., as in a cause an effect relationship). 
         [0026]    The terms “over,” “under,” “between,” and “on” as used herein refer to a relative position of one material layer with respect to other material layers. As such, for example, one layer disposed over or under another layer may be directly in contact with the other layer or may have one or more intervening layers. Moreover, one layer disposed between two layers may be directly in contact with the two layers or may have one or more intervening layers. In contrast, a first layer “on” a second layer is in contact with that second layer. Additionally, the relative position of one layer with respect to other layers is provided assuming operations are performed relative to a substrate without consideration of the absolute orientation of the substrate. 
         [0027]    Generally, described herein is a laser scribe process employing a laser having a beam with a centrally peaked and sloped spatial power profile to ablate a predetermined path through an unpatterned (i.e., blanket) mask layer, a passivation layer, and subsurface thin film device layers. The laser scribe process may then be terminated upon exposure of, or partial ablation of, the substrate. Any ablation of the substrate by the peaked beam profile will tend to advantageously form positively sloped substrate sidewalls. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the peaked spatial profile is provided in a femtosecond laser. Femtosecond laser scribing is an essentially, if not completely, non-equilibrium process. For example, the femtosecond-based laser scribing may be localized with a negligible thermal damage zone. In an embodiment, femtosecond laser scribing is used to singulate ICs having ultra-low κ films (i.e., with a dielectric constant below 3.0). In one embodiment, direct writing with a laser eliminates a lithography patterning operation, allowing the masking material to be something other than a photo resist as is used in photolithography. In the exemplary hybrid dicing embodiment, the laser scribing process is followed by a plasma etch through the bulk of the substrate which removes most or all of microcracks in the substrate generated by the laser ablation. In one such embodiment, a substantially anisotropic etching is used to complete the dicing process in a plasma etch chamber; the anisotropic etch achieving a high directionality into the substrate by depositing on sidewalls of the etched trench an etch polymer. 
         [0028]      FIG. 1A  is a graph illustrating a top hat laser beam spatial profile  100  which provides a substantially flat power level (P) across a beam width W 1  along at least the direction x, which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of laser beam travel relative to the substrate. The top hat beam spatial profile  100  is typically the same in the direction y (direction of laser beam travel relative to a substrate) for a symmetrical spatial profile. To generate the top hat beam spatial profile  100 , conventional diffractive optical elements and shaping techniques may be applied to truncate power in the tails in regions below x 0  and above x 1  for a TM mode laser source having a substantially Gaussian profile so that there is effectively a uniform energy density. 
         [0029]      FIG. 1B  is a cross-sectional view of a trench ablated in a substrate  106  with a laser beam having the spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 1A . As shown, the ablated trench  112  has a nominal kerf width KW 1  at a substrate top surface  117  which is a function of the beam width W 1 . The uniform energy density of the laser beam profile  100  renders the kerf width KW 1  substantially constant with/independent of trench depth such that the trench bottom  119  also has an effective nominal kerf width of KW 1 . It has been found that ablating the trench  112  also generates a number of microcracks in the substrate  106  (e.g., single crystalline silicon substrate) below the trench bottom  119  and emanating from the trench sidewalls. Though not bound by theory, it is currently thought such microcrack formation results from substrate heating during the ablation process. As shown in  FIG. 1B , microcracks may be further classified as vertically propagating cracks  108  or laterally propagating cracks  109 . Vertically propagating cracks  108  tend to emanate from the trench bottom  119  in a direction substantially parallel with the trench sidewalls  118  while horizontally propagating cracks  109  emanate from the sidewalls  118  or trench bottom  119  in a direction non-parallel with the trench sidewalls  118 . For the hybrid scribing methods described herein, where a plasma etch subsequent to the laser ablation of trench  112  will advance the trench bottom  119  through the substrate with anisotropic etch, the vertically propagating cracks  108  will be eliminated. Horizontally propagating cracks  109  however pose a risk of surviving an anisotropic etch process which does not significantly etch the trench sidewall  118 . Because the trench  112  may be just below a device thin film layer  104 , horizontally propagating cracks  109  which survive the singulation process pose a risk of continuing to run out laterally (non-parallel to the sidewall  118 ) and adversely affect product die adjacent to the trench  112 . 
         [0030]    While it has been found by the inventor and his associates that a femtosecond laser advantageously reduces the occurrence of all microcracks in the substrate, the inventor has further found that of the fewer remaining microcracks the ratio of vertically oriented microcracks to horizontally oriented microcracks can be increased significantly when a centrally peaked spatial power profile is employed  FIG. 2A  is a graph illustrating the femtosecond laser beam has a centrally peaked spatial profile rather than the top-hat profile  100 . It should be noted that this phenomena has been found in testing performed with a femtosecond laser, and therefore although it is currently thought that the effect may be generalized to lasers of greater pulse widths (e.g., picosecond lasers), this remains unconfirmed. 
         [0031]      FIG. 2A  is a graph illustrating a laser beam with a centrally peaked spatial profile  200 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The centrally peaked spatial profile  200  provides a varying power level (P) across a beam width W 2  (as measured in a manner consistent with that for W 1 ) along at least the direction x, which is in a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction of laser beam travel relative to the substrate. The centrally peaked spatial profile  200  may further be the same in the direction y (direction of laser beam travel relative to a substrate) for a symmetrical spatial profile. Generally, the laser beam profile may be any which has a non-uniform energy density with a peak power approximately centered within the beam width W 2  (i.e., approximately centered between x 0  and x 1 ). In one embodiment, the centrally peaked spatial profile  200  is a Gaussian profile, for example of a TM mode source. In a further embodiment, the centrally peaked spatial profile  200  is nearly a Gaussian profile with the profile function deviating by no more than 10% from the Gaussian function at any point along the x-axis across the beam width W 2  (e.g., between x 0  and x 1 ). In alternative embodiments, conventional diffractive optical elements and shaping techniques may be applied to modulate the slope of laser power from a TM mode laser source as a function of x between x 0  and above x 1  to increase or decrease a delta between a peak power P((x 1 −x 0 )/2) relative to power at the beam edge P(x 0 ); P(x 1 ) relative to a Gaussian profile. 
         [0032]      FIG. 2B  is a cross-sectional view of a trench ablated in a substrate with a laser beam having the non-uniform spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 2A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the ablated trench has a substrate sidewall  213  with a positive slope. More specifically, at a region adjacent to an interface between a substrate  206  and an overlying thin film device layer  204 , the laser ablated trench  212  has a first kerf width KW 1  while at a region below the interface, the ablated trench  212  has a second kerf width KW 2  which is smaller than the first kerf width KW 1 . The second kerf width KW 2  may be measured anywhere below a top surface of the substrate  206  or interface with the thin film device layer  204  (i.e., just below the surface or at the bottom of the ablated trench). In one such embodiment, the second kerf width KW 2  is less than 75% of the first kerf width KW 1 . In another embodiment, the second kerf width KW 2  is less than 50% of the first kerf width KW 1 . 
         [0033]    In embodiments, the laser beam spatial profile is such that the power (P) at the peak of the spatial power profile is sufficient to expose the substrate and the power at the full width quarter maximum (FWQM) is insufficient to expose the substrate. As further shown in  FIG. 2A , the FWQM line is below a threshold power T 1  required to ablated through the mask  202  thickness and thin film device stack  204  thickness to expose the substrate  206 . As such, the first kerf width KW 1  is a function of the beam width W 2  exceeding that threshold power T 1  with regions outside of W 2  ablating less than the entire thickness of the mask  202  and thin film device stack  204 . In the exemplary embodiment having a Gaussian profile which extends beyond W 2 , the sidewalls of both the thin film device stack  204  and mask  202  are also positively sloped such that the ablated trench  212  has a third kerf width KW 3  in a region adjacent to the mask  202  that is larger than the first kerf width KW 1 . For alternative embodiments, the positive slope of the mask  202  and/or thin film device stack  204  is reduced or made substantially vertical by truncating the tails of the centrally peaked profile  200  beyond x 0  and x 1  using known techniques. 
         [0034]    For certain beam embodiments employing the centrally peaked spatial profile  200 , and more particularly those of a femtosecond laser, a greater percentage of microcracks generated in the substrate  208  may be vertically propagating microcracks  208  and as further illustrated in  FIGS. 2B and 2C , the positive slope of the sidewall  213  also leaves more of the substrate material lining the ablated trench  212  (which may have microcracks) exposed to the subsequent plasma etch so that microcracks (vertically propagating or otherwise) may be removed as part of the singulation process. 
         [0035]      FIG. 2C  is a cross-sectional view of an anisotropically etched trench  413  in the substrate  206  which had been ablated by a laser beam having the spatial profile illustrated in  FIG. 2A . For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 2C  by dashed lines, mirocracks (e.g., vertically oriented microcracks  208 ) are consumed as the etch front passes through the thickness of the substrate  206 . In the exemplary embodiment where the etched trench has a further kerf width KW 4 , the sloped ablated trench sidewalls  213  are consumed as the etch front generates substantially vertical sidewalls  217  extending through the substrate  206 . For the exemplary embodiment where the thin film device stack  204  masks the plasma etch process responsible for the etched trench  213 , the etched trench  213  has a fourth kerf width KW 4  which is approximately equal (i.e., +/−10%) to the first kerf width KW 1  and therefore greater than the second kerf width KW 2 . 
         [0036]      FIG. 3A  is a flow diagram illustrating a hybrid laser ablation-plasma etch singulation method  300  employing iterative laser scribing, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.  FIGS. 4A-4D  illustrate cross-sectional views of a substrate  406  including first and second ICs  425 ,  426  corresponding to the operations in method  300 , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0037]    Referring to operation  301  of  FIG. 1 , and corresponding  FIG. 4A , a substrate  406  is received. The substrate  406  includes a mask  402  covering a thin film device layer stack  401  comprising a plurality of distinct materials found both in the ICs  425 ,  426  and intervening street  427  between the ICs  425 ,  426 . Generally, the substrate  406  is composed of any material suitable to withstand a fabrication process of the thin film device layers formed thereon. For example, in one embodiment, substrate  406  is a group IV-based material such as, but not limited to, monocrystalline silicon, germanium or silicon/germanium. In another embodiment, substrate  406  is a III-V material such as, e.g., a III-V material substrate used in the fabrication of light emitting diodes (LEDs). During device fabrication, the substrate  406  is typically 600 μm-800 μm thick, but as illustrated in  FIG. 4A  may have been thinned to less than 100 μm and sometimes less than 50 μm with the thinned substrate now supported by a carrier  411 , such as a backing tape  410  stretched across a support structure of a dicing frame (not illustrated) and adhered to a backside of the substrate with a die attach film (DAF)  408 . 
         [0038]    In embodiments, first and second ICs  425 ,  426  include memory devices or complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors fabricated in a silicon substrate  406  and encased in a dielectric stack. A plurality of metal interconnects may be formed above the devices or transistors, and in surrounding dielectric layers, and may be used to electrically couple the devices or transistors to form the ICs  425 ,  426 . Materials making up the street  427  may be similar to or the same as those materials used to form the ICs  425 ,  426 . For example, street  427  may include thin film layers of dielectric materials, semiconductor materials, and metallization. In one embodiment, the street  427  includes a test device similar to the ICs  425 ,  426 . The width of the street  427  may be anywhere between 10 μm and 200 μm, measured at the thin film device layer stack/substrate interface. 
         [0039]    In embodiments, the mask  402  may be one or more material layers including any of a plasma deposited polymer (e.g., C x F y ), a water soluble material (e.g., poly(vinyl alcohol)), a photoresist, or similar polymeric material which may be removed without damage to an underlying passivation layer, which is often polyimide (PI) and/or bumps, which are often copper. The mask  402  is to be of sufficient thickness to survive a plasma etch process (though it may be very nearly consumed) and thereby protect the copper bumps which may be damaged, oxidized, or otherwise contaminated if exposed to the substrate etching plasma. 
         [0040]      FIG. 5  illustrates an expanded cross-sectional view  500  of a bi-layer mask including a mask layer  402 B (e.g., C x F y  polymer) applied over a mask layer  402 A (e.g., a water soluble material) in contact with a top surface of the IC  426  and the street  427 , in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 5 , the substrate  406  has a top surface  503  upon which thin film device layers are disposed which is opposite a bottom surface  502  which interfaces with the DAF  408  ( FIG. 4A ). Generally, the thin film device layer materials may include, but are not limited to, organic materials (e.g., polymers), metals, or inorganic dielectrics such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. The exemplary thin film device layers illustrated in  FIG. 5  include a silicon dioxide layer  504 , a silicon nitride layer  505 , copper interconnect layers  508  with low-κ (e.g., less than 3.5) or ultra low-κ (e.g., less than 3.0) interlayer dielectric layers (ILD) such as carbon doped oxide (CDO) disposed there between. A top surface of the IC  426  includes a bump  512 , typically copper, surrounded by a passivation layer  511 , typically a polyimide (PI) or similar polymer. The bump  512  and passivation layer  511  therefore make up a top surface of the IC with the thin film device layers forming subsurface IC layers. The bump  512  extends from a top surface of the passivation layer  511  by a bump height H B  which in the exemplary embodiments ranges between 10 μm and 50 μm. One or more layers of the mask may not completely cover a top surface of the bump  512 , as long as at least one mask layer is covering the bump  512  for protection during substrate plasma etch. 
         [0041]    Referring back to  FIG. 3A , in certain embodiments the mask  402  may be applied as part of the method  300 , for example where an integrated processing platform includes a module for applying the mask  402 .  FIG. 3B  is a flow diagram of one exemplary mask application method  350  which may be practiced as part of the hybrid laser scribing plasma etch dicing process illustrated in  FIG. 3A , in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. At operation  302 , a substrate is loaded onto a spin coat system or transferred into a spin coat module of an integrated platform. At operation  304  an aqueous solution of a water soluble polymer is spun over the passivation layer  511  and bump  512  ( FIG. 5 ). Experiments conducted with PVA solutions showed a non-planarized coverage of 50 μm bumps a T min  greater than 5 μm and a T max  at the street less than 20 μm. 
         [0042]    At operation  308  the aqueous solution is dried, for example on a hot plate, and the substrate unloaded for laser scribe or transferred in-vaccuo to a laser scribe module at operation  320  for completion of the method  300  ( FIG. 3A ). For particular embodiments where the water soluble layer is hygroscopic, in-vaccuo transfer is particularly advantageous. The spin and dispense parameters are a matter of choice depending on the material, substrate topography and desired layer thickness. The drying temperature and time should be selected to provide adequate etch resistance while avoiding excessive crosslinking which renders removal difficult. Exemplary drying temperatures range from 60° C. to 150° C. depending on the material. For example, PVA was found to remain soluble at 60° C. while becoming more insoluble as the temperature approached the 150° C. limit of the range. 
         [0043]    Returning to  FIG. 3A , at operation  325  a predetermined pattern is directly written into the mask  402  with ablation along a controlled path relative to the substrate  406 . As illustrated in corresponding  FIG. 4B , the mask  402  is patterned by laser radiation  411  having a centrally peak spatial profile to form the trench  414  extending through the mask thickness and through the thin film device layer stack  404  to expose the substrate  406 . The ablated trench  414  has the positively sloped sidewalls such that a portion of the trench adjacent to the top surface of the substrate  406  has a first kerf width KW 1  and the bottom of the trench extending below the top surface of the substrate  406  has a second kerf width KW 2 , as previously described herein. 
         [0044]    In an embodiment the laser radiation  412  entails beam with a pulse width (duration) in the femtosecond range (i.e., 10 −15  seconds). Laser parameter selection, such as pulse width, may be critical to developing a successful laser scribing and dicing process that minimizes chipping, microcracks and delamination in order to achieve clean laser scribe cuts. As previously noted, laser pulse width in the femtosecond range advantageously mitigates heat damage issues relative longer pulse widths (e.g., picosecond or nanosecond). Although not bound by theory, as currently understood a femtosecond energy source avoids low energy recoupling mechanisms present for picosecond sources and provides for greater thermal nonequilibrium than does a nanosecond or even picosecond source. With nanosecond or picoseconds laser sources, the various thin film device layer materials present in the street  427  behave quite differently in terms of optical absorption and ablation mechanisms. For example, dielectrics layers such as silicon dioxide, is essentially transparent to all commercially available laser wavelengths under normal conditions. By contrast, metals, organics (e.g., low-κ materials) and silicon can couple photons very easily, particularly nanosecond-based or picosecond-based laser irradiation. If non-optimal laser parameters are selected, in a stacked structures that involve two or more of an inorganic dielectric, an organic dielectric, a semiconductor, or a metal, laser irradiation of the street  427  may disadvantageously cause delamination. For example, a laser penetrating through high bandgap energy dielectrics (such as silicon dioxide with an approximately of 9 eV bandgap) without measurable absorption may be absorbed in an underlying metal or silicon layer, causing significant vaporization of the metal or silicon layers. The vaporization may generate high pressures potentially causing severe interlayer delamination and microcracking. Femtosecond-based laser irradiation processes have been demonstrated to avoid or mitigate such microcracking or delamination of such material stacks. 
         [0045]    In an embodiment, the laser source for operation  325  has a pulse repetition rate approximately in the range of 200 kHz to 10 MHz, although preferably approximately in the range of 500 kHz to 5 MHz. The laser emission generated at operation  201  may span any combination of the visible spectrum, the ultra-violet (UV), and/or infra-red (IR) spectrums for a broad or narrow band optical emission spectrum. Even for femtosecond laser ablation, certain wavelengths may provide better performance than others depending on the materials to be ablated. In a specific embodiment, a femtosecond laser suitable for semiconductor substrate or substrate scribing is based on a laser having a wavelength of approximately between 1570-200 nanometers, although preferably in the range of 540 nanometers to 250 nanometers. In a particular embodiment, pulse widths are less than or equal to 500 femtoseconds for a laser having a wavelength less than or equal to 540 nanometers. In an alternative embodiments, dual laser wavelengths (e.g., a combination of an IR laser and a UV laser) are used to generate the beam at operation  201 . In an embodiment, the laser source delivers pulse energy at the work surface approximately in the range of 0.5 μJ to 100 μJ, although preferably approximately in the range of 1 μJ to 5 μJ. 
         [0046]    At operation  325 , the spatially peaked beam is controlled to travel a predetermined path relative to the substrate to ablate a point on the mask  402 . In an embodiment, the laser scribing process runs along a work piece surface in the direction of travel at a speed approximately in the range of 500 mm/sec to 5 msec, although preferably approximately in the range of 600 mm/sec to 2 msec. At operation  220 , method  200  returns to  FIG. 1  for plasma etch of the exposed substrate. 
         [0047]    Returning to  FIGS. 3A and 4D , the substrate  406  is exposed to a plasma  416  to etch through the ablated trench  414  to singulate the ICs  426  at operation  330 . In the exemplary embodiment. In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, etching the substrate  406  at operation  330  includes anisotropically advancing the trench  414  formed with the laser scribing process entirely through substrate  406 , as depicted in  FIG. 4D . A high-density plasma source operating at high powers may be used for the plasma etching operation  330 . Exemplary powers range between 3 kW and 6 kW, or more. High powers provide advantageously high etch rates. For example, in a specific embodiment, the etch rate of the material of substrate  406  is greater than 25 μms per minute. 
         [0048]    In one embodiment, a deep silicon etch (e.g., such as a through silicon via etch) is used to etch a single crystalline silicon substrate or substrate  406  at an etch rate greater than approximately 40% of conventional silicon etch rates while maintaining essentially precise profile control and virtually scallop-free sidewalls. Effects of the high power on any water soluble material layer present in the mask  402  are controlled through application of cooling power via an electrostatic chuck (ESC) chilled to −10° C. to −15° C. to maintain the water soluble mask material layer at a temperature below 100° C. and preferably between 70° C. and 80° C. throughout the duration of the plasma etch process. At such temperatures, water solubility is advantageously maintained. 
         [0049]    In a specific embodiment, the plasma etch operation  330  further entails a plurality of protective polymer deposition cycles interleaved over time with a plurality of etch cycles. The duty cycle may vary with the exemplary duty cycle being approximately 1:1-1:2 (etch:dep). For example, the etch process may have a deposition cycle with a duration of 250 msec-750 msec and an etch cycle of 250 msec-750 msec. Between the deposition and etch cycles, an etching process chemistry, employing for example SF 6  for the exemplary silicon etch embodiment, is alternated with a deposition process chemistry employing a polymerizing fluorocarbon (C x F y ) gas such as, but not limited to, C 4 F 6  or C 4 F 8  or fluorinated hydrocarbon (CH x F y  with x&gt;=1), or XeF 2 . Process pressures may further be alternated between etch and deposition cycles to favor each in the particular cycle, as known in the art. 
         [0050]    At operation  340 , method  300  is completed with removal of the mask  402 . In an embodiment, a water soluble mask layer is washed off with water, for example with a pressurized jet of de-ionized water or through submergence in an ambient or heated water bath. In alternative embodiments, the mask  402  may be washed off with aqueous solvent solutions known in the art to be effective for etch polymer removal. Either of the plasma singulation operation  330  or mask removal process at operation  340  may further pattern the die attach film  408 , exposing the top portion of the backing tape  410 . 
         [0051]    A single integrated process tool  600  may be configured to perform many or all of the operations in the hybrid laser ablation-plasma etch singulation process  300 . For example,  FIG. 6A  illustrates a block diagram of a cluster tool  606  coupled with laser scribe apparatus  610  for laser and plasma dicing of substrates, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 6A , the cluster tool  606  is coupled to a factory interface  602  (FI) having a plurality of load locks  604 . The factory interface  602  may be a suitable atmospheric port to interface between an outside manufacturing facility with laser scribe apparatus  610  and cluster tool  606 . The factory interface  602  may include robots with arms or blades for transferring substrates (or carriers thereof) from storage units (such as front opening unified pods) into either cluster tool  606  or laser scribe apparatus  610 , or both. 
         [0052]    A laser scribe apparatus  610  is also coupled to the FI  602 .  FIG. 6B  illustrates an exemplary functional block diagram of the laser scribe apparatus  610 . In an embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6B , the laser scribe apparatus  610  includes a laser  665 , which may be a femtosecond laser as described elsewhere herein. The laser  665  is to performing the laser ablation portion of the hybrid laser and etch singulation process  300 . In one embodiment, a moveable stage  406  is also included in laser scribe apparatus  610 , the moveable stage  406  configured for moving a substrate or substrate (or a carrier thereof) relative to the femtosecond-based laser. As further illustrated, the laser scribe apparatus includes a scanner  670  (i.e., galvanometer) with a mirror movable to scan the laser beam in response to control signals from the controller  680 . Depending on the implementation, the laser  665  either provides a centrally peak beam profile (e.g., Gaussian) as described elsewhere herein or between the femtosecond laser  665  and scanner  670  are beam shaping optics  660  which are to provide the centrally peaked beam profile substantially as shown in  FIG. 2A . 
         [0053]    Returning to  FIG. 6A , the cluster tool  606  includes one or more plasma etch chambers  608  coupled to the FI by a robotic transfer chamber  650  housing a robotic arm for in-vaccuo transfer of substrates between the laser scribe module  610 , etch chamber(s)  608  and/or mask module  614 . The plasma etch chambers  608  is suitable for at least the plasma etch portion of the hybrid laser and etch singulation process  100  and may further deposit a polymer mask over the substrate. In one exemplary embodiment, the plasma etch chamber  608  is further coupled to an SF 6  gas source and at least one of a C 4 F 8 , C 4 F 6 , or CH 2 F 2  source. In a specific embodiment, the one or more plasma etch chambers  608  is an Applied Centura® Silvia™ Etch system, available from Applied Materials of Sunnyvale, Calif., USA, although other suitable etch systems are also available commercially. The Applied Centura® Silvia™ Etch system provides capacitive and inductive RF coupling for independent control of the ion density and ion energy than possible with capacitive coupling only, even with the improvements provided by magnetic enhancement. This enables one to effectively decouple the ion density from ion energy, so as to achieve relatively high density plasmas without the high, potentially damaging, DC bias levels, even at very low pressures (e.g., 5-10 mTorr). This results in an exceptionally wide process window. However, any plasma etch chamber capable of etching silicon may be used. In an embodiment, more than one plasma etch chamber  608  is included in the cluster tool  606  portion of integrated platform  600  to enable high manufacturing throughput of the singulation or dicing process. 
         [0054]    The cluster tool  606  may include other chambers suitable for performing functions in the hybrid laser ablation-plasma etch singulation process  100 . In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 6 , a mask module  614  includes any commercially available spin coating module for application of the water soluble mask layer described herein. The spin coating module may include a rotatable chuck adapted to clamp by vacuum, or otherwise, a thinned substrate mounted on a carrier such as backing tape mounted on a frame. 
         [0055]      FIG. 7  illustrates a computer system  700  within which a set of instructions, for causing the machine to execute one or more of the scribing methods discussed herein may be executed. The exemplary computer system  700  includes a processor  702 , a main memory  704  (e.g., read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, dynamic random access memory (DRAM) such as synchronous DRAM (SDRAM) or Rambus DRAM (RDRAM), etc.), a static memory  706  (e.g., flash memory, static random access memory (SRAM), etc.), and a secondary memory  718  (e.g., a data storage device), which communicate with each other via a bus  730 . 
         [0056]    Processor  702  represents one or more general-purpose processing devices such as a microprocessor, central processing unit, or the like. More particularly, the processor  702  may be a complex instruction set computing (CISC) microprocessor, reduced instruction set computing (RISC) microprocessor, very long instruction word (VLIW) microprocessor, etc. Processor  702  may also be one or more special-purpose processing devices such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal processor (DSP), network processor, or the like. Processor  702  is configured to execute the processing logic  726  for performing the operations and steps discussed herein. 
         [0057]    The computer system  700  may further include a network interface device  708 . The computer system  700  also may include a video display unit  710  (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)), an alphanumeric input device  712  (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device  714  (e.g., a mouse), and a signal generation device  716  (e.g., a speaker). 
         [0058]    The secondary memory  718  may include a machine-accessible storage medium (or more specifically a computer-readable storage medium)  731  on which is stored one or more sets of instructions (e.g., software  722 ) embodying any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software  722  may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory  704  and/or within the processor  702  during execution thereof by the computer system  700 , the main memory  704  and the processor  702  also constituting machine-readable storage media. The software  722  may further be transmitted or received over a network  720  via the network interface device  708 . 
         [0059]    The machine-accessible storage medium  731  may also be used to store pattern recognition algorithms, artifact shape data, artifact positional data, or particle sparkle data. While the machine-accessible storage medium  731  is shown in an exemplary embodiment to be a single medium, the term “machine-readable storage medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readable storage medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing or encoding a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present invention. The term “machine-readable storage medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, and optical and magnetic media. 
         [0060]    Thus, methods of dicing semiconductor substrates, each substrate having a plurality of ICs, have been disclosed. The above description of illustrative embodiments of the invention, including what is described in the Abstract, is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. While specific implementations of, and examples for, the invention are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The scope of the invention is therefore to be determined entirely by the following claims, which are to be construed in accordance with established doctrines of claim interpretation.