Die Separation Strength for Deep Reactive Ion Etched Wafers

Typical micro-scale devices made via cleanroom processes are often produced in bulk quantities on a single wafer. Depending on the lateral dimensions of a device, as many as a few hundred can be manufactured on an individual wafer. With expensive required facilities and raw materials, industrial manufacturing of siliconbased electrical and MEMS devices demands mass production to remain economical. Fabrication facilities can optimize throughput by performing batch processes on large diameter wafers containing many die. While larger diameter wafers contain more devices, they can require an extensive amount of time and effort to separate the die in a clean and effective manner.

Any improvements in the die separation process can translate to tremendous cost savings for manufacturers. Gains in efficiency may be achieved in a number of ways. In particular, the product yield can be increased by reducing the amount of material wasted between die, or by lowering the number of die typically damaged during the separation process. Additional concerns include the required separation time and any reduction in die strength due to flaws or micro-scale damage induced during separation.