Scribe dicing of compound semiconductor materials_SnB
The SnB process is an abbreviation for the “Scribing and Breaking process,” which is a processing method used for dicing brittle materials such as glass. While it has been widely used for dicing hard and brittle materials such as LCD glass substrates, MDI has developed proprietary scribing wheels and expanded the range of applications to include the dicing of compound semiconductor materials.
What is Compound Semiconductor?
A compound semiconductor is a semiconductor formed by the combination of two or more types of elements. Because multiple different elements are combined, it is possible to obtain characteristics that cannot be achieved with single-element semiconductors. Furthermore, it is a material whose characteristics can be adjusted by changing the mixing ratio of the elements. Many types of semiconductors are created by utilizing these characteristics.
<<Main Combinations of Compound Semiconductors>>
| Groups II-IV | Cadmium telluride (CdTe), Zinc selenide (ZnSe) |
| Groups III-V | Gallium nitride (GaN), Gallium arsenide (GaAs), Aluminum nitride (AlN), Indium phosphide (InP) |
| Groups IV-IV | Silicon carbide (SiC), Silicon germanium (SiGe) |
These compound semiconductors are basically covalent crystals, and many of them have a zincblende structure or a wurtzite structure. Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) is classified as an oxide semiconductor.
Features of the SnB Process
(1) Minimum Kerf Loss In the SnB process using a scribing wheel, the groove width (part of the plastic deformation region) caused by scribing is approximately 5 μm. Therefore, for semiconductors and electronic components, it is possible to narrow the street width on the substrate and increase the number of products obtained per substrate. *Support for street widths of 30 μm or less is also available.
(2) High-speed Processing The scribing speed of the SnB process is as high as 100 mm/s to 500 mm/s. By increasing the number of substrates processed per hour, it is possible to reduce the number of machines required for production.
(3) Damage-free Since the SnB process is a cleaving method, the only damage to the substrate is the processing mark from scribing. Because the cross-section has a smooth fractured surface, cracks are less likely to occur compared to other singulation methods, resulting in higher bending strength of the product (chip). *In the case of a base material with a crystal structure, the cross-section becomes a cleavage plane and the crystal structure is maintained, so side cracks do not occur.
(4) Dry Process While semiconductor manufacturing processes require a large amount of water, the SnB process is basically a dry process that does not use water. It is an environmentally friendly processing method that does not use precious water resources, and it eliminates the need for auxiliary equipment for cleaning water supply or wastewater treatment, thereby reducing costs.
MDI wheel scribing
What is wheel scribing? Pressure is applied to the surface layer from the scribing wheel along the planned separation line to generate vertical cracks. These cracks enable crack propagation by breaking.
Comparison with blade dicing, another mechanical processing method
All scribing wheels are developed in-house and manufactured in cleanrooms at our own plants. The appropriate scribing wheel is selected according to the material of the object to be processed and the product size.
MDI Breaking
The substrate is singulated by breaking. The vertical cracks created by scribing are pushed in with a break bar from the opposite side to propagate and cleave. For materials with a crystal structure, cleavage is utilized. Therefore, the cross-section has an extremely smooth fractured surface (cleavage plane in crystal structures), and no cracks occur on the cross-section. *Since the crystal structure is maintained, the cross-section does not become a mirror surface but becomes uneven according to the crystal structure.
Examples of SnB Processing
Group IV-IV: Silicon carbide (SiC) Thickness: 0.36 mm, Processing size: 1.0 x 1.0 mm
Group III-V: Gallium nitride (GaN) Thickness: 0.45 mm
Group III-V: Gallium arsenide (GaAs) Thickness: 0.1 mm, Processing size: 0.7 mm x 0.75 mm
Group III-V: Indium phosphide (InP) Thickness: 0.15 mm, Processing size: 0.4 mm x 0.4 mm
Links to Related Pages
■ Sample Processing Page(JP)
Inquiries about the above products and services
To contact us through our website, please use the “Contact Us” button below.
