SiC Plasma Dicing for Future High Yield Die Singulation

Silicon Carbide is an exceptionally hard and challenging to process semiconductor material. Effective device singulation retaining 100% die yield is hard to achieve with conventional saw dicing. Chips, microcracks and machining abrasions lead to reduced die strength and increased scrap. With rapid advancements in SiC device processing, resolving many fabrication issues, dicing yield losses are becoming an area of industrial concern. Plasma dicing has a proven track record in silicon and presents a potential solution to low yields during SiC dicing. Smooth vertical sidewalls with no machining damage, with etch rates approaching 5 μm/min, position SiC plasma dicing as a viable alternative ready for industrial uptake. Plasma etch processes development using Ni and Cu etch masks, with full singulation have been demonstrated, resulting in improved die strength compared to saw diced samples.