The present invention concerns a method for forming a metal layer for electromagnetic shielding and thermal management of active components, preferably by wet chemical metal plating, using an adhesion promotion layer on the layer of molding compound and forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer or forming at least one metal layer on the adhesion promotion layer by wet chemical metal plating processes.

A semiconductor device assembly that includes a first side of a semiconductor device supported on a substrate to permit the processing of a second side of the semiconductor device. A filler material deposited on the semiconductor device supports the semiconductor device on the substrate. The filler material does not adhere to the semiconductor device or the substrate. Alternatively, the filler material may be deposited on the substrate. Instead of a filler material, the substrate may include a topography configured to support the semiconductor device. Adhesive applied between an outer edge of the first side of the semiconductor and the substrate bonds the outer edge of the semiconductor device to the substrate to form a semiconductor device assembly. A second side of the semiconductor device may then be processed and the outer edge of the semiconductor device may be cut off to release the semiconductor device from the assembly.

Disclosed is a substrate treating method for performing cleaning treatment to a substrate by contacting a brush against the substrate. The method includes a rotating step of rotating a spin holder, holding the substrate, around a vertical shaft axis, an outer periphery edge contacting step of contacting the brush against the substrate at an outer periphery edge contacting position closer to an outer periphery edge of the substrate than to the shaft axis while the substrate is rotated in a horizontal plane, a first moving step of moving the brush from the outer periphery edge contacting position to a side adjacent to the shaft axis while the brush is brought into contact against the substrate, and a second moving step of moving the brush from the side adjacent to the shaft axis toward the outer periphery edge after the first moving step.

Method of manufacturing an element chip which can suppress residual debris in plasma dicing. A back surface of a semiconductor wafer is held on a dicing tape. Then, a surface of the wafer is coated with a mask that includes a water-insoluble lower mask and a water-soluble upper mask. Subsequently, an opening is formed in the mask by irradiating the mask with laser light to expose a dividing region. Then, the semiconductor wafer is caused to come into contact with water to remove the upper mask covering each of the element regions while leaving the lower layer. After that, the wafer is exposed to plasma to perform etching on the dividing region exposed from the opening until the etching reaches the back surface, thereby dicing the semiconductor wafer into a plurality of element chips. Thereafter, the lower layer mask left on the front surface of the semiconductor chips is removed.

A substrate cleaning apparatus may include a substrate support having a support surface to support a substrate to be cleaned, wherein the substrate support is rotatable about a central axis normal to the support surface; a first nozzle to provide a first cleaning gas to a region of the inner volume corresponding to the position of an edge of the substrate when the substrate is supported by the support surface of the substrate support; a first annular body disposed opposite and spaced apart from the support surface of the substrate support by a gap, the first annular body having a central opening defined by an inner wall shaped to provide a reducing size of the gap between the first annular body and the support surface in a radially outward direction; and a first gas inlet to provide a first gas to the central opening of the first annular body.

A method includes filling a trench formed in a first integrated circuit carrier with temporary bonding material to form a temporary bonding layer. At least one chip is bonded over the temporary bonding layer.

Representative implementations of techniques and methods include processing singulated dies in preparation for bonding. A plurality of semiconductor die components may be singulated from a wafer component, the semiconductor die components each having a substantially planar surface. Particles and shards of material may be removed from edges of the plurality of semiconductor die component. Additionally, one or more of the plurality of semiconductor die components may be bonded to a prepared bonding surface, via the substantially planar surface.

A die bonding apparatus includes: a transfer section for transferring a substrate on which a die is to be mounted in a first direction; a cleaning head including a first nozzle, a second nozzle, and a suction aperture; and a drive section that moves the cleaning head in a second direction. The suction aperture first and second sides extend in the first direction in a planar view, and is disposed between blowout openings of the first nozzle and the second nozzle. The blowout opening of the first nozzle extends along the first side of the suction aperture in a planar view, and perpendicularly to a surface of the substrate. The blowout opening of the second nozzle extends along the second side of the suction aperture in a planar view, and aslant toward the suction aperture rather than perpendicularly to the surface of the substrate.

An etching fault is suppressed by use of an etching gas containing iodine heptafluoride. Provided is an attached substance removing method of removing an attached substance containing an iodine oxide attached to a component included in a chamber or a surface of a pipe connected with the chamber by use of a cleaning gas containing a fluorine-containing gas. Also provided is a dry etching method, including the steps of supplying an etching gas containing an iodine-containing gas into a chamber to perform etching on a surface of a substrate; and after the etching is performed on the surface of the substrate, removing an attached substance containing an iodine oxide attached to a component included in the chamber or a surface of a pipe connected with the chamber by use of a cleaning gas containing a fluorine-containing gas.

Light-absorbing masks and methods of dicing semiconductor wafers are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer including a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer. The mask includes a water-soluble matrix based on a solid component and water, and a light-absorber species throughout the water-soluble matrix. The mask and a portion of the semiconductor wafer are patterned with a laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps and corresponding trenches in the semiconductor wafer in regions between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to extend the trenches and to singulate the integrated circuits. The patterned mask protects the integrated circuits during the plasma etching.