Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and etching through the backside metal layer located in the die street of the substrate. The substrate may be exposed through the etch. The method may also include singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing a substrate material in the die street.

An etching apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, a first ion source that generates first ions and irradiates the substrate with the first ions such that the first ions are incident on the substrate in the substrate holder at a first incident angle, and a second ion source that generates second ions and irradiates the substrate with the second ions such that the second ions are incident on the substrate at a second incident angle different from the first incident angle. A controller is provided that controls at least one of the first incident angle and the second incident angle by moving at least one of the first ion source and the second ion source.

Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a photoresist layer over the backside metal layer, patterning the photoresist layer along a die street of the substrate, and etching through the backside metal layer located in the die street of the substrate. The substrate may be exposed through the etch. The method may also include singulating the plurality of die included in the substrate through removing a substrate material in the die street.

A method of manufacturing a chip package is provided. The method includes patterning at least one chip pad of a chip to form a patterned structure in the at least one chip pad, the patterned structure including at least one predefined recess, and encapsulating the chip with encapsulating material, thereby filling the at least one predefined recess.

Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die comprised in a substrate may include forming a plurality of die on a first side of a substrate, forming a backside metal layer on a second side of a substrate, applying a polymer layer over the backside metal layer and forming a groove entirely through the polymer layer and partially through a thickness of the backside metal layer. The groove may be located in a die street of the substrate. The method may also include etching through a remaining portion of the backside metal layer located in the die street, removing the polymer layer, singulating the plurality of die in the substrate by removing substrate material in the die street.

A process of forming a field effect transistor (FET) of a type of high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) reducing damages caused in a semiconductor layer is disclosed. The process carries out steps of: (a) depositing an insulating film on a semiconductor stack; (b) depositing a conductive film on the insulating film; (c) forming an opening in the conductive film and the insulating film by a dry-etching using ions of reactive gas to expose a surface of the semiconductor stack; and (d) forming a gate electrode to be in contact with the surface of the semiconductor stack through the opening, the gate electrode filling the opening in the conductive film and the insulating film.

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for sample preparation, suitable for online or offline use with multilayer samples. Ion beam technology is leveraged to provide rapid, accurate delayering with etch stops at a succession of target layers. In one aspect, a trench is milled around a region of interest (ROI), and a conductive coating is developed on an inner sidewall. Thereby, reliable conducting paths are formed between intermediate layers within the ROI and a base layer, and stray current paths extending outside the ROI are eliminated, providing better quality etch progress monitoring, during subsequent etching, from body or scattered currents. Ion beam assisted gas etching provides rapid delayering with etch stops at target polysilicon layers. Uniform etching at deep layers can be achieved. Variations and results are disclosed.

A method of forming a pattern includes forming a lower layer on a substrate, forming a mask pattern on the lower layer, the mask pattern extending in a first direction parallel to a top surface of the substrate, and performing an etching process using an ion beam on the substrate, such that the ion beam is irradiated in parallel to a plane defined by the first direction and a direction perpendicular to the top surface of the substrate, and is irradiated at a tilt angle with respect to the top surface of the substrate, wherein performing the etching process includes adjusting the tilt angle of the ion beam to selectively etch the lower layer or the mask pattern.

The present disclosure is directed to a method of fabrication a semiconductor structure. The method includes providing a substrate and forming a bottom electrode over the substrate, wherein a terminal end of the bottom electrode has a tapered sidewall. The method also includes depositing an insulating layer over the bottom electrode and forming a top electrode over the insulating layer, wherein a terminal end of the top electrode has a vertical sidewall.

Implementations of methods of singulating a plurality of die included in a substrate may include exposing a substrate material of a substrate in a die street through removing a metal layer in the die street coupled to the substrate, wherein only a portion of the substrate material in the die street is removed, and singulating a plurality of die included in the substrate through plasma etching the exposed substrate material of the substrate in the die street.