GuardCoat™ Applications to Eliminate Dicing Edge Chip-out

As the complexity rises with semiconductor die while their dimensions trend smaller, the occurrence of blade dicing chipout increases with throughput. For small die on a film frame, edge chipping is influenced by the saw vibratory pushing and pulling. Daetec has created a washable hard coat that’s applied on top and/or bottom portions of the substrate. The coating acts as a "dissolvable glass." With hardness values by durometer measurement reaching beyond a 50 shore D and a modulus compressive force that trends towards glass, GuardCoat™ is poised to help eliminate chip-out. Once dicing is completed, a washing step occurs with Daetec’s detergent, DaeClean™ 160. Demonstrations have been performed various substrates from silicon, glass, and alumina. Chip-out has reduced in most applications, and some have been eliminated. Further details of the GuardCoat™ invention, its chemistry and engineering, and dicing results on hard and brittle substrates will be shared.