Method of forming and cleaning a laser marking region at a round zone of a semiconductor wafer

Patent 5956596 Issued on September 21, 1999. Estimated Expiration Date:

December 1, 2017. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

Method and apparatus for reading and marking a small bar code on a surface of an item
Patent #: 4794238
Issued on: 12/27/1988
Inventor: Hampton

Methods for identifying semiconductor wafer with bar code pattern thereon and methods for manufacturing semiconductor device
Patent #: 4825093
Issued on: 04/25/1989
Inventor: Kiriseko , et al.

Method of identifying a semiconductor wafer utilizing a light source and a detector
Patent #: 4896034
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Inventor: Kiriseko

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Patent #: 5051807
Issued on: 09/24/1991
Inventor: Morozumi

Presence/absence bar code
Patent #: 5552591
Issued on: 09/03/1996
Inventor: Bossen, et al.

Method and apparatus for drying parts and microelectronic components using sonic created mist Patent #: 5653045
Issued on: 08/05/1997
Inventor: Ferrell

Inventors

Application

No. 980912 filed on 12/01/1997

US Classes:

438/401, Having substrate registration feature (e.g., alignment mark)257/E21.224, Chemical cleaning (EPO)257/E23.179Marks applied to semiconductor devices or parts, e.g., registration marks, test patterns, alignment structures, wafer maps (EPO)

Examiners

Primary: Dutton, Brian

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Jones Volentine, LLP

Foreign Patent References

0 488 053 A1 EP 03/13/1992
4-106960 JP 04/13/1992

International Class

H01L 021/76

Foreign Application Priority Data

1995-11-06 KR

Abstract

The invention relates to a wafer for use as a substrate for a semiconductor device, the wafer comprising a round zone formed along a circumference thereof; a flat zone wherein the circumference thereof is partially cut in a straight line; and a laser marking region functioning as a wafer bar-code which is formed in an upper portion of the round zone opposite to and apart from the flat zone. The wafer bar-code has holes having about 2 μm depth and is formed by a soft marking process. A good fine pattern can be formed on the wafer with a follow-on patterning process by substantially cleaning photoresist materials remaining in holes of the laser marking region. Further, the occurrence of G-defects can be reduced, such defects being caused by photoresist particles remaining on the surface of the wafer.