Laser Micromachining Silicon Dicing Patents 2026
Laser Micromachining Silicon Dicing 2026
Laser micromachining has emerged as the dominant alternative to mechanical blade sawing for semiconductor die singulation. This dataset spans 70+ patent families and literature records from 2006 to 2025.
Three Paradigms Reshaping Silicon Die Singulation
Laser micromachining for silicon dicing encompasses three broad technical paradigms in this dataset: hybrid laser scribing combined with plasma etching, stealth dicing via subsurface modification, and direct laser ablation or grooving. Each paradigm addresses distinct failure modes associated with mechanical blade sawing on advanced semiconductor wafers.
Core technical challenges addressed across the dataset include controlling heat-affected zones (HAZ), eliminating chipping and delamination in ultra-low-k dielectric stacks with k below 2.5, achieving sub-5 µm kerf widths, maintaining die strength in sub-100 µm wafers, and handling metal layers — aluminum and copper — in scribe streets.
The hybrid laser scribing plus plasma etch cluster is the dominant approach by filing volume in this dataset. Applied Materials has systematically patented beam shaping variants including rotating beam, line-shaped, rectangular top-hat, elliptical, spatio-temporal controlled, adaptive-optics-controlled, and spatially multi-focused profiles within this single cluster.
In retrieved records, Applied Materials accounts for approximately 45–50 patent records in this dataset, spanning US, WO, and SG jurisdictions. Yangtze Memory Technologies, Texas Instruments, NXP B.V., SMIC, and Electro Scientific Industries represent the next tier of named assignees in retrieved records, each with 2–4 records.
Filing Activity, Technology Clusters, and Jurisdictional Patterns
Analysis of the retrieved records reveals a highly concentrated filing landscape dominated by the hybrid laser-plasma etch approach, with active expansion into stealth dicing for metal-layer-bearing scribe streets and adaptive energy architectures for 3D NAND structures from 2021 to 2025.
Patent Records by Technology Cluster (Dataset Snapshot)
In this dataset, the hybrid laser scribing plus plasma etch cluster accounts for the largest share of patent records, followed by stealth dicing, multi-beam adaptive architectures, and direct ablation/grooving approaches.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Filing Activity by Period — Retrieved Records
In this dataset, filing activity accelerated from the foundational 2006–2013 period through the 2013–2018 scale-up phase, with a measurable diversification wave from 2019–2022 including SiC and 3D NAND entries, and continued activity in 2023–2025 focused on metal-layer stealth dicing and plasma etch refinement.
↗ Click bars to exploreKey Application Domains in Laser Silicon Dicing
The retrieved records span five distinct application domains, from advanced logic and 3D NAND memory at leading nodes to silicon carbide power semiconductors, advanced packaging structures, DRAM with thick passivation layers, and silicon optical/MEMS components.
Advanced Logic and 3D NAND Memory
The largest application domain in the dataset, covering dicing of wafers with ultra-low-k dielectric stacks (k below 2.5), copper metallization in scribe streets, and narrow street widths at 28 nm nodes and below. Yangtze Memory Technologies filings from 2021 to 2025 specifically target 3D NAND semiconductor structures requiring precision energy control. A 2014 literature study confirmed picosecond laser advantages on 28 nm Cu/low-k wafers via SEM and FIB analysis of kerf geometry and edge quality.
Advanced LogicSilicon Carbide Power Semiconductors
SiC’s extreme hardness (Mohs 9.5), brittleness, and anisotropic crystal structure make mechanical blade dicing particularly damaging. A 2021 literature paper demonstrated dual laser beam asynchronous dicing of 4H-SiC wafers using pulsed laser crack initiation combined with CW laser thermal stress for crack propagation. Precision Layered Stealth Dicing (PLSD) for 508 µm thick SiC wafers was demonstrated by 2022, achieving approximately 1 µm cross-section roughness comparable to silicon by attenuating laser power gradient-layer-by-layer from 100% to 62% in 2% steps.
Power SemiconductorsAdvanced Packaging Thin Wafers
As package geometries thin toward 50 µm and below, dicing before grinding (DBG) and die-attach-film (DAF) singulation have become critical. Applied Materials holds a 2016 WO patent on stealth dicing of wafers with wafer-level underfill (WLUF). A 2021 literature paper documented laser DAF cut as a breakthrough approach for die attach film singulation for thin wafers, and a 2020 study confirmed dicing before grinding as a robust wafer thinning and dicing technology.
Advanced PackagingSilicon Optics and MEMS Components
Literature documents laser-assisted fabrication of silicon optical components, including lenticular lens silicon molds via hybrid laser ablation combined with diamond cutting, published in 2019. Large-area femtosecond laser milling of silicon has been characterized at 300 fs pulse width at both 343 nm and 1030 nm wavelengths using trench analysis methods, as documented in a 2021 study. Applied Materials holds a 2016 US patent addressing DRAM chips with 50 µm solder bumps and 35–50 µm thick polyimide passivation, where femtosecond laser scribing removes polymer layers before plasma etch singulation.
Optics and MEMSLeading Patent Assignees in Laser Silicon Dicing — Dataset Snapshot
In this dataset, Applied Materials, Inc. accounts for approximately 45–50 of the retrieved patent records, reflecting a systematic portfolio-building strategy across beam shaping, process sequencing, and mask chemistry. Yangtze Memory Technologies and Texas Instruments each hold 4 records in retrieved records, representing the most active recent entrants from 2020 to 2025.
Top Assignees by Patent Record Count in Retrieved Records (Dataset Snapshot)
↗ Click bars to exploreApplied Materials, Inc.
Applied Materials accounts for approximately 45–50 patent records in this dataset across US, WO, and SG jurisdictions, spanning filings from 2011 through a 2025 pending application. Their portfolio covers femtosecond laser plus plasma etch, split-beam scribing at approximately 800 kHz and 6 µJ/split beam at 800 mm/s stage speed (2018), trench opening control via sequential two-parameter laser processes (2023), actively-focused beam, spatially multi-focused beam, rotating beam, and maskless hybrid scribing variants. Patent status ranges from granted US and WO records to a 2025 pending femtosecond laser plus plasma etch application.
United StatesYangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.
Yangtze Memory Technologies holds 4 distinct patent records in this dataset filed from 2022 to 2025 across US and WO jurisdictions, representing one of the most active new entrants from China’s advanced memory manufacturing sector. Their filings cover mark-identified adaptive dicing energy delivery (2022 US), split laser source with dual parallel tracks (2022 WO), adjustable energy delivery decoupling output power from throughput (2025 US pending), and laser dicing system architecture for 3D NAND semiconductor structures including cutting streets (2024 US). Patent status includes both granted and pending records.
China — CNActive Innovation Fronts: 2021–2025 Filing Signals
Five emerging directions are active in retrieved filings from 2021 to 2025: metal-layer-aware stealth dicing, adaptive energy delivery for heterogeneous material stacks, crack-length feedback control, ultrafast laser dicing of SiC and compound semiconductors, and continued femtosecond laser plus plasma etch process refinement.
Metal-Layer-Aware Stealth Dicing (2020–2025)
Texas Instruments’ patent cluster from 2020 to 2025 addresses one of the most persistent limitations of stealth dicing: metal layers — aluminum and copper — in scribe streets that block or scatter the NIR laser. Their two-step solution ablates metal at a first power level, then performs stealth dicing at a second focal depth. The most recent filing, Texas Instruments’ 2025 US pending patent on laser dicing for singulation, implements a sequential two-beam approach where a first beam ablates metal and a second beam performs stealth dicing, operable in a single machine or two-machine flow.
Crack-Length-Controlled Singulation to Prevent Silicon Splash (2025)
Texas Instruments’ 2025 US pending filing on splash-resistant laser wafer singulation by crack length control introduces feedback-controlled crack propagation management to prevent silicon debris — referred to as splash — during singulation. This addresses a yield-limiting failure mode not previously patented in the dataset. The approach represents a significant practical advance for high-volume production of thin silicon dies where uncontrolled crack propagation degrades adjacent die surfaces.
Hybrid Laser-Plasma Etch vs. Stealth Dicing: Key Dimensions
Click any row to explore further.
| Dimension | Hybrid Laser + Plasma Etch | Stealth Dicing |
|---|---|---|
| Laser Type | Femtosecond or picosecond (surface ablation) | Near-infrared pulsed NIR (Nd:YAG ~1064 nm, subsurface) |
| Singulation Mechanism | Laser scribes mask and device layers; plasma DRIE completes full-depth singulation | Subsurface modified/polycrystalline silicon layer; mechanical tape expansion singulates |
| Kerf Width | Defined by laser scribe and plasma etch geometry; sub-5 µm achievable | Sub-2 µm kerf width; near-zero surface damage |
| Metal Layer Handling | Femtosecond laser removes organic, metallic, and low-k layers in scribe street | Metal layers in scribe streets block/scatter NIR laser; requires prior ablation step (Texas Instruments, 2020–2025) |
| Die Strength | High die strength via smooth vertical plasma-etched sidewalls | High die strength in thin wafers; formalized by NXP B.V. 2014 US patent |
| Key Assignee in Dataset | Applied Materials, Inc. (~45–50 records, US/WO/SG) | Texas Instruments (4 records), NXP B.V. (2 records), SMIC (2 records) |
| Wafer Thickness Applicability | Applicable to standard and advanced packaging wafers; documented for DRAM with 35–50 µm polyimide passivation | Critical for sub-100 µm wafers; documented for 508 µm SiC via PLSD variant |
| SiC Applicability | Not specifically documented in this dataset for SiC | PLSD variant demonstrated on 508 µm SiC wafers achieving ~1 µm cross-section roughness (2022) |
Frequently Asked Questions: Laser Micromachining Silicon Dicing
The dataset covers three broad paradigms: (1) hybrid laser scribing plus plasma etching, where a laser scribes trenches through mask and device layers while plasma deep-etch completes singulation; (2) stealth dicing, where a focused NIR laser generates subsurface modified or polycrystalline zones inside bulk silicon followed by mechanical tape expansion; and (3) direct laser ablation or grooving, where pulsed femtosecond, picosecond, or nanosecond lasers remove material along dicing streets, sometimes combined with mechanical sawing.
The dataset includes 70+ patent families and literature records with publication dates ranging from 2006 to 2025, reflecting a mature but still actively evolving field. The records span foundational patents from 2006 through pending filings as recent as 2025.
Precision Layered Stealth Dicing (PLSD) is a sub-variant of stealth dicing where laser power is attenuated gradient-layer-by-layer from 100% to 62% in 2% steps, enabling clean dicing of thick wafers. It was demonstrated on 508 µm thick SiC wafers by 2022, achieving approximately 1 µm cross-section roughness — comparable to silicon — as documented in a 2022 literature paper on precision layered stealth dicing of SiC wafers by ultrafast lasers.
Texas Instruments addressed the presence of metal layers — aluminum and copper — in scribe streets that block or scatter the NIR laser used in stealth dicing. Their solution is a two-step process: a first beam ablates the metal at one power level, then a second beam performs stealth dicing at a second focal depth. Their 2025 US pending patent also introduces feedback-controlled crack propagation management to prevent silicon debris splash during singulation.
US jurisdiction is by far the most represented filing destination in retrieved records, consistent with Applied Materials’ US-centric portfolio. WO PCT filings appear for most major assignees seeking international coverage, and SG appears as a secondary jurisdiction for Applied Materials. CN jurisdiction is absent from retrieved patent records despite Chinese assignees YMTC and SMIC filing in US and WO, suggesting outbound IP strategies rather than defensive domestic filings in this dataset.
Applied Materials has patented numerous beam engineering variants within the hybrid laser-plasma etch cluster, including: rotating beam, line-shaped, rectangular top-hat, elliptical, spatio-temporal controlled, adaptive-optics-controlled, and spatially multi-focused profiles. Additional variants include split beam at approximately 800 kHz with 6 µJ per split beam at 800 mm/s stage speed (2018), actively-focused beam (2021), trench opening control using two sequential laser processes with different parameters (2023), and maskless hybrid scribing (2015).
Data and insights on this page are based on a limited patent and literature dataset and are for reference only. Figures may not represent the complete technology landscape.