High-Precision Laser Processing for Wafer Dicing

Manufacturing chips and microchips involves cutting the wafers, using a process known as wafer dicing, into small square or rectangular “chips” or “die”. Typical challenges to consider in wafer dicing applications are: To position the cut accurately, to minimize the losses of material, and to minimize distortions of the components. While at the same time, the maximum possible machining speed must be achieved. As the requirements are constantly increasing, laser dicing has become the preferred dicing technology. This noncontact laser process is flexible and avoids flaking at the cutting edges. The good quality of the edges, which is one of the decisive factors for fracture resistance, can be further improved with various automated postprocessing processes. This significantly reduces production waste and, therefore, saves production costs. Accordingly, laser-dicing processes also demand motion systems that offer high accuracy and high straightness at high velocities.