Stress analysis of Si chip sidewalls using micro-Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy was used to estimate stress in the sidewalls of silicon chips and predict the chips' breaking stress. Silicon wafers were diced using four methods; the breaking stress of the resulting chips was measured mechanically and compared with stress measurements made using Raman spectroscopy. The stress measure- ments made by Raman spectroscopy were loosely correlated with the breaking stress. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy is a promising technique for predicting breaking stress, but requires further development before it can be applied commercially.