Method of increasing the layout efficiency of dies on a wafer and increasing the ratio of I/O area to active area per die

Claim 1

A method of forming die sites from a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of equally spaced-apart scribe lines extending as parallel chords entirely across a selected diameter of a semiconductor wafer, the selected diameter being perpendicular to the first series of scribe lines, areas between adjacent first scribe lines forming a plurality of rows, each row having the same height as the other rows; separating the rows from the wafer, each row having two opposite edges defined by adjacent first parallel scribe lines; after separating the rows, scribing each separated row to form a plurality of individual die sites on each separated row; and after scribing each separated row, singulating the individual die sites from the separated row into nonhomogeneous dies.

Claim 2

A method of forming die sites from a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of equally spaced-apart scribe lines extending as parallel chords entirely across a selected diameter of a semiconductor wafer, the selected diameter being perpendicular to the first series of scribe lines, areas between adjacent first scribe lines forming a plurality of rows, each row having the same height as the other rows; separating the rows from the wafer, each row having two opposite edges defined by adjacent first parallel scribe lines; after separating the rows, scribing each separated row to form a plurality of individual die sites on each separated row; and after scribing each separated row, singulating the individual die sites from the separated row into nonhomogeneous dies.

Claim 3

A method of forming die sites from a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer, areas between adjacent first scribe lines forming rows; separating the rows from the wafer, each row having two opposite edges defined by adjacent first parallel scribe lines; after separating the rows, scribing each separated row to form a plurality of individual die sites on each separated row; and after scribing each separated row, singulating the individual die sites from the separated row into nonhomogeneous dies; further comprising: after separating the rows, scribing each separated row with a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines extending diagonally at a first angle "Θ" across the separated row, from one opposite edge to another opposite edge of the separated row; and after separating the rows, further scribing each separated row with a third series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines extending diagonally at a second angle "φ" across the separated row, from one opposite edge to another opposite edge of the separated row; the third series of scribe lines being non-intersecting with the second series of scribe lines; and the second angle being diagonally opposite the first angle; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the edges of the row, the second scribe lines and the third scribe lines define a respective plurality of trapezoidal die sites.

Claim 4

A method of forming die sites from a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer, areas between adjacent first scribe lines forming rows; separating the rows from the wafer, each row having two opposite edges defined by adjacent first parallel scribe lines; after separating the rows, scribing each separated row to form a plurality of individual die sites on each separated row; and after scribing each separated row, singulating the individual die sites from the separated row into nonhomogeneous dies; further comprising: after separating the rows, scribing each separated row with a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines extending diagonally at a first angle "Θ" across the separated row, from one opposite edge to another opposite edge of the separated row; and after separating the rows, further scribing each separated row with a third series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines extending diagonally at a second angle "φ" across the separated row, from one opposite edge to another opposite edge of the separated row; the third series of scribe lines being non-intersecting with the second series of scribe lines; and the second angle being diagonally opposite the first angle; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the edges of the row, the second scribe lines and the third scribe lines define a respective plurality of trapezoidal die sites.