An apparatus and method for enhancing the formation of fillets around the
periphery of assembled wafer-level chip scale packages when mounted onto
substrates. The method includes fabricating a plurality of integrated
circuit die on a first surface of a semiconductor wafer, each of the
integrated circuit die being separated by scribe lines on the wafer. Once
the circuitry has been fabricated, grooves are formed along the scribe
lines on the first surface of the semiconductor wafer. The first surface
of the semiconductor wafer is then covered with a layer of underfill
material, including within the grooves formed along the scribe lines on
the first surface of the semiconductor wafer. After the wafer is
singulated, the resulting die includes a first top surface and a second
bottom surface and four side surfaces. Integrated circuitry is formed on
the first surface of the die. Recess regions created by cutting the
grooves are formed on all four side surfaces of the die and filled with
the underfill material. When the die is mounted to a substrate, the
additional underfill material in the recess regions helps form more
robust fillets than otherwise possible.