US3835530A — Method of making semiconductor devices

Claim 1

Independent Claim 209 words

A method of making an electronic system of the type containing a large number of functional elements, with each such element including a plurality of electronic components, comprising the steps of: forming a large number of electronic components adjacent one face of a wafer of semiconductor material, the wafer having a coating of insulating material on said face with openings defined in the coating for making contacts to the electonic components, providing a pattern of conductive strips over said insulating coating and extending into said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, the number of such elements exceeding the number needed to form said electronic system, applying a second coating of insulating material on said face of the wafer over the pattern of conductive strips, such second coating defining openings at selected areas for making contact to said functional elements, testing the electronic functional elements to determine the locations on said wafer of selected functional elements which have preferred electrical characteristics, and forming a pattern of conductive strips over said second coating to interconnect a plurality of said selected functional elements to provide said electronic system, the configuration of said pattern being correlated with said locations of the selected elements.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 209 words

A method of making an electronic system of the type containing a large number of functional elements, with each such element including a plurality of electronic components, comprising the steps of: forming a large number of electronic components adjacent one face of a wafer of semiconductor material, the wafer having a coating of insulating material on said face with openings defined in the coating for making contacts to the electonic components, providing a pattern of conductive strips over said insulating coating and extending into said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, the number of such elements exceeding the number needed to form said electronic system, applying a second coating of insulating material on said face of the wafer over the pattern of conductive strips, such second coating defining openings at selected areas for making contact to said functional elements, testing the electronic functional elements to determine the locations on said wafer of selected functional elements which have preferred electrical characteristics, and forming a pattern of conductive strips over said second coating to interconnect a plurality of said selected functional elements to provide said electronic system, the configuration of said pattern being correlated with said locations of the selected elements.

Claim 3

Independent Claim 164 words

A method of making an electrical system comprising the steps of forming a large number of electrical components adjacent one face of a substrate, the substrate having a coating of insulating material on said face with openings defined in the coating for making contacts to the electronic components, providing a pattern of conductive strips over said insulating coating and extending into said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, applying a second coating of insulating material on said face of the substrate over the pattern of conductive strips, such second coating defining openings at selected areas for making contact to said functionaL elements, testing the electronic functional elements to determine the locations on said substrate of selected functional elements having preferred electrical characteristics, and interconnecting the selected functional elements on said substrate by a unique pattern of conductive strips applied over said second coating, the unique pattern being determined by the results of said testing.

Claim 4

Independent Claim 164 words

A method of making an electrical system comprising the steps of forming a large number of electrical components adjacent one face of a substrate, the substrate having a coating of insulating material on said face with openings defined in the coating for making contacts to the electronic components, providing a pattern of conductive strips over said insulating coating and extending into said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, applying a second coating of insulating material on said face of the substrate over the pattern of conductive strips, such second coating defining openings at selected areas for making contact to said functionaL elements, testing the electronic functional elements to determine the locations on said substrate of selected functional elements having preferred electrical characteristics, and interconnecting the selected functional elements on said substrate by a unique pattern of conductive strips applied over said second coating, the unique pattern being determined by the results of said testing.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 23 words

A method of making an electronic system according to claim 1, wherein said step of testing is performed before said step of applying.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method according to claim 2, wherein said step of testing is performed before said step of applying.

Claim 7

Dependent Claim 233 words

In a method of making complex electronic circuitry of the type containing a plurality of functional elements, with each such element including a plurality of electronic components, the steps of: providing a large number of electronic components at one face of a substrate, the substrate having a coating of insulating material over at least the major portion of said face with contact areas for making contacts to the electronic components being exposed, providing a first pattern of conductive strips on said one face extending along said insulating coating and extending onto said contact areas to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, the number of such elements exceeding the number needed to form said electronic system, the first pattern also providing contact areas for the functional elements, testing the functional elements to determine the locations on said substrate of selected functional elements which have preferred electrical characteristics, generating a unique pattern corresponding to conductors for interconnecting said selected functional elements to provide the desired complex circuitry, said unique pattern being generated from the test results, and defining on said one face according to said unique pattern a second pattern of conductive strips to interconnect a plurality of said selected functional elements, the second pattern of conductive strips making electrical connections to selected ones of said contact areas and being otherwise electrically insulated from said first pattern.

Claim 8

Dependent Claim 233 words

In a method of making complex electronic circuitry of the type containing a plurality of functional elements, with each such element including a plurality of electronic components, the steps of: providing a large number of electronic components at one face of a substrate, the substrate having a coating of insulating material over at least the major portion of said face with contact areas for making contacts to the electronic components being exposed, providing a first pattern of conductive strips on said one face extending along said insulating coating and extending onto said contact areas to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide a plurality of functional elements, the number of such elements exceeding the number needed to form said electronic system, the first pattern also providing contact areas for the functional elements, testing the functional elements to determine the locations on said substrate of selected functional elements which have preferred electrical characteristics, generating a unique pattern corresponding to conductors for interconnecting said selected functional elements to provide the desired complex circuitry, said unique pattern being generated from the test results, and defining on said one face according to said unique pattern a second pattern of conductive strips to interconnect a plurality of said selected functional elements, the second pattern of conductive strips making electrical connections to selected ones of said contact areas and being otherwise electrically insulated from said first pattern.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 64 words

A method according to claim 5, wherein said second pattern is defined on said one face by depositing a film of metal on said one face, applying photoresist material over said film, exposing the photoresist according to a said unique pattern and developing the photoresist to provide an etch-resistant mask, then etching away portions of the film of metal not covered by the mask.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 29 words

A method according to claim 6 wherein the photoresist material is exposed by means of an electron beam which is indexed in a pattern corresponding to said unique pattern.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method according to claim 6 wherein the photoresist material is exposed to light through a mask corresponding to said unique pattern, such mask being generated using the test results.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 30 words

A method according to claim 8 wherein the mask is generated by exposure of photosensitive material to a beam of light which is indexed in accordance with the test results.

Claim 13

Independent Claim 180 words

A method of manufacturing a complex electronic system having a plurality of circuit functions therein, each circuit function having a plurality of electronic components comprising the step of: forming a large number of electronic components at one face of a semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer on said one face having openings therein exposing contact areas on said electronic components, applying a first pattern of conductive strips on said insulating layer extending into said openings to interconnect groups of said electronic components so that the groups provide a plurality of separated circuit functions exceeding in number that required for said electronic system, testing said electronic components and storing the test results correlated with the locations of particular circuit functions having preferred electrical characteristics, generating representation of an inTerconnection pattern in response to the stored test results and thereafter applying a second pattern of conductive strips over said one face of said substrate in accordance with said representation of the interconnection pattern to interconnect said particular circuit functions less than the total number of circuit functions and form said electronic system.

Claim 14

Independent Claim 180 words

A method of manufacturing a complex electronic system having a plurality of circuit functions therein, each circuit function having a plurality of electronic components comprising the step of: forming a large number of electronic components at one face of a semiconductor substrate with an insulating layer on said one face having openings therein exposing contact areas on said electronic components, applying a first pattern of conductive strips on said insulating layer extending into said openings to interconnect groups of said electronic components so that the groups provide a plurality of separated circuit functions exceeding in number that required for said electronic system, testing said electronic components and storing the test results correlated with the locations of particular circuit functions having preferred electrical characteristics, generating representation of an inTerconnection pattern in response to the stored test results and thereafter applying a second pattern of conductive strips over said one face of said substrate in accordance with said representation of the interconnection pattern to interconnect said particular circuit functions less than the total number of circuit functions and form said electronic system.

Claim 15

Dependent Claim 55 words

A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of applying a second pattern of conductive strips comprises applying a second insulating layer over said first pattern of conductive strips with apertures therein exposing contact areas on said particular circuit functions and said second pattern of conductive strips are applied on said second insulating layer.

Claim 16

Dependent Claim 19 words

A method according to claim 10, wherein said second pattern of conductive strips is applied on said insulating layer.

Claim 17

Dependent Claim 94 words

A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of applying said second pattern of conductive strips comprises applying a conductive coating over the entire surface of said second insulating layer, forming the desired exposure pattern on said photoresist layer by a beam of energy which is directed along said one face in accordance with said representation of an interconnection pattern, removing selected portions of said photoresist layer to expose undesired portions of said conductive material and removing the exposed undesired portions of said conductive material to leave said second pattern of conductive strips.

Claim 18

Dependent Claim 25 words

A method according to claim 10, wherein said step of testing said electronic components comprises testing each group of electronic components comprising a circuit function.

Claim 19

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method according to claim 5, including the step of storing the test results correlated with said locations.

Claim 20

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 5, wherein said step of testing the functional elements comprises testing groups of said functional elements.

Claim 21

Dependent Claim 21 words

A method according to claim 5, wherein said second pattern is applied over an insulating layer applied over said insulating coating.

Claim 22

Independent Claim 222 words

A method of manufacturing a complex electronic system having a plurality of circuit functions therein, each circuit function having active and passive electronic components comprising the steps of: forming a large number of said electronic components at least partially in said one face of a semiconductor substrate with a first insulating layer on said one face having openings therein exposing contact areas on said electronic components, applying a first conductive pattern on said insulating layer in ohmic contact with selected ones of said electronic components through said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide said plurality of circuit functions, arranging said circuit functions in a matrix of rows and columns on said one face of said substrate with spaces between said rows, applying a second insulating layer over said first conductive pattern with openings therein exposing contact areas on said first conductive pattern so that said circuit functions can be interconnected, applying a second conductive pattern on said second insulating layer in ohmic connection with the exposed portions of said first conductive pattern to interconnect said circuit functions and form said electronic system, and winding at least on conductor from said second conductive pattern along the spaces between said rows and to interconnect a terminal in a circuit function located in each row and a plurality of columns.

Claim 23

Independent Claim 222 words

A method of manufacturing a complex electronic system having a plurality of circuit functions therein, each circuit function having active and passive electronic components comprising the steps of: forming a large number of said electronic components at least partially in said one face of a semiconductor substrate with a first insulating layer on said one face having openings therein exposing contact areas on said electronic components, applying a first conductive pattern on said insulating layer in ohmic contact with selected ones of said electronic components through said openings to connect groups of said electronic components together to provide said plurality of circuit functions, arranging said circuit functions in a matrix of rows and columns on said one face of said substrate with spaces between said rows, applying a second insulating layer over said first conductive pattern with openings therein exposing contact areas on said first conductive pattern so that said circuit functions can be interconnected, applying a second conductive pattern on said second insulating layer in ohmic connection with the exposed portions of said first conductive pattern to interconnect said circuit functions and form said electronic system, and winding at least on conductor from said second conductive pattern along the spaces between said rows and to interconnect a terminal in a circuit function located in each row and a plurality of columns.

Claim 24

Dependent Claim 100 words

A method according to claim 18, wherein said step of applying said second conductive pattern comprises: applying conductive material over the entire surface of said second insulating layer, applying a photoresist layer over said conductive material, selectively exposing said photoresist material with a beam of energy which is directed along said one face of said substrate to form a desired exposure pattern on said photoresist material, developing the photoresist material to provide an etch resistant mask thereby eXposing undesired portions of said conductive material, and removing said undesired portions of said conductive material to leave the desired second conductive pattern.

Claim 25

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method according to claim 18, wherein all of said circuit functions are identical and each group comprises a like number and kind of electronic components.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1977-09-16	1978-03-18	1978-09-17	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1981-09-16	1982-03-18	1982-09-17	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1985-09-16	1986-03-18	1986-09-17	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Method of making semiconductor devices

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