Conductor crossovers for integrated RC-circuits

Claim 1

A method for the manufacture of a conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first bottom TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) oxidizing the remaining portions of the double layer to create a TaAl-oxide layer; (d) applying an SiO 2 layer over the structure formed thus far; (e) in a second photo-technique, masking the desired crossover region and etching off unmasked SiO 2 and TaAl-oxide layers; (f) using the remaining SiO 2 in the crossover region as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer from the leads of the crossunder and crossover paths; (g) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; and (h) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer.

Claim 2

A method for the manufacture of a conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first bottom TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) oxidizing the remaining portions of the double layer to create a TaAl-oxide layer; (d) applying an SiO 2 layer over the structure formed thus far; (e) in a second photo-technique, masking the desired crossover region and etching off unmasked SiO 2 and TaAl-oxide layers; (f) using the remaining SiO 2 in the crossover region as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer from the leads of the crossunder and crossover paths; (g) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; and (h) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer.

Claim 6

A method for the manufacture of a non-temperature compensated TaAl RC network having a conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first portion TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) oxidizing the remaining portions of the double layer to create a TaAl-oxide layer; (d) applying a polyimide layer over the structure formed thus far; (e) in a second photo-technique, masking the desired crossover region and etching off unmasked polyimide and TaAl-oxide layers; (f) using the remaining polyimide in the crossover region as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer from the leads of the crossunder and crossover paths; (g) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; and (h) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer.

Claim 7

A method for the manufacture of a non-temperature compensated TaAl RC network having a conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first portion TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) oxidizing the remaining portions of the double layer to create a TaAl-oxide layer; (d) applying a polyimide layer over the structure formed thus far; (e) in a second photo-technique, masking the desired crossover region and etching off unmasked polyimide and TaAl-oxide layers; (f) using the remaining polyimide in the crossover region as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer from the leads of the crossunder and crossover paths; (g) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; and (h) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer.

Claim 8

A method for the manufacture of a resistance network conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first bottom TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) applying a polyimide layer over the structure formed thus far; (d) in a second photo-technique masking the desired crossover region and etching off the unmasked polyimide layer; (e) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; (f) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer; and (g) using the conductive layer as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer.

Claim 9

A method for the manufacture of a resistance network conductor crossover formed of a crossover region with a crossunder path and a crossover path and leads connecting to the crossover and crossunder paths, all in a thin film integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: (a) providing an insulating base and applying a TaAl double layer thereon, the double layer comprising a first bottom TaAl layer of higher tantalum content and a second upper TaAl layer of lower tantalum content; (b) in a first photo-technique, masking the desired crossunder path and associated leads and also the desired leads for the crossover path, and then etching away unmasked portions of the double layer; (c) applying a polyimide layer over the structure formed thus far; (d) in a second photo-technique masking the desired crossover region and etching off the unmasked polyimide layer; (e) applying an electrically highly conductive layer over the structure formed thus far; (f) in a third photo-technique, masking the desired crossover path and the leads of the crossover and crossunder paths and etching away unmasked portions of the conductive layer; and (g) using the conductive layer as a mask, etching off unmasked TaAl second layer.