US4288911A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for qualifying biased integrated circuits on a wafer level
Assignee: Intersil Corp
•
Filing: 1979-12-21
•
Granted: 1981-09-15
•
Expires: 1999-12-21
Abstract
Abstract Integrated circuits in dice on a wafer are qualified by providing two sets of conductors connected to each die by fusible elements, biasing the dice using said conductors during exposure to a qualifying environment, testing the fusible elements, removing the conductors and testing the circuits. Where the environment is gamma radiation, the fusible elements are tested before annealing of radiation damage and the circuits are tested before and after annealing.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth A. Ports
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-26 03:49
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01R; G01R31/00; G01R31/28; G01R31/2851; G01R31/2855; G01R31/2872; G01R31/2881; G01R31/2856; H; H10; H10P; H10P34/00; G01R31/282; G01R31/2831; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/162; Y10S438/00; Y10S438/953
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: electrically interconnecting the dice containing said integrated circuits on the wafer electrically; electrically biasing the dice on said wafer; irradiating the wafer with gamma ray radiation while said dice are electrically biased; annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage; and testing the circuitry on said dice.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
60 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: electrically interconnecting the dice containing said integrated circuits on the wafer electrically; electrically biasing the dice on said wafer; irradiating the wafer with gamma ray radiation while said dice are electrically biased; annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage; and testing the circuitry on said dice.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 1 including testing the electrical interconnects before irradiating and marking defectively connected dice.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 2 including testing the circuitry on said dice after irradiating and before annealing and marking defective dice.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said dice are interconnected to common conductors by fusible elements; and including testing the condition of the fusible elements before irradiating and marking disconnected dice.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
40 words
The method according to claim 4 wherein said interconnecting includes forming contact apertures in an insulative layer of the wafer, forming conductors on said insulative layer, and interconnecting said conductors and said dice with said fusible elements via said apertures.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method according to claim 5 including removing said conductors and the underlying insulative layer to expose scribe areas of the wafer and breaking said wafer into separate dice after annealing.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The method according to claim 4 wherein said conductors are formed connected to one of two electrodes and the conductors are selectively connected to said dice whereby all dice can be simultaneously electrically biased during said irradiating.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said electrically interconnecting includes forming a first plurality of conductors on said wafer connected to a first electrode and a second plurality of conductors connected to a second electrode, and each die is connected to at least one conductor of each of said first and second plurality of conductors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method according to claim 1 including removing said electrical interconnectors after said irradiating and before testing the circuitry on said dice.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: forming a first and second electrode each having a plurality of conductors on said wafer, each die on said wafer containing an integrated circuit being connected to a conductor of both of said electrodes; electrically biasing said first and second electrodes; irradiating the wafer with gamma ray radiation while said dice are electrically biased; removing said conductors; testing the circuitry on said dice and marking defective dice; and annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
89 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: forming a first and second electrode each having a plurality of conductors on said wafer, each die on said wafer containing an integrated circuit being connected to a conductor of both of said electrodes; electrically biasing said first and second electrodes; irradiating the wafer with gamma ray radiation while said dice are electrically biased; removing said conductors; testing the circuitry on said dice and marking defective dice; and annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method according to claim 10 wherein said conductors are connected to said dice by fusible elements; and including testing the condition of the fusible elements before irradiating and marking disconnected dice.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method according to claim 10 including testing the circuitry on said dice and marking defective dice after annealing, and subsequently breaking said wafer into a plurality of separate dice.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising; forming a first and a second discrete conductor on said wafer, each connected to each die containing an integrated circuit on said wafer, at least one of said conductors being connected to each die by a fusible element; electrically biasing said conductors; irradiating the wafer while said dice are electrically biased; annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage; and testing the circuitry on said dice.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
79 words
A method for qualifying radiation hard integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising; forming a first and a second discrete conductor on said wafer, each connected to each die containing an integrated circuit on said wafer, at least one of said conductors being connected to each die by a fusible element; electrically biasing said conductors; irradiating the wafer while said dice are electrically biased; annealing said dice sufficiently to remove radiation damage; and testing the circuitry on said dice.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 13 including testing said fusible elements and marking disconnected dice.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 14 wherein said fusible elements are tested before said irradiating.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The method according to claim 15 wherein said fusible elements are tested after said irradiating.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method according to claim 13 including testing said circuitry on said dice after radiation and before annealing.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method according to claim 17 including removing said conductors after irradiating and before testing and annealing.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for qualifying integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: forming a first and a second discrete conductor on said wafer, each connected to each die containing an integrated circuit on said wafer, at least one of said conductors being connected to each die by a fusible element; electrically biasing said conductors; subjecting said wafer to the qualifying environment while said dice are electrically biased; testing the condition of said fusible elements and marking disconnected dice; and testing the circuitry on said dice and marking defective dice.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
88 words
A method for qualifying integrated circuits at the wafer level comprising: forming a first and a second discrete conductor on said wafer, each connected to each die containing an integrated circuit on said wafer, at least one of said conductors being connected to each die by a fusible element; electrically biasing said conductors; subjecting said wafer to the qualifying environment while said dice are electrically biased; testing the condition of said fusible elements and marking disconnected dice; and testing the circuitry on said dice and marking defective dice.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 19 wherein the fusible elements are tested before being electrically biased and disconnected dice are marked.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
A method according to claim 19 including removing said conductors after testing for disconnected fusible elements and before circuit testing.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 21 including removing the conductors along with the underlying insulative layer to expose scribe areas of the wafer and breaking said wafer into dice after the circuit testing and marking.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 19 wherein forming said first and second discrete conductors includes forming contact apertures in an insulative layer of said wafer to all contact points of the circuits on said dice except for the area over which an electrode of a respective conductor will be formed, and applying a conductive layer to said wafer and patterning said conductive layer to form said conductors, electrodes and fusible elements.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3461547A
Cited
US3553830A
Cited
US3723873A
Cited
US3769693A
Cited
US3849872A
Cited
US4032949A
Cited
US4220918A
Cited
JPS54102976A
Cited
US4172228A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-09-14 | 1985-03-16 | 1985-09-15 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-09-14 | 1989-03-16 | 1989-09-15 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-09-14 | 1993-03-16 | 1993-09-15 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |