Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
144 words
An interconnection between at least one component or terminal and at least another component or terminal on a semiconductor substrate, the interconnection formed in accordance with the following steps: forming at least two rows of trenches each having a predetermined shape on a major surface of said semiconductor substate, said trenches having a predetermined depth, thermally oxidizing a portion of said semiconductor substrate including said trenches and a region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches to completely oxidize said region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches and to form an oxide film filling said trenches, thereby completely oxidizing said portion of said semiconductor substrate to the depth of said trenches, and forming an electrically conductive layer on said dielectric, said electrically conductive layer forming said interconnection between said at least one component or terminal and said at least another component or terminal.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
144 words
An interconnection between at least one component or terminal and at least another component or terminal on a semiconductor substrate, the interconnection formed in accordance with the following steps: forming at least two rows of trenches each having a predetermined shape on a major surface of said semiconductor substate, said trenches having a predetermined depth, thermally oxidizing a portion of said semiconductor substrate including said trenches and a region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches to completely oxidize said region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches and to form an oxide film filling said trenches, thereby completely oxidizing said portion of said semiconductor substrate to the depth of said trenches, and forming an electrically conductive layer on said dielectric, said electrically conductive layer forming said interconnection between said at least one component or terminal and said at least another component or terminal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
36 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said trenches are filled to the level of the major surface of said substrate and said conductive layer is formed at the level of the major surface of said substrate.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
21 words
The interconnection of claim 2, wherein the trenches are filled only to the level of the major surface of the substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
13 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said semiconductor substrate comprises a silicon substrate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
12 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said dielectric comprises an oxide film.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
12 words
The interconnection layer of claim 1, wherein said conductive layer comprises aluminum.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
14 words
The interconnection layer of claim 1, wherein said conductive layer comprises a refractory metal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
11 words
The interconnection of claim 7, wherein said refractory metal comprises polysilicon.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
17 words
The interconnection layer of claim 1, wherein each of said trenches has a rectangular cross sectional shape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The interconnection of claim 1, further comprising an oxide film on the major surface of said semiconductor substrate excluding said trenches and the region of said semiconductor substrate interposed between said trenches.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
29 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said trenches comprise a first trench and a second trench, in which the widths of said first and second trenches are the same.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
110 words
The interconnection of claim 11, wherein the steps of forming said interconnection include the further step of predetermining a width of said first and second trenches and of the region interposed therebetween, wherein the width of said first and second trenches and a width of the region of said semiconductor substrate interposed between said first trench and said second trench are selected to have a constant ratio, said constant ratio being based on a ratio of the thickness of a segment in which an oxide film expands on the semiconductor substrate to the thickness of a portion in which the oxide film penetrates into the semiconductor substrate by thermal oxidation.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
22 words
The interconnection of claim 12, wherein said constant ratio of the trench width to the interposed region width is 6 to 4.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
12 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said trenches are formed by etching.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The interconnection of claim 1, wherein said electrically conductive layer comprises a bonding pad.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of manufacturing an interconnection on a semiconductor substrate comprising the following steps: forming at least two rows trenches each having a predetermined shape on a major surface of said semiconductor substrate, said trenches having a predetermined depth. thermally oxidizing a portion of said semiconductor substrate including said trenches and a region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches to completely oxidize said region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches and to form an oxide film filling said trenches, thereby completely oxidizing said portion of said semiconductor substate to the depth of said trenches, and forming an electrically conductive layer on said dielectric, said electrically conductive layer forming said interconnection between said at least one component or terminal and said at least another component or terminal.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
128 words
A method of manufacturing an interconnection on a semiconductor substrate comprising the following steps: forming at least two rows trenches each having a predetermined shape on a major surface of said semiconductor substrate, said trenches having a predetermined depth. thermally oxidizing a portion of said semiconductor substrate including said trenches and a region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches to completely oxidize said region of said semiconductor substrate between said trenches and to form an oxide film filling said trenches, thereby completely oxidizing said portion of said semiconductor substate to the depth of said trenches, and forming an electrically conductive layer on said dielectric, said electrically conductive layer forming said interconnection between said at least one component or terminal and said at least another component or terminal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
62 words
A method of manufacturing an interconnection on a semiconductor substrate as in claim 16, wherein the step of thermally oxidizing said portion of said semiconductor substrate comprises the step of: thermally oxidizing said semiconductor substrate to form a first oxide film filling said trenches and to form a second oxide film in said region of said semiconductor substrate interposed between said trenches.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 17, which further comprises a step of flattening the upper surfaces of said first, second and third oxide films.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
43 words
The method of claim 18, wherein said flattening step comprises the step of etching away the upper surfaces of said first, second and third oxide films to a predetermined thickness, so that said semiconductor substrate covered with said third oxide film is exposed.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method of manufacturing an interconnection on a semiconductor substrate as in claim 17, further comprising the step of forming a third oxide film on the major surface of said semiconductor substrate but excluding the area of said trenches and the region interposed between said trenches.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
103 words
The method of claim 16, comprising the further steps of predetermining a width of said first and second trenches and of the region interposed therebetween, wherein the width of said first and second trenches and a width of the region of said semiconductor substrate interposed between said first trench and said second trench are selected to have a constant ratio, said constant ratio being based on a ratio of the thickness of a segment in which an oxide film expands on the semiconductor substrate to the thickness of a portion in which the oxide film penetrates into the semiconductor substrate by thermal oxidation.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said constant ratio of the trench width to the interposed region width is 6 to 4.