Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
164 words
A die sealing bonding pad structure for use as an integrated circuit bonding pad that includes a noble metal bonding face and sealed edges that are protected from adverse environments, said bonding pad structure comprising: an aluminum bonding pad located on a semiconductor integrated circuit; a first passivation layer overlapping the edges of said aluminum bonding pad whereby the central region is not covered by said first passivation layer; a sequence of conductive layers overlying said aluminum bonding pad and having edges that overlap said first passivation layer, said sequence comprising at least a barrier metal layer and a noble metal outer layer, said barrier layer operating to metallurgically isolate said noble metal from said aluminum; and a second passivation layer overlapping the edges of said sequence of conductive layers whereby the central region of said noble metal outer layer is exposed for making electrical contact to said integrated circuit and said second passivation layer seals the edges of said sequence of conductive layers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
164 words
A die sealing bonding pad structure for use as an integrated circuit bonding pad that includes a noble metal bonding face and sealed edges that are protected from adverse environments, said bonding pad structure comprising: an aluminum bonding pad located on a semiconductor integrated circuit; a first passivation layer overlapping the edges of said aluminum bonding pad whereby the central region is not covered by said first passivation layer; a sequence of conductive layers overlying said aluminum bonding pad and having edges that overlap said first passivation layer, said sequence comprising at least a barrier metal layer and a noble metal outer layer, said barrier layer operating to metallurgically isolate said noble metal from said aluminum; and a second passivation layer overlapping the edges of said sequence of conductive layers whereby the central region of said noble metal outer layer is exposed for making electrical contact to said integrated circuit and said second passivation layer seals the edges of said sequence of conductive layers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
22 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 1 wherein said noble metal is selected from the group consisting of gold and platinum.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 1 wherein said barrier metal is selected from the group consisting of titanium-tungsten alloys, nickel-vanadium alloys, chromium and chromium-nickel alloys.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 1 wherein said sequence of conductors further includes an adhesion metal layer between said aluminum bonding pad and said barrier metal layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 4 wherein said adhesion layer comprises aluminum.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 1 wherein said first and second passivation layers comprise at least a first layer of silicon dioxide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
21 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 6 further comprising a layer of silicon nitride on top of said silicon dioxide.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
The die sealing bonding pad of claim 6 wherein said second passivation layer comprises a relatively thick layer of either low melting glass or insulating organic material overcoated with silicon nitride.