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US5341024A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method of increasing the layout efficiency of dies on a wafer, and increasing the ratio of I/O area to active area per die

Assignee: LSI Corp
•
Filing: 1992-11-18
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Granted: 1994-08-23
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Expires: 2012-11-18
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Abstract

Abstract Certain non-square dies, such as triangular dies, greatly elongated rectangular dies, parallelogram dies, trapezoidal, and the like, are able to be laid out in the area of a circular semiconductor wafer more "efficiently" than square dies. Further, a peripheral area of these certain non-square dies is advantageously increased relative to the area contained within the peripheral area, to accommodate increased I/O connections to the active elements of the die.

Inventors

  • 👤 Michael D. Rosotker

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-01 15:19
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/90; G; G03; G03F; G03F7/00; G03F7/70; G03F7/70425; G03F7/70433; G06; G06F; G06F30/00; G06F30/30; G06F30/39; G06F30/392; H10D; H10D62/00; H10D62/10; H10D62/117; H10D89/00; H10D89/10; H10W70/00; H10W70/40; H10W70/411; H10W70/421; H10W70/435; H10W74/00; H10W74/10; H10W74/111; H10W74/124; H10W72/071; H10W72/075; H10W72/07551; H10W72/07554; H10W72/20; H10W72/29; H10W72/50; H10W72/531; H10W72/5363; H10W72/541; H10W72/5449; H10W72/547; H10W72/551; H10W72/552; H10W72/5522; H10W72/59; H10W72/931; H10W72/932; H10W72/951; H10W90/00; H10W90/701; H10W90/721; H10W90/722; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/028

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to sixty degrees.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to sixty degrees.
Claim 3
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to thirty degrees.
Claim 4
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to thirty degrees.
Claim 5
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to one-hundred-twenty degrees.
Claim 6
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to one-hundred-twenty degrees.
Claim 7
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to one-hundred-fifty degrees.
Claim 8
Independent Claim 112 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, consisting essentially of: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; and providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a diagonal angle "Θ" not equal to ninety degrees; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first and second series of scribe lines define a plurality of parallelogram-shaped die sites; and the angle Θ, at which the second series of parallel scribe lines intersects the first series of parallel scribe lines, is equal to one-hundred-fifty degrees.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 196 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at first points at a first angle "α" equal to ninety degrees; providing a third series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a second angle "Θ" at second points between the first points, said second angle "Θ" being a positive diagonal angle; and providing a fourth series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a third angle "Φ" at the second points, said third angle "Φ" being a negative diagonal angle; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first, second, third and fourth series of scribe lines define a first group of dies having a first geometrical shape and a second group of dies having a second geometrical shape different than the first geometrical shape.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 196 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, comprising: providing a first series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across a semiconductor wafer; providing a second series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at first points at a first angle "α" equal to ninety degrees; providing a third series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a second angle "Θ" at second points between the first points, said second angle "Θ" being a positive diagonal angle; and providing a fourth series of substantially equally spaced-apart parallel scribe lines chordwise across the semiconductor wafer intersecting the first series of parallel scribe lines at a third angle "Φ" at the second points, said third angle "Φ" being a negative diagonal angle; wherein: a plurality of areas enclosed by the first, second, third and fourth series of scribe lines define a first group of dies having a first geometrical shape and a second group of dies having a second geometrical shape different than the first geometrical shape.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the second angle Θ is different than the first angle α.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the third angle Φ is different than the first angle α.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the third angle Φ is of the same magnitude as the second angle Θ.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the second points are midway between the first points.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the first group of dies have a square shape.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 24 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 5, wherein: the second group of dies have a triangular shape.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 26 words
A method of forming die sites on a semiconductor wafer, according to claim 11, wherein: the second group of dies have a right isosceles triangular shape.

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1997-08-22 1998-02-21 1998-08-23 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2001-08-22 2002-02-21 2002-08-23 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2005-08-22 2006-02-21 2006-08-23 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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