US6037668A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Integrated circuit having a support structure
Assignee: NXP USA Inc
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Filing: 1998-11-13
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Granted: 2000-03-14
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Expires: 2018-11-13
Abstract
Abstract In one embodiment of the invention, conductive support structures (112) are formed within an interlevel dielectric layer. The conductive support structures (112) lie within the bond pad region (111) of the integrated circuit and provide support to portions of the interlevel dielectric layer that have a low Young's modulus. The conductive support structures (112) are formed using the same processes that are used to form metal interconnects in the device region (109) of the integrated circuit, but they are not electrically coupled to semiconductor devices that lie within the device region (109). Conductive support structures (114) are also formed within the scribe line region (104) to provide support to the interlevel dielectric layer in this region of the integrated circuit.
Inventors
- 👤 Nigel G. Cave
- 👤 Kathleen C. Yu
- 👤 Janos Farkas
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 00:28
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/40; H10W20/45; H10W20/48; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/019; H10W72/90; H10W72/951; H10W72/952; H10W72/981; H10W72/983
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 23
Claim 1
Independent Claim
117 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a device region and a bond pad region; a first dielectric layer overlying the bond pad region, wherein the first dielectric layer has Young's modulus of less than approximatley 15.0 Giga Pascals; a first conductive bond pad lying within the bond pad region and overlying the first dielectric layer, the first conductive bond pad having a perimeter; and a first plurality of conductive support structures lying within the bond pad region and extending through the first dielectric layer, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures lie outside the perimeter of the first conductive bond pad and are electrically insulated from the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
117 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a device region and a bond pad region; a first dielectric layer overlying the bond pad region, wherein the first dielectric layer has Young's modulus of less than approximatley 15.0 Giga Pascals; a first conductive bond pad lying within the bond pad region and overlying the first dielectric layer, the first conductive bond pad having a perimeter; and a first plurality of conductive support structures lying within the bond pad region and extending through the first dielectric layer, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures lie outside the perimeter of the first conductive bond pad and are electrically insulated from the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
29 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first plurality of conductive support structures lie between the device region and the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
42 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second plurality of conductive support structures lying within the bond pad region, wherein the second plurality of conductive support structures extend through the first dielectric layer and underlie the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a second conductive bond pad overlying the bond pad region and the first dielectric layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures overlies a material having a Young's modulus of greater than approximately 15 Giga Pascals.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer is further characterized as having a dielectric constant of less than approximately 3.6.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer includes xerogel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
36 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first dielectric layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of aerogel, polyimide, parylene, biscyclobutenes, fluorocarbons, polyarylether-based materials, spin on glass, polysiloxanes, silsesquioxanes, and carbon-containing silicon oxide.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
27 words
The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures comprise a material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, copper, and aluminum.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
31 words
The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first plurality of conductive support structures lies between the first conductive bond pad and the second conductive bond pad.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
19 words
The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the semiconductor substrate is further characterized as having a scribe line region.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
36 words
The integrated circuit of claim 11, further comprising a second plurality of conductive support structures, wherein the second plurality of conductive support structures extend through the first dielectric layer and lie within the scribe line region.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
52 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer having a Young's modulus less than approximately 15.0 Giga Pascals; and a conductive support structure extending through the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive support structure is electrically insulated from functional circuit elements and testable circuit elements.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a dielectric layer over the substrate, the dielectric layer having a Young's modulus less than approximately 15.0 Giga Pascals; and a conductive support structure extending through the dielectric layer, wherein the conductive support structure is electrically insulated from functional circuit elements and testable circuit elements.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer has a dielectric constant less than approximately 3.6.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
36 words
The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of xerogel, aerogel, polyimide, parylene, biscyclobutenes, fluorocarbons, polyarylether-based materials, spin on glass, polysiloxanes, silsesquioxanes, and carbon-containing silicon oxide.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
26 words
The integrated circuit of claim 13, wherein the conductive support structure comprises a material selected from the group consisting of tungsten, titanium, tantalum, copper, and aluminum.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
109 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a bond pad region and a scribe line region; a first dielectric layer overlying the bond pad region, wherein the first dielectric layer has Young's modulus of less than approximately 15.0 Giga Pascals; a first conductive bond pad lying within the bond pad region and overlying the first dielectric layer, the first conductive bond pad having a perimeter; and a first plurality of conductive support structures lying within the bond pad region and extending through the first dielectric layer, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures underlies and is electrically insulated from the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
109 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a bond pad region and a scribe line region; a first dielectric layer overlying the bond pad region, wherein the first dielectric layer has Young's modulus of less than approximately 15.0 Giga Pascals; a first conductive bond pad lying within the bond pad region and overlying the first dielectric layer, the first conductive bond pad having a perimeter; and a first plurality of conductive support structures lying within the bond pad region and extending through the first dielectric layer, wherein the first plurality of conductive support structures underlies and is electrically insulated from the first conductive bond pad.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
36 words
The integrated circuit of claim 17, further comprising a second plurality of conductive support structures, wherein the second plurality of conductive support structures extend through the first dielectric layer and lie within the scribe line region.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
56 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a scribe line region; a dielectric layer overlying the scribe line region; and a plurality of conductive support structures lying within the scribe line region and extending through the dielectric layer, wherein the plurality of conductive support structures are electrically insulated from testable circuit elements.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
56 words
An integrated circuit comprising: a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a scribe line region; a dielectric layer overlying the scribe line region; and a plurality of conductive support structures lying within the scribe line region and extending through the dielectric layer, wherein the plurality of conductive support structures are electrically insulated from testable circuit elements.
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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) | 2003-03-14 | 2003-09-13 | 2004-03-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-03-14 | 2007-09-13 | 2008-03-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-03-14 | 2011-09-13 | 2012-03-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |