US6897125B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Methods of forming backside connections on a wafer stack
Assignee: Tahoe Research Ltd
•
Filing: 2003-09-17
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Granted: 2005-05-24
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Expires: 2023-09-17
Abstract
Abstract Various methods of forming backside connections on a wafer stack are disclosed. To form the backside connections, vias are formed in a first wafer that is to be bonded with a second wafer. The vias used for the backside connections are formed on a side of the first wafer along with an interconnect structure, and the backside connections are formed on an opposing side of the first wafer using these vias.
Inventors
- 👤 Patrick Morrow
- 👤 R. Scott List
- 👤 Sarah E. Kim
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:26
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10W; H10W20/00; H10W20/01; H10W20/021; H10W20/023; H10W20/0245; H10W20/0249; H10W20/0257; H10W20/0265; H10W20/20; H10W90/00; H10W20/071; H10W20/081; H10W20/084; H10W20/085; H10W72/00; H10W72/01; H10W72/012; H10W72/071; H10W72/072; H10W72/07231; H10W72/07236; H10W72/20; H10W72/241; H10W72/244; H10W72/251; H10W72/252; H10W72/30; H10W72/351; H10W72/353; H10W72/354; H10W72/90; H10W72/951; H10W72/952; H10W90/20; H10W90/297; H10W90/701; H10W90/721; H10W90/722; H10W99/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
121 words
A method comprising: forming a first interconnect structure on one side of a first wafer; forming a number of vias, each of the vias extending through the first interconnect structure and into the first wafer; depositing an insulating material in each of the number of vias, the insulating material in each via forming an insulating plug; forming a second interconnect structure over the insulating plugs and the first interconnect structure, wherein each of the insulating plugs extends to one of a number of conductors in the second interconnect structure; bonding the first wafer to a second wafer to form a wafer stack; and thinning an opposing side of the first wafer to expose the insulating plug within each of the vias.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
121 words
A method comprising: forming a first interconnect structure on one side of a first wafer; forming a number of vias, each of the vias extending through the first interconnect structure and into the first wafer; depositing an insulating material in each of the number of vias, the insulating material in each via forming an insulating plug; forming a second interconnect structure over the insulating plugs and the first interconnect structure, wherein each of the insulating plugs extends to one of a number of conductors in the second interconnect structure; bonding the first wafer to a second wafer to form a wafer stack; and thinning an opposing side of the first wafer to expose the insulating plug within each of the vias.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing alignment of the wafer stack using the exposed insulating plugs and vias.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a layer of dielectric material over the opposing side of the first wafer and the exposed insulating plugs.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The method of claim 3 , further comprising forming a number of other vias, each of the other vias extending through the dielectric layer and one of the insulating plugs, wherein each of the other vias extends to the one conductor in the second interconnect structure associated with the one insulating plug.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
54 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising: forming a number of trenches in the dielectric layer, each trench located coincident with one of the other vias; and depositing a conductive material in each of the other vias and each of the trenches, the conductive material in each of the trenches forming a land.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 5 , wherein the conductive material comprises a copper material.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising depositing a connection element on each of the lands.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 5 , further comprising continuing deposition of the conductive material to form connection elements proximate at least some of the trenches.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising depositing a conductive material in each of the other vias.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 9 , wherein the conductive material comprises a copper material.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 9 , further continuing deposition of the conductive material to form connection elements proximate at least some of the other vias.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating material comprises an oxide material.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 12 , wherein the insulating material comprises SiO 2 .
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulating material comprises one of a nitride material, a carbide material, and a polymer material.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising cutting the wafer stack into a plurality of stacked die.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 15 , further comprising packaging one of the stacked die to form a packaged integrated circuit device.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least one dummy via extending through the first interconnect structure and into the first wafer.
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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) | 2008-05-23 | 2008-11-22 | 2009-05-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2012-05-23 | 2012-11-22 | 2013-05-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2016-05-23 | 2016-11-22 | 2017-05-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |