International Business Machines Corporation

George S Prokop

Howard L Kalter

H Bernhard Pogge

Donald Lawrence Wheater

Hazara Singh Rathore

Du Binh Nguyen

Richard Andre Wachnik

Gary Robert Hueckel

Craig R Gruszecki

Large area chip functionality is tested at an intermediate level in the manufacturing process. A process sequence is implemented in which a layer of insulator material is deposited over the chip. This layer is then processed to selectively open areas over existing vias which are to be used for chip level testing. The other vias remain covered with insulator. A sacrificial metal level is then deposited on the insulator layer and patterned to create adequately large test pad areas connected to exposed vias. This metal layer and the insulator layer covering the other buried vias are removed after testing to re-establish the full via set. As an extension to this basic test process, test circuits can be formed around or beside the chip to be tested in the kerf areas separating the chip from other chips on the semiconductor wafer. Connections to the test circuits is with a sacrificial metal layer over an insulator layer. The sacrificial metal layer and insulator layer are removed after testing. The test circuits are scribed off in the process of separating the chips after back end of line processing is completed.

Method for chip testing

A method of fabricating on chip metal-to-metal capacitors (MMCAP) uses planar processing with a flexible choice of dielectric, thickness and capacitor shape. The method provides a simpler process which has a better yield and more reliable structure by creating a metal-to-metal capacitor on a planar surface, not in deep trenches. In addition to the process simplicity, the method also allows the use of any dielectric materials which are needed by the product designer; e.g., higher or lower dielectric constant and also not limited by high etch rate difference. Because the inventive process is a planar process, there are no corners in the bottom of deep trenches to cause yield and reliability problems. The capacitor area can be adjusted to any shape because there are no edge effects.

Method of producing planar metal-to-metal capacitor for use in

An emitter contact structure is disclosed for alleviating forward bias beta degradation in a bipolar transistor. The structure comprises emitter contact metallurgy which travels over a dielectric insulating layer having an area of increased thickness adjacent to the area of contact between the metallurgy and the emitter.

Structure for inhibiting forward bias beta degradation

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Dutchess County, NY, United States of America

George S Prokop