Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Jiun-Jie Huang

Ling-Sung Wang

Chi-Yen Lin

Jen-Pan Wang

Chih-Mu Huang

I-Chih Chen

Ying-Tsung Chen

Fu-Tsun Tsai

Chung-Yuan Yang

Wei-Huan Fu

Wen-Han Hung

A semiconductor device includes a device layer, a first passivation layer, an aluminum pad, a second passivation layer, an under-ball metallurgy (UBM) pad and a connector. The device layer is disposed over a substrate, wherein the device layer includes a top metal feature. The first passivation layer is disposed over the device layer. The aluminum pad penetrates through the first passivation layer and is electrically connected to the top metal feature. The second passivation layer is disposed over the aluminum pad. The UBM pad penetrates through the second passivation layer and is electrically connected to the aluminum pad. The connector is disposed over the UBM pad. In some embodiments, a first included angle between a sidewall and a bottom of the aluminum pad is greater than a second included angle between a sidewall and a bottom of the UBM pad.

Semiconductor device and method of forming the same

Semiconductor devices and methods of forming the same are disclosed. A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a gate structure over the substrate, a spacer and a source/drain region. The gate structure is disposed over the substrate. The spacer is disposed on a sidewall of the gate structure, wherein the spacer has a top surface lower than a top surface of the gate structure. The source/drain region is disposed adjacent to a sidewall of the spacer.

A device includes a dielectric layer, a passive device including a portion in the dielectric layer, and a plurality of voids in the dielectric layer and encircling the passive device.

Voids in interconnect structures and methods for forming the same

A metal-oxide-metal capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a plurality of first fingers and a plurality of second fingers. Each first finger and its corresponding second finger are in parallel and separated by a low k dielectric material. A via-hole region is employed to enclose the metal-oxide-metal capacitor so as to remove the moisture stored in the low k dielectric material.

Metal-oxide-metal capacitor apparatus with a via-hole region

Methods and apparatuses for sharing test pads among function blocks under test within multiple layers of a die are disclosed. A semiconductor wafer comprises a first die and a second die separated by a scribe line. A first pad, a second pad, and a third pad are located in the scribe line. The test pads may be located within a die as well. The first pad and the second pad are used to test a first function block within a first layer, and the first pad and the third pad are used to test a second function block within a second layer of the first die. The shared first test pad are used to test multiple function blocks contained in different layers of the die. Therefore fewer test pads are needed which leads to reduced area for scribe lines in a wafer.

Methods and apparatus for testing pads on wafers

A metal-oxide-metal capacitor comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, a plurality of first fingers and a plurality of second fingers. Each first finger and its corresponding second finger are in parallel and separated by a low k dielectric material. A guard ring is employed to enclose the metal-oxide-metal capacitor so as to prevent moisture from penetrating into the low k dielectric material.

Metal-oxide-metal capacitor structure

A semiconductor wafer has a die area and a scribe area. A first dummy pad is formed in a first test line area of the scribe area and filled with a first material as part of a first metal layer. A first interlayer dielectric is formed over the first metal layer. A first interconnect pattern is formed in the die area and above the first interlayer dielectric, and a first trench pattern is formed in the first test line area of the scribe area and above the interlayer dielectric. The first interconnect pattern and the first trench pattern are filled with a second metal layer, and the first trench pattern is aligned above the first dummy pad. An enhanced test line structure including the first trench pattern and the first dummy pad is formed and probed in a back end of line (BEOL) process.

Enhanced wafer test line structure

A method includes retrieving first layouts of an integrated circuit from a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The first layouts include a via pattern in a via layer, and a metal line pattern in a metal layer immediately over the via layer. The metal line pattern has an enclosure to the via pattern. The enclosure is increased to a second enclosure to generate second layouts of the integrated circuit.

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Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Jiun-Jie Huang