Lsi Logic Corporation

Digital Equipment Corporation

Other

Lsi Corporation

Linear Technology Corporation

Ramaswamy Ranganathan

Qwai Hoong Low

Chok J Chia

Tauman T Lau

Anwar Ali

Maurice O Othieno

Sunil A Patel

Philip E McKinley

Owai H Low

Rey Torcuato

Sengsooi Lim

Carl J Bloch

Kishor V Desai

Peter Austin Burke

Aftab A Ahmad

Michael J Berman

Sey-Shing Sun

Hemanshu D Bhatt

Jayanthi Pallinti

Edwin M Fulcher

Hong Ying

David Alan Pruitt

Dilip Vijay

Frederick E Beville

Chiyi Kao

William T Bright, Ii

William D Griffitts

A semiconductor device is disclosed that has a die and a substrate having a die attachment area with a perimeter. A layer of solder connects the substrate and the die, the solder layer having at least one vent channel connected to the perimeter of the die attachment area, wherein the maximum distance from any point in the solder layer to the nearest free surface of the solder at a vent channel or at the perimeter of the die is less than the distance from the center of the die to the nearest edge of the die.

Enhanced pad design for solder attach devices

Different ways to reduce or eliminate the IMC cracking issues in wire bonded parts, including: changing to more compressive dielectric films for top, R1, and R2; changing the top passivation film stacks to more compressive films; changing the low k film to a higher compressive film; reducing the R layer thickness and pattern density to reduce tensile stress; and minimizing anneal and dielectric deposition temperatures. Each of the methods can be used individually or in combination with each other to reduce overall tensile stresses in the Cu/low-k wafer thus reducing or eliminating the IMC cracking issue currently seen in the post wire bonded parts.

Eliminate IMC cracking in post wirebonded dies: macro level stress reduction by modifying dielectric/metal film stack in be layers during Cu/Low-K processing

An integrated circuit having a crack detection structure. A control structure is formed having interleaved electrically conductive layers and non electrically conductive layers in a vertical orientation. Electrically conductive vias are disposed vertically through all of the non electrically conductive layers, which vias electrically connect all of the electrically conductive layers one to another. A test structure is formed having a bonding pad for probing and bonding, with underlying interleaved electrically conductive layers and non electrically conductive layers disposed in a vertical orientation. At least one of the non electrically conductive layers has no vias formed therein, simulating active circuitry under other bonding pads of the integrated circuit. At least one of the interleaved electrically conductive layers of the control structure extends from within the control structure to within the test structure as a sensing layer. The sensing layer immediately underlies the at least one of the non electrically conductive layers in the test structure that has no vias formed therein. Thus, a crack in the at least one of the non electrically conductive layers in the test structure that has no vias formed therein is detectable as a leakage current between the bonding pad of the test structure and a top most electrically conductive layer of the control structure.

Test structure for detecting bonding-induced cracks

A method for insulating a bonding wire that includes the steps of attaching a bonding wire to a bond pad and coating the bonding wire with an insulating liquid while drawing the bonding wire through a bond tool from the bond pad to a package lead.

Insulated bonding wire tool for microelectronic packaging

An integrated circuit with a pressure resistant current carrying structure having electrically conductive layers for carrying current. A first electrically nonconductive material at least partially surrounds the electrically conductive layers, and provides electrical insulation between the electrically conductive layers. The first electrically nonconductive material has a first degree of fragility and a first dielectric constant. A second electrically nonconductive material is disposed in a pattern within the first electrically nonconductive material and between the electrically conductive layers, and provides structural support for the first electrically nonconductive material between the electrically conductive layers. The second electrically nonconductive material has a second degree of fragility that is less than the first degree of fragility and a second dielectric constant that is greater than the first dielectric constant.

Dielectric stack

An integrated circuit having a top passivation layer and bonding pads, where the improvement is a metal layer overlying all of the integrated circuit. The metal layer overlies the top passivation layer and is not in electrical contact with any of the bonding pads. In this manner, there is a structure that is added to the integrated circuit which has a relatively high thermal conductivity, and which also has a relatively high structural strength. With these two added properties, the occurrence of stress cracks, such as those induced by plastic molded packages, is reduced, and hot spots tend to be dissipated. Thus, the overlying metal layer tends to improve the reliability of the integrated circuit.

Buffer metal layer

A test structure for an integrated circuit having a first underlying conductive layer. A first nonconductive layer is disposed over the first underlying conductive layer, and a first overlying conductive layer is disposed over the first nonconductive layer. First conductive vias form electrical connections between the first underlying conductive layer and the first overlying conductive layer. A second overlying conductive layer is disposed over the first nonconductive layer, but the second overlying conductive layer does not make electrical connections to the first underlying conductive layer. The test structure also has a second underlying conductive layer. A second nonconductive layer is disposed over the second underlying conductive layer, with a third overlying conductive layer disposed over the second nonconductive layer. The third overlying conductive layer does not make electrical connections to the second underlying conductive layer. A fourth overlying conductive layer is disposed over the second nonconductive layer, and second conductive vias form electrical connections between the second underlying conductive layer and the fourth overlying conductive layer. First conductive traces form electrical connections between the first overlying conductive layer and the third conductive layer, and second conductive traces form electrical connections between the second overlying conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer.

Test structure

A bonding pad structure having an electrically conductive capping layer. An electrically conductive first supporting layer having major orthogonal sides is disposed under the electrically conductive capping layer. The electrically conductive first supporting layer is configured as a sheet having slotted voids in a first direction. An electrically conductive second supporting layer having major orthogonal sides is disposed under the electrically conductive first supporting layer. The electrically conductive second supporting layer is configured as a sheet having slotted voids in a second direction. The first direction and the second direction are associated one with another by being disposed at a positive value and a negative value of an angle, where the angle is neither zero nor ninety degrees with respect to the major orthogonal sides of the electrically conductive first supporting layer and the electrically conductive second supporting layer.

Slotted bonding pad

A bonding pad structure having an electrically conductive capping layer. An electrically conductive first supporting layer is disposed immediately under the electrically conductive capping layer, without any intervening layers between the electrically conductive capping layer and the electrically conductive first supporting layer. The electrically conductive first supporting layer is configured as one of a sheet having no voids and a sheet having slotted voids in a first direction. An electrically conductive second supporting layer is disposed under the electrically conductive first supporting layer. The electrically conductive second supporting layer is configured as one of a sheet having slotted voids in the first direction, a sheet having slotted voids in a second direction, and a sheet having checkerboard voids.

Bonding pad for low k dielectric

An integrated circuit, including a substrate with circuitry formed therein, where the substrate has a peripheral edge. Also included are a top most electrically conductive layer and an underlying electrically conductive layer. Outer bonding pads are disposed in an outer ring, and are formed within the top most layer. Inner bonding pads are disposed in an inner ring, and are formed within the top most layer. Inner connectors electrically connect the inner bonding pads to the circuitry. The inner connectors are formed within the underlying layer, and have a width that is less than the width of the inner bonding pads, thereby defining a gap between the inner connectors. Outer connectors electrically connect the outer bonding pads to the circuitry. The outer connectors are formed within the underlying layer, and have a width that is less than the width of the gap between the inner connectors.

Bonding pad isolation

Insulated bonding wire for microelectronic packaging

An integrated circuit topography is provided which includes at least two rows of bonding pads. Each row of bonding pads is attributed a row of probe pads. One row of probe pads is contained within the scribe area and suffices as a sacrificial row of probe pads. The other row of probe pads is placed toward the interior of the integrated circuit. The rows of bonding pads and probe pads extend along parallel axis around all four sides of the integrated circuit. Every other bonding pad within one row of bonding pads is connected to every other probe pad within the scribe area, and every other bonding pad within the other rows of bonding pads is connected to every probe pad within the row of probe pads interior to the integrated circuit. This allows a fan-out configuration of the bonding pads to probe pads for purposes of probing electrical performance of the integrated circuit without having to use selected ones of the bonding pads. This prevents jeopardizing the integrity of the bonding pad by gouging out the bonding pad during probe operation. Moreover, thicker probe needles can be used, and placed in a less dense fashion around the outer perimeter of the integrated circuit.

Integrated circuit having dedicated probe pads for use in testing densely patterned bonding pads

An improved tape substrate design for a semiconductor package is disclosed. The tape substrate semiconductor package includes a plurality of die pads, a plurality of vias, and a pattern of metal traces interconnected between the die pads and the vias to form circuitry on the tape substrate. According to the method and apparatus of the present invention an extra metal layer is added at the circuitry to increase rigidity of the tape substrate, thereby reducing warpage without adding to the thickness of the tape substrate package.

Tape design to reduce warpage

According to the present invention, a method for creating a package for a semiconductor die, the package comprising a flexible tape, comprises the following steps. A support with an opening has a plurality of arms extending through at a portion of the opening. For example, for a square opening, there may be eight arms, two extending from each side of the opening. The arms preferably form a &ldquo;z&rdquo; shape or some other shape with a transverse component. The flexible tape is then attached to the ends of the arms within the opening such that the flexible tape is supported by the arms. A die is attached to the flexible tape, the die is preferably covered with a molding compound, and the die/flexible tape assembly is scribed from the support, thereby creating an individual package.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga, CA, United States of America

Ramaswamy Ranganathan