Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yi-Te Chen

Ho-Chun Liou

Chun-Ting Liao

Ming-Hui Yang

Chen-Yuan Chen

Hon-Hung Lui

Kun-Jung Chuang

Shou-Yi Hsu

Jyh-Feng Lin

A device includes an integrated circuit, a first seal ring, a second seal ring, and a dielectric layer. The first seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit and includes a plurality of first seal portions separated from each other by a plurality of first gaps. The second seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit, between the integrated circuit and the first seal ring and includes a plurality of second seal portions separated from each other by a plurality of second gaps. The dielectric layer surrounds the first and second seal rings and includes a plurality of first filling portions in the first gaps, respectively, and a plurality of second filling portions in the second gaps, respectively. A connection line of one of the first filling portions and one of the second filling portions closest to said one of the first filling portions is not parallel to edges of the integrated circuit.

Semiconductor device

A device includes an outer seal ring, an integrated circuit, and an inner seal ring. The outer seal ring forms a first closed loop. The integrated circuit is surrounded by the outer seal ring. The inner seal ring is between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring forms a second closed loop that defines an enclosed region external to the integrated circuit.

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit, an outer seal ring, and an inner seal ring. The outer seal ring forms a first closed loop surrounding the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring is between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit. The inner seal ring has a first seal portion surrounding the integrated circuit and a second seal portion spaced apart from the first seal portion, a first connector interconnecting the first seal portion and the second seal portion, and a second connector spaced apart from the first connector and interconnecting the first seal portion and the second seal portion. The first seal portion, the second seal portion, the first connector, and the second connector form a second closed loop.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device comprises forming an integrated circuit, surrounding the integrated circuit with an inner seal ring, and surrounding the inner seal ring with a closed-loop outer seal ring. The inner seal ring includes a plurality of metal layers in a stacked configuration, first and second seal portions separated from each other, and third and fourth seal portions spaced apart from the first and second seal portions and separated from each other.

Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit and a guard ring. The integrated circuit includes a first circuit and a second circuit separated from the first circuit. The guard ring is disposed around the first circuit and between the first circuit and the second circuit. The guard ring includes an outer ring, an inner ring, and two connectors. The outer ring is disposed around the first circuit and has a first gap. The inner ring is disposed between the outer ring and the first circuit and has a second gap. The two connectors connect the outer ring and the inner ring. The outer ring, the inner ring, and the two connectors form a closed loop.

A semiconductor device includes an integrated circuit, at least one outer seal ring, and at least one inner seal ring. The outer seal ring surrounds the integrated circuit. The outer seal ring includes a plurality of metal layers in a stacked configuration, and the metal layers are closed loops. The inner seal ring is disposed between the outer seal ring and the integrated circuit and separated from the outer seal ring. The inner seal ring has at least one gap extending from a region encircled by the inner seal ring to a region outside the inner seal ring.

A method is disclosed for forming a low resistance poly landing pad which is achieved by shunting the polysilicon of a landing pad with metallic conductors. A window is opened through a first dielectric layer to expose a conducting region over a semiconductor substrate. A metallic layer, deposited overall, is followed by an overall deposition of a polysilicon layer, with the layers being sufficient to fill the window completely. Metal and polysilicon outside the window is removed by chemical/mechanical polishing which also provides global planarization. Salicidation provides a silicide cover over the exposed surface of polysilicon, which was formed by the polishing. A second dielectric is deposited and an opening is formed to the landing pad. Electrical contact is made between metallization on the second dielectric layer and the salicide of the landing pad either, directly by simultaneous deposition of the metallization on the dielectric and the landing pad, or, by first forming a plug in the opening and then depositing the metallization.

Low resistance poly landing pad

A method and test site for monitoring the extent of buried contact trench formation in MOS FET integrated circuit wafers is described. A number of doped silicon parallel first test electrodes are formed in test site regions of a wafer and connected in series. The test site regions are located in the spaces between chip regions of the wafer. A layer of gate oxide is then deposited over the wafer. Test openings over the first test electrodes and buried contact openings are etched in the gate oxide layer at the same time. The test openings have the same size and shape as the buried contact openings. After polysilicon and metal silicide is deposited a photoresist mask is formed to etch the buried contact electrodes, the gate electrodes, and second test electrodes which are located directly above the test openings. Any misalignment in the photoresist mask will cause trenches to be formed in the first test electrodes as well as the formation of buried contact trenches. These trenches in the first test electrodes will cause an increase the resistance of the first test electrodes which is related to the extent of the buried contact trenches. The first test electrodes can be oriented to measure the extent of buried contact trench formation regardless of orientation.

Method and test site to monitor alignment shift and buried contact

A new method of forming a tunneling oxide film having a uniform thickness in the fabrication of a Flash EEPROM memory cell is described. A first oxide layer is provided on the surface of a semiconductor substrate wherein a portion of the first oxide layer is removed to expose the semiconductor substrate wherein the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate comprises a tunneling window. A second oxide layer is deposited within the tunneling window. Thereafter, a thermal oxide layer is grown underlying the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer within the tunneling area wherein the presence of the second oxide layer provides for a uniform thermal oxide thickness throughout the tunneling window and wherein the second oxide layer and the thermal oxide layer together within the tunneling window form the tunneling oxide film in the fabrication of a memory cell.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Yi-Te Chen