The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 2023
Filed:
Jul. 29, 2020
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, Llc, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Randy J. Shul, Baltimore, MD (US);
Caitlin Rochford Friedman, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Gregory Paul Salazar, Rio Rancho, NM (US);
Michael J. Rye, Albuquerque, NM (US);
John Mudrick, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Craig Y. Nakakura, Corrales, NM (US);
Jeffry Joseph Sniegowski, Tijeras, NM (US);
Karl Douglas Greth, Albuquerque, NM (US);
National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC, Albuquerque, NM (US);
Abstract
The present invention relates to methods of delayering a semiconductor integrated circuit die or wafer. In at least one aspect, the method includes exposing a die or wafer to plasma of an etching gas and detecting exposure of one or more metal layers within the die. In one aspect of the invention, the plasma of the etching gas is non-selective and removes all materials in a layer at about the same rate. In another aspect of the invention, two different plasmas of corresponding etching gases are employed with each plasma of the etching gas being selective, thus necessitating the sequential use of both plasmas of corresponding etching gases to remove all materials in a layer.