Method of providing a semiconductor ic device with an additional

Abstract

A semiconductor IC device having a substrate, a patterned conductor layer for interconnection of regions in the substrate and a passivation layer covering the device is provided with an additional conduction path of a pattern and/or part of the patterned conductor layer is removed for disconnection for the purpose of evaluation of the characteristics of the device. The additional conduction path is formed by forming a hole in the passivation layer to expose a part of the conductor layer, directing, in an atmosphere containing a metal compound gas, an ion beam onto the hole and onto a predetermined portion of the passivation layer on which the additional conduction path of a pattern is to be formed to thereby form a patterned film of the metal decomposed from the metal compound gas and forming an additional conductor on the patterned film. The provision of the additional conduction path and/or the removal of part of the patterned conductor layer is preformed in a chemical vapor deposition apparatus which includes a vacuum chamber and an ion beam radiation unit having a housing partitioned into, for example, first, second and third compartments. The ion beam radiation unit has an ion source placed in the first compartment, an ion beam focusing and deflecting device placed in the second compartment and pressure buffer constituted by the third compartment. The third compartment is coupled to and pneumatically isolated from the vacuum chamber for conducting an ion beam emitted from the ion source, passing the second compartment and ejected from the second compartment to the vacuum chamber.