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:
Jul. 18, 2000
Filed:
Jun. 05, 1998
Mozafar Maghsoudnia, San Jose, CA (US);
Analog Devices, Inc., Norwood, MA (US);
Abstract
A novel I.C. processing scheme for the fabrication of thin film features eliminates the wet etching step previously required, reducing the chip's minimum metal spacing and improving component matching capabilities and reliability. A thin film material is deposited and patterned, prior to a contact mask or platinum sputter/sinter/strip step, followed by the deposition of a protective layer. Contact mask and silicide metallization steps create contacts to the substrate, and a second contact mask step creates openings to the thin film features. The protective layer covering the thin film material allows a dry etch to be used for the final metal etch step, eliminating the need for a wet etch step and its attendant problems. The process requires no new design rules, and is easily adapted to existing products.