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. 20, 2014
Filed:
Apr. 02, 2012
Jeffrey P. Gambino, Westford, VT (US);
Mark D. Jaffe, Shelburne, VT (US);
Mark D. Levy, Milton, VT (US);
John C. Malinowski, Jericho, VT (US);
Jeffrey P. Gambino, Westford, VT (US);
Mark D. Jaffe, Shelburne, VT (US);
Mark D. Levy, Milton, VT (US);
John C. Malinowski, Jericho, VT (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
An integrated circuit chip comprising a guard ring formed on a semiconductor substrate that surrounds the active region of the integrated circuit chip and extends from the semiconductor substrate through one or more of a plurality of wiring levels. The guard ring comprises stacked metal lines with spaces breaking up each respective metal line. Each space may be formed such that it partially overlies the space in the metal line directly below but does not overlie any other space. Alternatively, each space may also be formed such that each space is at least completely overlying the space in the metal line below it.