Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080203571 | BACKSIDE METALLIZATION FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICES - A method of forming backside metallization on a substrate that includes a plurality of integrated circuit die formed on a front side of the substrate is disclosed. The method includes forming an adhesion layer of aluminum or an aluminum alloy on a backside surface of the substrate, forming a barrier metal layer on the adhesion layer and forming a metal layer on the barrier metal layer. An integrated circuit device is also disclosed which includes a substrate having an integrated circuit die formed on a front side of the substrate, an adhesion layer on a backside surface of the substrate, wherein the adhesion layer is aluminum or an aluminum alloy, a barrier metal layer on the adhesion layer and a metal layer on the barrier metal layer. | 08-28-2008 |
20090057877 | Semiconductor Device with Gel-Type Thermal Interface Material - Various methods and apparatus for establishing a thermal pathway for a semiconductor device are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes forming a metal layer on a semiconductor chip and forming a gel-type thermal interface material layer on the metal layer. A solvent and a catalyst material are applied to the metal layer prior to forming the gel-type thermal interface material layer to facilitate bonding between the gel-type thermal interface material layer and the metal layer. | 03-05-2009 |
20090140244 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A DIE REGION DESIGNED FOR ALUMINUM-FREE SOLDER BUMP CONNECTION AND A TEST STRUCTURE DESIGNED FOR ALUMINUM-FREE WIRE BONDING - In sophisticated semiconductor devices including copper-based metallization systems, a substantially aluminum-free bump structure in device regions and a substantially aluminum-free wire bond structure in test regions may be formed on the basis of a manufacturing process resulting in identical final dielectric layer stacks in these device areas. The number of process steps may be reduced by making a decision as to whether a substrate is to become a product substrate or test substrate for estimating the reliability of actual semiconductor devices. For example, nickel contact elements may be formed above copper-based contact areas wherein the nickel may provide a base for wire bonding or forming a bump material thereon. | 06-04-2009 |
20090166861 | WIRE BONDING OF ALUMINUM-FREE METALLIZATION LAYERS BY SURFACE CONDITIONING - In sophisticated semiconductor devices including copper-based metallization systems, a substantially aluminum-free bump structure in device regions and a substantially aluminum-free wire bond structure in test regions may be formed on the basis of a manufacturing process resulting in identical final dielectric layer stacks in these device areas. Moreover, reliable wire bond connections may be obtained by providing a protection layer, such as an oxide layer, after exposing the respective contact metal, such as copper, nickel and the like, thereby providing highly uniform process conditions during the subsequent wire bonding process. The number of process steps may be reduced by making a decision as to whether a substrate is to become a product substrate or test substrate for estimating the reliability of actual semiconductor devices. For example, nickel contact elements may be formed above copper-based contact areas wherein the nickel may provide a base for wire bonding or forming a bump material thereon. | 07-02-2009 |
20090243105 | WIRE BONDING ON REACTIVE METAL SURFACES OF A METALLIZATION OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE BY PROVIDING A PROTECTIVE LAYER - In semiconductor devices having a copper-based metallization system, bond pads for wire bonding may be formed directly on copper surfaces, which may be covered by an appropriately designed protection layer to avoid unpredictable copper corrosion during the wire bond process. A thickness of the protection layer may be selected such that bonding through the layer may be accomplished, while also ensuring a desired high degree of integrity of the copper surface. | 10-01-2009 |
20100052137 | ENHANCED WIRE BOND STABILITY ON REACTIVE METAL SURFACES OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE BY ENCAPSULATION OF THE BOND STRUCTURE - The wire bond structure of sophisticated metallization systems, for instance based on copper, may be provided without a terminal aluminum layer and without any passivation layers for exposed copper surfaces by providing a fill material after the wire bonding process in order to encapsulate at least the sensitive metal surfaces and a portion of the bond wire. Hence, significant cost reduction, reduced cycle times and a reduction of the required process steps may be accomplished independently from the wire bond materials used. Thus, integrated circuits requiring a sophisticated metallization system may be connected by wire bonding to the corresponding package or carrier substrate with a required degree of reliability based on a corresponding fill material for encapsulating at least the sensitive metal surfaces. | 03-04-2010 |
20100107717 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR FABRICATING BONDING WIRES ON THE BASIS OF MICROELECTRONIC MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES - Bonding wires for sophisticated bonding applications may be efficiently formed on the basis of a corresponding template device that may be formed on the basis of semiconductor material, such as silicon, in combination with associated fabrication techniques, such as lithography and etch techniques. Hence, any appropriate diameter and cross-sectional shape may be obtained with a high degree of accuracy and reliability. | 05-06-2010 |
20100109158 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A REDUCED STRESS CONFIGURATION FOR METAL PILLARS - In a metallization system of a sophisticated semiconductor device, metal pillars may be provided so as to exhibit an increased efficiency in distributing any mechanical stress exerted thereon. This may be accomplished by significantly increasing the surface area of the final passivation layer that is in tight mechanical contact with the metal pillar. | 05-06-2010 |
20100164098 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE INCLUDING A COST-EFFICIENT CHIP-PACKAGE CONNECTION BASED ON METAL PILLARS - In sophisticated semiconductor devices, a chip-package interconnect structure may be established on the basis of a metal pillar without using a solder bump material in the package. In this case, the complexity of the manufacturing process for forming the wiring system of the package may be significantly reduced, while also providing the possibility of increasing packing density of the pillar structure. | 07-01-2010 |
20100207281 | Semiconductor Chip with Reinforcement Layer - Various semiconductor chip reinforcement structures and methods of making the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of manufacturing is provided that includes providing a semiconductor chip that has a side and forming a polymer layer on the side. The polymer layer has a central portion and a first frame portion spatially separated from the central portion to define a first channel. | 08-19-2010 |
20100301460 | SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE HAVING A FILLED TRENCH STRUCTURE AND METHODS FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - Methods are provided for packaging a semiconductor die having a first surface. In accordance with an exemplary embodiment, a method comprises the steps of forming a trench in the first surface of the die, electrically and physically coupling the die to a packaging substrate, forming a sealant layer on the first surface of the die, forming an engagement structure within the trench, and infusing underfill between the sealant layer and the engagement structure and the packaging substrate. | 12-02-2010 |
20110074031 | BACK SIDE METALLIZATION WITH SUPERIOR ADHESION IN HIGH-PERFORMANCE SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES - In sophisticated semiconductor devices, the metal-containing layer stack at the back side of the substrate may be provided so as to obtain superior adhesion to the semiconductor material in order to reduce the probability of creating leakage paths in a bump structure upon separating the substrate into individual semiconductor chips. For this purpose, in some illustrative embodiments, an adhesion layer including a metal and at least one non-metal species may be used, such as titanium oxide, in combination with further metal-containing materials, such as titanium, vanadium and gold. | 03-31-2011 |
20110209548 | ASSESSING METAL STACK INTEGRITY IN SOPHISTICATED SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES BY MECHANICALLY STRESSING DIE CONTACTS - The metallization system of complex semiconductor devices may be evaluated in terms of mechanical integrity on the basis of a measurement system and measurement procedures in which individual contact elements, such as metal pillars or solder bumps, are mechanically stimulated, while the response of the metallization system, for instance in the form of directly measured forces, is determined in order to quantitatively evaluate mechanical status of the metallization system. In this manner, the complex material systems and the mutual interactions thereof may be efficiently assessed. | 09-01-2011 |
20120009780 | WIRE BONDING ON REACTIVE METAL SURFACES OF A METALLIZATION OF A SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE BY PROVIDING A PROTECTION LAYER - In semiconductor devices having a copper-based metallization system, bond pads for wire bonding may be formed directly on copper surfaces, which may be covered by an appropriately designed protection layer to avoid unpredictable copper corrosion during the wire bond process. A thickness of the protection layer may be selected such that bonding through the layer may be accomplished, while also ensuring a desired high degree of integrity of the copper surface. | 01-12-2012 |
20120286397 | Die Seal for Integrated Circuit Device - Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device having a novel stress reduction structures that are employed in an effort to eliminate or at least reduce undesirable cracking or chipping of semiconductor die. In one example, the device includes a die comprising a semiconducting substrate, wherein the die includes a cut surface. The device also includes a first die seal that defines a perimeter, and at least one stress reducing structure, at least a portion of which is positioned between the perimeter defined by the first die seal and the cut surface, wherein the cut surface exposes at least a portion of the stress reducing structure. | 11-15-2012 |
20130087907 | Metal Features to Reduce Crack-Inducing Stresses in Metallization Stacks - Generally, the subject matter disclosed herein relates to sophisticated semiconductor chips that may be less susceptible to the occurrence of white bumps during semiconductor chip packaging operations, such as flip-chip or 3D-chip assembly, and the like. One illustrative semiconductor chip disclosed herein includes, among other things, a bump structure above a first metallization layer of a metallization system of the semiconductor chip, and a metal feature in the first metallization layer, wherein at least a first portion of the metal feature is located closer to a center of the semiconductor chip than any portion of the bump structure, and at least a second portion of the metal feature is positioned below the bump structure. | 04-11-2013 |
20130099372 | Methods of Forming Bump Structures That Include a Protection Layer - One illustrative method disclosed herein includes forming a conductive pad in a layer of insulating material, forming a passivation layer above the conductive pad, performing at least one etching process on the passivation layer to define an opening in the passivation layer that exposes at least a portion of the conductive pad, forming a protective layer on the passivation layer, in the opening and on the exposed portion of the conductive pad, forming a heat-curable material layer above the protective layer, performing an etching process to define a patterned heat-curable material layer having an opening that exposes a portion of the protective layer, performing an etching process on the protective layer to thereby expose at least a portion of the conductive pad and forming a conductive bump that is conductively coupled to the conductive pad. | 04-25-2013 |
20130341802 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PACKAGE HAVING OFFSET VIAS - Integrated circuit packages comprise vias, each of which extends from a pad in communication with an integrated circuit on a semiconductor chip through insulating material overlying the semiconductor chip to an attachment surface facing a substrate. The portion of each via proximate the attachment surface is laterally offset from the portion proximate the pad from which it extends in a direction away from the centre of the semiconductor chip. Metallic material received in the vias mechanically and electrically interconnects the semiconductor chip to the substrate. | 12-26-2013 |
20140021604 | INTEGRATED CIRCUIT DEVICES WITH BUMP STRUCTURES THAT INCLUDE A PROTECTION LAYER - Disclosed herein is a device that includes first and second spaced-apart conductive pads positioned in a layer of insulating material, first and second under-bump metallization layers that are conductively coupled to the first and second conductive pads, respectively, and first and second spaced-apart conductive bumps that are conductively coupled to the first and second under-bump metallization layers, respectively. Additionally, the device includes, among other things, a passivation layer positioned above the layer of insulating material between the first and second spaced-apart conductive bumps, and a protective layer positioned on the passivation layer, wherein the protective layer extends between and contacts the first and second under-bump metallization layers, the material of the protective layer being one of silicon dioxide, silicon oxyfluoride (SiOF), silicon nitride (SiN), and silicone carbon nitride (SiCN). | 01-23-2014 |
20140110854 | SEMICONDUCTOR DIES WITH REDUCED AREA CONSUMPTION - The width of scribe lines may be reduced in semiconductor devices by applying a process technique in which trenches may be formed first from the rear side on the basis of a required width of the corresponding trenches, while subsequently it may be cut into the substrate from the front side on the basis of a reduced thickness of the corresponding saw blades, thereby also enabling a reduction of the scribe line width. Furthermore, contamination of the front side, i.e., of the metallization system, may be reduced, for instance, by performing an optional intermediate cleaning process. | 04-24-2014 |
20140264890 | NOVEL PILLAR STRUCTURE FOR USE IN PACKAGING INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PRODUCTS AND METHODS OF MAKING SUCH A PILLAR STRUCTURE - One illustrative pillar disclosed herein includes a bond pad conductively coupled to an integrated circuit and a pillar comprising a base that is conductively coupled to the bond pad, wherein the base has a first lateral dimension, and an upper portion that is conductively coupled to the base, wherein the upper portion has a second lateral dimension that is less than the first lateral dimension. A method disclosed herein of forming a pillar includes forming a base such that it is conductively coupled to a bond pad on an integrated circuit product and, after forming the base, forming an upper portion such that it is conductively coupled to the base. | 09-18-2014 |