Integrated circuit with thin film resister structure

1 . A method comprising:

providing an interconnect structure overlying a substrate, the interconnect structure including a first metal portion and a second metal portion in a top layer of the interconnect structure;

forming thin film resistive material over a first dielectric layer that overlays the top layer of the interconnect structure;

forming a ceramic coating over the thin film resistive material;

forming a patterned photo resist (PR) layer over a portion of the ceramic coating and thin film resistive material laterally disposed between the first metal portion and the second metal portion in the top layer of the interconnect structure;

patterning the thin film resistive material and the ceramic coating to form a thin film resistor (TFR) and a patterned ceramic coating overlying the TFR laterally disposed between and vertically disposed above the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

removing the patterned PR layer;

forming openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion; and

forming a first bond pad over the first metal portion and a second bond pad over the second metal portion by forming bond pad material comprising a ceramic layer and a metal layer over the first metal portion, the second metal portion, a first end of the TFR, and a second end of the TFR, wherein the first bond pad and the second bond pad are configured for use as test points or connection points for packaging connections;

wherein the TFR electrically connects at the first end to the first bond pad via the ceramic layer of the first bond pad and electrically connects at the second end to the second bond pad via the ceramic layer of the second bond pad.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TFR is positioned higher than bottoms of the first bond pad and the second bond pad.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the TFR is formed from silicon chromium (SiCr), the ceramic layer is formed from titanium nitride (TiN) and the metal layer is formed from aluminum copper (AlCu).

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a second dielectric layer above the TFR and the first dielectric layer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the first bond pad over the first metal portion and the second bond pad over the second metal portion comprises removing a portion of the bond pad material and the ceramic coating overlying the TFR by:

forming a patterned second PR layer that defines an opening above the TFR for removing bond pad material;

performing dry etching operations to remove bond pad material above the TFR;

performing wet etching operations to remove ceramic material above the TFR; and

removing the patterned second PR layer.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion comprises:

forming a patterned third PR layer that defines openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

performing dry etching operations to remove dielectric material above the first metal portion and the second metal portion; and

removing the patterned third PR layer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the TFR with the first bond pad formed over the first end of the TFR and the second bond pad formed over the second end of the TFR comprises forming the TFR using a single mask.

8 . A method comprising:

providing an interconnect structure overlying a substrate and a first dielectric layer overlying the interconnect structure, the interconnect structure including a first metal portion and a second metal portion in a top layer of the interconnect structure;

forming, over the first dielectric layer and laterally between the first metal portion and the second metal portion, a thin film resistor (TFR) with a ceramic coating over the TFR;

forming openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion; and

forming a first bond pad in an opening over the first metal portion and a second bond pad in an opening over the second metal portion, wherein the first bond pad and the second bond pad comprise a ceramic layer and a metal layer over the first metal portion, the second metal portion, a first end of the TFR, and a second end of the TFR, wherein the first bond pad and the second bond pad are configured for use as test points or connection points for packaging connections;

wherein the TFR electrically connects at the first end to the first bond pad via the ceramic layer of the first bond pad and electrically connects at the second end to the second bond pad via the ceramic layer of the second bond pad.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein forming a TFR with a ceramic coating over the TFR, comprises:

forming thin film resistive material over the first dielectric layer;

forming a ceramic coating over the thin film resistive material;

forming a patterned photo resist (PR) layer over a portion of the ceramic coating and thin film resistive material between the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

patterning the thin film resistive material and the ceramic coating to form the TFR and a patterned ceramic coating overlying the TFR; and

removing the patterned PR layer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein forming the first bond pad in the opening over the first metal portion and the second bond pad in the opening over the second metal portion comprises:

forming bond pad material over the first dielectric layer, the first metal portion and the second metal portion; and

removing the bond pad material and the patterned ceramic coating overlying the TFR.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein removing the bond pad material and the patterned ceramic coating overlying the TFR comprises:

forming a patterned second PR layer that defines an opening above the TFR for removing bond pad material;

performing dry etching operations to remove bond pad material above the TFR;

performing wet etching operations to remove ceramic material above the TFR; and

removing the patterned second PR layer.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein forming openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion comprises:

forming a patterned third PR layer that defines openings in the first dielectric layer over the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

performing dry etching operations to remove dielectric material above the first metal portion and the second metal portion; and

removing the patterned third PR layer.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein: the TFR is formed from silicon chromium (SiCr), the ceramic layer is formed from titanium nitride (TiN), and the metal layer is formed from aluminum copper (AlCu).

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein forming the TFR with the first bond pad formed over the first end of the TFR and the second bond pad formed over the second end of the TFR comprises forming the TFR using a single mask.

15 . A method comprising:

providing a substrate with an interconnect structure overlying the substrate, the interconnect structure including a first metal portion and a second metal portion in a top layer of the interconnect structure;

providing a first dielectric layer above the interconnect structure;

forming a thin film resistor (TFR) over the first dielectric layer between the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

forming a first opening in the first dielectric layer on a first side of the TFR and a second opening in the first dielectric layer on a second side of the TFR;

forming a first bond pad in the first opening over the first metal portion; and

forming a second bond pad in the second opening over the second metal portion;

wherein the first bond pad and the second bond pad comprise a ceramic layer and a metal layer over the first metal portion, the second metal portion, a first end of the TFR, and a second end of the TFR, wherein the first bond pad and the second bond pad are configured for use as test points or connection points for packaging connections;

wherein the TFR electrically connects at the first end to the first bond pad via the ceramic layer of the first bond pad and electrically connects at the second end to the second bond pad via the ceramic layer of the second bond pad.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the TFR is positioned higher than bottoms of the first bond pad and the second bond pad.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the TFR is formed from silicon chromium (SiCr), the ceramic layer is formed from titanium nitride (TiN), and the metal layer is formed from aluminum copper (AlCu).

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the thin film resistor (TFR) comprises:

forming thin film resistive material over the first dielectric layer;

forming a ceramic coating over the thin film resistive material;

forming a patterned photo resist (PR) layer over a portion of the ceramic coating and thin film resistive material between the first metal portion and the second metal portion;

patterning the thin film resistive material and the ceramic coating; and

removing the patterned PR layer.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the first bond pad and forming the second bond pad comprises forming the first bond pad over a first end of the TFR and forming the second bond pad over a second end of the TFR.

20 . The method of claim 15 , wherein forming the TFR with the first bond pad formed over the first end of the TFR and the second bond pad formed over the second end of the TFR comprises forming the TFR using a single mask.