IP Library Granted Patent US 6,838,769
Granted Patent B1
US 6,838,769 · App. 09/465,089 · Granted Jan 4, 2005

Dual damascene bond pad structure for lowering stress and allowing circuitry under pads

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,838,769
App. No.
09/465,089
Granted
Jan 4, 2005
Kind
B1
Abstract

A bond pad is located over active circuitry formed within an integrated circuit device. A barrier film forms the bottom surface of the upper portion of a bond pad opening which also includes vias extending through the bottom surface to form a dual damascene structure. The bond pad is resistant to stress effects such as cracking, which can be produced when bonding an external wire to the bond pad, and therefore prevents leakage currents between the bond pads and the underlying circuitry.

Claims (36)

1. A semiconductor device comprising a bond pad formed over a substrate region including active devices formed thereon, the bond pad including bond pad metal formed within an opening having a lower surface formed of a barrier layer, and within at least one via formed through the lower surface and through a dielectric layer disposed beneath the barrier layer.

2. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , further comprising a conductive layer interposed between the substrate region and the dielectric layer.

3. The semiconductor device as in claim 2 , wherein the bond pad is coupled to the conductive layer through the at least one via.

4. The semiconductor device as in claim 2 , wherein the conductive layer is coupled to at least one of the active devices.

5. The semiconductor device as in claim 2 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a patterned film.

6. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer comprises TiN.

7. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , wherein the barrier layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ti, TaN, WSi, WSiN, TaSi and TiSi.

8. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , further comprising a conductive wire coupled to a top surface of the bond pad.

9. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , further comprising a further barrier layer formed over at least part of the bond pad metal within the bond pad opening.

10. The semiconductor device as in claim 1 , wherein the bond pad metal comprises one of W, Al, Cu, an aluminum alloy and a copper alloy.

11. The semiconductor device as in claim 2 , wherein the conductive layer comprises one of W, Al, Cu, an aluminum alloy, and a copper alloy.

12. A semiconductor device comprising:

a) a substrate having a substrate surface;

b) active devices formed on the substrate surface including within a first region;

c) a lower dielectric layer formed over the active devices including within the first region;

d) an upper dielectric layer formed over the lower dielectric layer;

e) a barrier layer formed between the upper dielectric layer and the lower dielectric layer at least within the first region; and

f) a bond pad formed within an opening formed within the upper dielectric film in the first region and extending down to the barrier layer, the bond pad including a bond pad metal formed within the opening, contacting the barrier layer, and extending downward beneath the barrier layer through at least one via formed through the barrier layer and through the lower dielectric layer in the first region.

13. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , further comprising a conductive layer formed over the substrate surface within the first region, and beneath the lower dielectric layer, wherein at least one via extends down to a top surface of the conductive layer, thereby coupling the bond pad metal to the conductive layer.

14. The semiconductor device as in claim 13 , wherein the conductive layer comprises a first metal.

15. The semiconductor device as in claim 13 , wherein the conductive layer is patterned.

16. The semiconductor device as in claim 15 , wherein the patterned conductive layer is electrically coupled to at least one of the active devices.

17. The semiconductor device as in claim 14 , wherein the first metal and the bond pad metal each comprise one of W, Cu, Al, a copper alloy and an aluminum alloy.

18. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , wherein the bond pad metal comprises a composite film including a metal film and a further barrier layer formed at least partially over the metal film.

19. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , wherein the bond pad includes an upper surface being coplanar with a top surface of the upper dielectric layer.

20. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , wherein the barrier layer is a composite film formed of a plurality of barrier layer films.

21. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , wherein the barrier layer is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of Ta, Ti, TaN, TiN, TaSi, TiSi, WSi, and WSiN.

22. The semiconductor device as in claim 12 , further comprising a conductive wire coupled to an upper surface of the bond pad.

23. An integrated circuit comprising:

a) a substrate having a substrate surface;

b) active devices formed on the substrate surface including within a plurality of first regions;

c) a patterned conductive layer formed over the substrate surface including within each of the first regions;

d) a lower dielectric layer formed over the substrate surface and the patterned conductive layer;

e) an upper dielectric layer formed over the lower dielectric layer;

f) a barrier layer formed between the upper dielectric layer and the lower dielectric layer at least within each of the first regions;

g) a plurality of bond pads, each bond pad formed within an opening formed in the upper dielectric film within a first region and extending down to the corresponding barrier layer, each bond pad comprising a bond pad metal formed in the opening and contacting the barrier layer and coupled to the patterned conductive layer through a plurality of vias formed through the barrier layer and through the lower dielectric layer in the corresponding first region.

Assignments (10)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2019
From: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.; BROADCOM CORPORATION
To: BELL SEMICONDUCTOR, LLC
Reel/Frame 050635/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2018
From: HILCO PATENT ACQUISITION 56, LLC; BELL SEMICONDUCTOR, LLC; BELL NORTHERN RESEARCH, LLC
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045216/0020 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Feb 3, 2017
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 041710/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 11, 2016
From: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 037808/0001 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (RELEASES RF 032856-0031) Recorded Feb 2, 2016
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: LSI CORPORATION; AGERE SYSTEMS LLC
Reel/Frame 037684/0039 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2015
From: LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES INC.
To: AGERE SYSTEMS GUARDIAN CORP.
Reel/Frame 035058/0646 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 20, 2015
From: AGERE SYSTEMS GUARDIAN CORP.
To: AGERE SYSTEMS INC.
Reel/Frame 035058/0884 →
MERGER Recorded Feb 20, 2015
From: AGERE SYSTEMS INC.
To: AGERE SYSTEMS LLC
Reel/Frame 035058/0895 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 20, 2015
From: AGERE SYSTEMS LLC
To: AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES GENERAL IP (SINGAPORE) PTE. LTD.
Reel/Frame 035059/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 8, 2014
From: LSI CORPORATION; AGERE SYSTEMS LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 032856/0031 →