Probing pads in kerf area for wafer testing

1. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

(a) a substrate having a top substrate surface;

(b) an integrated circuit on the top substrate surface, wherein the integrated circuit includes a first bond pad electrically connected to a first transistor of the integrated circuit;

(c) a first protection ring on the top substrate surface and on a perimeter of the integrated circuit;

(d) a dicing region on the top substrate surface,

wherein the first protection ring is sandwiched between and physically isolates the integrated circuit and the dicing region, and

wherein the dicing region includes a first probe pad electrically connected to the first bond pad through a first electrically conductive region,

wherein the first electrically conductive region comprises polysilicon,

wherein the first protection ring comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion,

wherein the first portion of the first protection ring comprises copper (Cu),

wherein the second and third portions of the first protection ring comprise tungsten (W),

wherein the first electrically conductive region is disposed between but not electrically coupled to the second and third portions of the first protection ring,

wherein the first electrically conductive region is on and in direct physical contact with a first shallow trench isolation (STI) region of the substrate,

wherein the first electrically conductive region is surrounded by the first STI region and a first dielectric cap region,

wherein the first dielectric cap region comprises BPSG (boro-phospho-silicate glass), and

wherein the first dielectric cap region is sandwiched between and in direct physical contact with both the first protection ring and the first electrically conductive region.

2. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising a second protection ring on the top substrate surface,

wherein the second protection ring is sandwiched between and physically isolates the first protection ring and the dicing region,

wherein the first protection ring is configured to prevent mobile ion diffusion, and

wherein the second protection ring is configured to prevent cracking from propagating from the dicing region to the integrated circuit.

3. The structure of claim 1 ,

wherein the integrated circuit further includes a second bond pad electrically connected to a second transistor of the integrated circuit, and

wherein the dicing region further includes a second probe pad electrically connected to the second bond pad through a second electrically conductive region,

wherein the second electrically conductive region comprises polysilicon,

wherein the first protection ring further comprises a fourth portion, a fifth portion, and a sixth portion,

wherein the fourth portion of the first protection ring comprises copper (Cu),

wherein the fifth and sixth portions of the first protection ring comprise tungsten (W),

wherein the second electrically conductive region is disposed between but not electrically coupled to the fifth and sixth portions of the first protection ring,

wherein the second electrically conductive region is on and in direct physical contact with a second shallow trench isolation (STI) region of the substrate,

wherein the second electrically conductive region is surrounded by the second STI region and a second dielectric cap region,

wherein the second dielectric cap region comprises BPSG, and

wherein the second dielectric cap region is sandwiched between and in direct physical contact with both the first protection ring and the second electrically conductive region.

4. The structure of claim 3 , wherein the first and second probe pads and the first and second bond pads comprise aluminum.

5. A semiconductor structure, comprising:

(a) a substrate having a top substrate surface;

(b) N integrated circuits on the top substrate surface, wherein each integrated circuit of the N integrated circuits includes M bond pads so that the N integrated circuits includes M×N bond pads, M and N being positive integers and N>1;

(c) N first protection rings on the top substrate surface, on perimeters of the N integrated circuits, and associated one-to-one to the N integrated circuits;

(d) a dicing region on the top substrate surface,

wherein each protection ring of the N first protection rings is sandwiched between and physically isolates its associated integrated circuit and the dicing region, and

wherein the dicing region includes M×N probe pads electrically connected one-to-one to the M×N bond pads through M×N electrically conductive regions,

wherein the M×N electrically conductive regions comprise polysilicon,

wherein for each electrically conductive region of the M×N electrically conductive regions, the first protection ring comprises a first portion, a second portion, and a third portion,

wherein the first portion of the first protection ring comprises copper (Cu),

wherein the second and third portions of the first protection ring comprise tungsten (W),

wherein the each electrically conductive region is disposed between but not electrically coupled to the second and third portions of the first protection ring,

wherein the each electrically conductive region is on and in direct physical contact with a shallow trench isolation (STI) region of the substrate,

wherein the each electrically conductive region is surrounded by the STI region and a dielectric cap region,

wherein the dielectric cap region comprises BPSG (boro-phospho-silicate glass), and

wherein the dielectric cap region is sandwiched between and in direct physical contact with both the first protection ring and the each electrically conductive region.

6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein N>2 and M>2.

7. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the M×N probe pads and the M×N bond pads comprise aluminum.

8. The structure of claim 5 , further comprising N second protection rings (i) on the top substrate surface and (ii) associated one-to-one with the N first protection rings,

wherein each protection ring of the N second protection rings is sandwiched between and physically isolates its associated first protection ring and the dicing region,

wherein the N first protection rings are configured to prevent mobile ion diffusion, and

wherein the N second protection rings are configured to prevent cracking from propagating from the dicing region to the N integrated circuits.