Aluminum Bond Pad With Trench Thinning for Fine Pitch Ultra-Thick Aluminum Products

1 . An apparatus formed on a substrate, comprising:

a conductive structure formed on the substrate;

a first passivation layer formed over the substrate and the conductive structure, the first passivation layer having an opening formed over the conductive structure,

an ultra-thick conductive structure having a thinned trench region formed over the opening of the first passivation layer;

wherein the ultra-thick conductive structure is in contact with the conductive structure; and;

a second passivation layer formed over the first passivation layer and the ultra-thick conductive structure, the second passivation layer having an opening that formed over the thinned trench region of the ultra-thick conductive structure.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the conductive structure comprises copper.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-thick conductive structure is an ultra-thick aluminum pad.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ultra-thick conductive structure has a maximum thickness that ranges from 2.8 μm-3.6 μm.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thinned trench region of the ultra-thick conductive structure has a thickness that ranges from 1 μm-1.45 μm.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thinned trench of the ultra conductive structure has pitched walls.

7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a bottom surface of the thinned trench region is used as a bond pad.

8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first passivation layer and second passivation layer comprises at least one of the following: silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.

9 . A method of forming a bond pad structure on a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

forming a conductive structure on the semiconductor substrate:

forming a first passivation layer over the semiconductor substrate and the conductive structure, the first passivation layer encases the conductive structure;

forming an opening through the first passivation layer to expose the conductive structure;

forming an ultra-thick conductive structure over the opening of first passivation layer, the ultra-thick conductive structure being in contact with the exposed conductive structure and the first passivation layer;

etching a trench within the ultra-thick conductive structure that is formed over the opening of the first passivation layer;

forming a second passivation layer over the first passivation layer and ultra-thick conductive structure and the first passivation layer;

forming a second opening in the second passivation layer to expose the trench of the ultra-thick conductive structure;

forming an etching mask over the second passivation layer,

thinning down the trench of ultra-thick conductive structure, by etching, using the etching mask; and

removing the etching mask from the second passivation layer.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the semiconductor substrate comprises silicon.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the conductive structure comprises at least one of the following: copper, nickel, titanium or gold.

12 . The method of claim 9 , further comprising using the thinned trench of the ultra-thick conductive structure as a bond pad.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the thinned trench of the ultra-thick conductive structure ranges from 1 μm-1.45 μm.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the maximum thickness of the ultra-thick conductive structure ranges from 2.8 μm-3.6 μm.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the ultra-thick conductive structure is an ultra-thick aluminum pad.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein passivation layer is silicon dioxide or silicon nitride.

17 . A bond pad structure, comprising:

a first conductive structure formed on a substrate;

a first passivation layer is formed over the substrate and the first conductive structure, the first passivation layer having an opening that exposes the first conductive structure;

a second conductive structure formed over the opening of the first passivation layer having a trench; the trench of the second conductive structure being used as the bond pad; and

a second passivation layer formed over the first passivation layer and second conductive structure, the second passivation layer having an opening that exposes the trench of the second conductive structure.

18 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the first conductive structure comprises copper.

19 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the second conductive structure is an ultra-thick aluminum pad.

20 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the thickness of the second ultra-thick conductive structure ranges from 2.8 μm-3.6 μm.

21 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the trench of the second conductive structure has a thickness ranging from 1 μm-1.45 μm.

22 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the trench of second conductive structure has pitched walls.

23 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thinned trench region is located substantially in the center of the ultra-thick conductive structure and has a conductor thickness that is substantially less than a conductor thickness of the remainder of the ultra-thick conductive structure.

24 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the remainder of the ultra-thick conductive structure is used for high current conductor routing.

25 . The bond pad structure of claim 17 , wherein the trench has a conductor thickness that is substantially less than a conductor thickness of the remainder of the second conductive structure.