Bond pad and passivation layer having a gap and method for forming
View Patent ↗A semiconductor device comprises an integrated circuit including a wire bond pad and a passivation material, and a first gap between a first selected portion of the wire bond pad and the passivation material. The first gap is positioned to contain at least a first portion of a splash of the wire bond pad formed during a wire bond process.
1. A method for forming a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
forming a wire bond pad of an integrated circuit; and
forming a first gap between a first selected portion of the wire bond pad and a passivation material, the first gap positioned to contain at least a first portion of a splash of the wire bond pad, the splash formed during a wire bond process.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first gap surrounds the selected portion of the wire bond pad.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the wire bond process comprises using a wire bonder, the wire bonder having one or more associated vibration directions, and the splash moves in a direction substantially similar to the one or more associated vibration directions.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more associated vibration directions comprise one or more associated ultrasonic vibration directions.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein the first gap is positioned to contain at least the first portion of the splash in one of the one or more associated vibration directions.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a second gap between a second selected portion of the wire bond pad and a passivation material, the second gap positioned to contain at least a second portion of the splash of the wire bond bad.
7. The method of claim 6 wherein the wire bond process comprises using a wire bonder, the wire bonder having one or more associated vibration directions, and the splash moves in a direction substantially similar to the one or more associated vibration directions.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the first gap is positioned to contain at least the first portion of the splash in one of the one or more associated vibration directions.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the second gap is positioned to contain at least the second portion of the splash in another of the one or more associated vibration directions.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the wire bond pad includes a probe region.
11. A semiconductor device comprising:
an integrated circuit including a wire bond pad and a passivation material;
a first gap between a first selected portion of the wire bond pad and the passivation material, the first gap positioned to contain at least a first portion of a splash of the wire bond pad, the splash formed during a wire bond process.
12. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein the first gap surrounds the selected portion of the wire bond pad.
13. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein the wire bond process comprises using a wire bonder, the wire bonder having one or more associated vibration directions, and the splash moves in a direction substantially similar to the one or more associated vibration directions.
14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 wherein the one or more associated vibration directions comprise one or more associated ultrasonic vibration directions.
15. The semiconductor device of claim 13 wherein the first gap is positioned to contain at least the first portion of the splash in one of the one or more associated vibration directions.
16. The semiconductor device of claim 11 , further comprising forming a second gap between a second selected portion of the wire bond pad and a passivation material, the second gap positioned to contain at least a second portion of the splash of the wire bond pad.
17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 wherein the wire bond process comprises using a wire bonder, the wire bonder having one or more associated vibration directions, and the splash moves in a direction substantially similar to the one or more associated vibration directions.
18. The semiconductor device of claim 17 wherein the first gap is positioned to contain at least the first portion of the splash in one of the one or more associated vibration directions.
19. The semiconductor device of claim 18 wherein the second gap is positioned to contain at least the second portion of the splash in another of the one or more associated vibration directions.
20. The semiconductor device of claim 11 wherein the wire bond pad includes a probe region.