Stress reduction structure for metal-insulator-metal capacitors

1. A device, comprising:

a substrate including one or more semiconductor devices;

a first passivation layer disposed over the one or more semiconductor devices;

a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor structure formed over the first passivation layer; and

a second passivation layer disposed over the MIM capacitor structure, wherein a stress-reduction feature is embedded within the second passivation layer;

wherein the stress-reduction feature includes a first nitrogen-containing layer, an oxygen-containing layer disposed over the first nitrogen-containing layer, and a second nitrogen-containing layer disposed over the oxygen containing layer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the second passivation layer includes a first dielectric portion disposed beneath the stress-reduction feature and a second dielectric portion disposed above the stress-reduction feature.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the stress-reduction feature has a greater mechanical strength than at least the second dielectric portion.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogen-containing layer and the second nitrogen-containing layer include silicon nitride (SiN), and wherein the oxygen-containing layer includes an oxide layer.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first nitrogen-containing layer has a first thickness, wherein the oxygen-containing layer has a second thickness, wherein the second nitrogen-containing layer has a third thickness, and wherein the second thickness is less than each of the first thickness and the third thickness.

6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a multi-layer interconnect (MLI) structure at least partially disposed within the substrate, wherein the first passivation layer is disposed over the MLI structure.

7. The device of claim 6 , further comprising:

a contact feature disposed over the second passivation layer, wherein the contact feature is electrically coupled to the MLI structure.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein an upper portion of the contact feature includes a redistribution layer (RDL).

9. The device of claim 7 , further comprising:

a third passivation layer disposed over the second passivation layer, wherein the contact feature is disposed within the third passivation layer.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the stress-reduction feature includes a patterned stress-reduction feature that covers a first area greater than or equal to a second area covered by the MIM capacitor structure.

11. A device, comprising:

a first passivation layer disposed over a substrate including an active semiconductor device;

a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure formed over the first passivation layer; and

a stress-reduction feature formed over the MIM structure, wherein the stress-reduction feature includes a first nitrogen-containing layer having a first thickness, an oxygen-containing layer having a second thickness disposed over the first nitrogen-containing layer, and a second nitrogen-containing layer having a third thickness disposed over the oxygen-containing layer, wherein the second thickness is less than each of the first thickness and the third thickness.

12. The device of claim 11 , further comprising a first dielectric portion disposed between the MIM structure and the stress-reduction feature and a second dielectric portion disposed above the stress-reduction feature.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first dielectric portion and the second dielectric portion provide a second passivation layer, and wherein the MIM structure is embedded within the second passivation layer.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the stress-reduction feature has a greater mechanical strength than at least the second dielectric portion.

15. The device of claim 11 , wherein the first nitrogen-containing layer and the second nitrogen-containing layer include silicon nitride (SiN), and wherein the oxygen-containing layer includes an oxide layer.

16. The device of claim 11 , wherein the stress-reduction feature includes a patterned stress-reduction feature, and wherein the patterned stress-reduction feature is disposed in a region of the device including the MIM structure.

17. A device, comprising:

a substrate including a multi-layer interconnect (MLI) structure;

a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor disposed over the MLI structure;

a stress-reduction feature disposed over the MIM capacitor, wherein the stress-reduction feature includes a multi-layer structure having an oxygen-containing layer disposed between a first nitrogen-containing layer and a second nitrogen-containing layer;

a first passivation layer interposing the MLI structure and the MIM capacitor; and

a second passivation layer disposed over the MIM capacitor, wherein the stress-reduction feature is embedded within the second passivation layer.

18. The device of claim 17 , further comprising:

a first contact feature and a second contact feature disposed over the second passivation layer, wherein the first contact feature provides electrical contact to a first terminal of the MIM capacitor, and wherein the second contact feature provides electrical contact to a second terminal of the MIM capacitor.

19. The device of claim 17 , wherein a first area covered by the stress-reduction feature is greater than or equal to a second area covered by the MIM capacitor.

20. The device of claim 17 , wherein the oxygen-containing layer is thinner than each of the first nitrogen-containing layer and the second nitrogen-containing layer.