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US 11,688,701 B2Granted
Semiconductor devices having an electro-static discharge protection structure
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorYi-Feng Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor device includes a substrate and a metallization layer. The substrate has an active region that includes opposite first and second edges. The metallization layer is disposed above the substrate, and includes a pair of metal lines and a metal plate. The metal lines extend from an outer periphery of the active region into the active region and toward the second edge of the active region. The metal plate interconnects the metal lines and at least a portion of which is disposed at the outer periphery of the active region.
Claims18
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- receiving a substrate having an active region that includes opposite first and second edges;
- forming a dielectric material above the substrate;
- patterning the dielectric material to form a plurality of first holes therethrough;
- forming a first metal material over the dielectric material and in the first holes in the dielectric material;
- removing the first metal material that is on the dielectric material, wherein the first metal material that is in the first holes in the dielectric material includes
- a pair of first metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region, and
- a first metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of first metal lines;
- forming a second dielectric material above the substrate;
- patterning the second dielectric material to form a plurality of second holes therethrough;
- forming a second metal material over the second dielectric material and in the second holes in the second dielectric material;
- and
- removing the second metal material that is on the second dielectric material,
- wherein:
- the second metal material that is in the second holes in the second dielectric material includes
- a pair of second metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region,
- a second metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of second metal lines of the second metal material, and
- a plurality of distinct metal lines that are parallel to each other and arranged along a length of the active region underneath all of the first pair of metal lines and the second pair of metal lines,
- wherein:
- the plurality of distinct metal lines have a length that extends, on a first end, from a position underneath an intermediate portion of the first metal plate to, on a second end, a position underneath an intermediate portion of the second metal plate,
- the plurality of distinct metal lines are of equal length to each other, and
- each distinct metal line of the plurality of distinct metal lines serves as a horizontal interconnect.
18 more elements
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- forming a dielectric material above a substrate having an active region in which an electronic component is to disposed that includes opposite first and second edges;
- patterning the dielectric material to form a plurality of first holes therethrough;
- forming a first metal material over the dielectric material and in the first holes in the dielectric material;
- and
- removing the first metal material that is on the dielectric material, wherein the first metal material that is in the first holes in the dielectric material includes
- a pair of first metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region, and
- a first metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of first metal lines;
- and
- forming a plurality of distinct and equal length metal lines underneath all of the first pair of metal lines and under a subset of the first metal plate that are parallel to each other and arranged along a length of the active region such that each distinct metal line of the plurality of distinct metal lines serves as a horizontal interconnect by:
- forming a second dielectric material above the substrate;
- patterning the second dielectric material to form a plurality of second holes therethrough;
- forming a second metal material over the second dielectric material and in the second holes in the second dielectric material;
- and
- removing the second metal material that is on the second dielectric material;
- wherein:
- the second metal material that is in the holes in the second dielectric material includes
- a pair of second metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region, and
- a second metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of second metal lines of the second metal material;
- and
- the plurality of distinct metal lines have a length that extends, on a first end, from a position underneath an intermediate portion of the first metal plate to, on a second end, a position underneath an intermediate portion of the second metal plate.
17 more elements
A system comprising:
- means for forming a dielectric material above a substrate having an active region in which an electronic component is to disposed that includes opposite first and second edges;
- means for patterning the dielectric material to form a plurality of holes therethrough;
- means for forming a first metal material over the dielectric material and in the holes in the dielectric material;
- means for removing the first metal material that is on the dielectric material, wherein the first metal material that is in the holes in the dielectric material includes
- a pair of first metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region, and
- a first metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of first metal lines;
- means for removing the second metal material that is on the second dielectric material, wherein the second metal material that is in the holes in the second dielectric material includes
- a pair of second metal lines that extend toward the second edge of the active region, and
- a second metal plate that horizontally interconnects the pair of second metal lines of the second metal material;
- and
- means for forming a plurality of distinct and equal length metal lines underneath all of the first pair of metal lines and the second pair of metal lines, wherein the plurality of distinct and equal length metal lines have a length that extends, on a first end, from a position underneath an intermediate portion of the first metal plate to, on a second end, a position underneath an intermediate portion of the second metal plate.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.