Integrated circuit with metal stop ring outside the scribe seal

An integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• a substrate having a semiconductor surface layer with circuitry configured for at least one function including a plurality of metal interconnect levels thereon including at least four metal interconnect levels comprising a top metal interconnect level and a bottom metal interconnect level, with a passivation layer comprising a dielectric material on the top metal interconnect level;
• a scribe street around a periphery of the IC die, the scribe street comprising:
• a scribe seal utilizing at least two of the plurality of metal interconnect levels, and
• a single metal meander stop ring located outside the scribe seal consisting of the top metal interconnect level and at most a metal interconnect level immediately below the top metal interconnect layer, wherein the scribe seal and the single metal meander stop ring are separated by a separation gap.

A method of fabricating integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• providing a substrate having a semiconductor surface layer with a plurality of the IC die each having circuitry in the semiconductor surface layer configured for at least one function, with a scribe street positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of IC die;
• forming a metal stack including a plurality of metal interconnect levels thereon comprising a top metal interconnect level and a bottom metal interconnect level, with a passivation layer on the top metal interconnect level, the forming the plurality of metal interconnect levels including:
• forming in the scribe street a scribe seal around a periphery of the plurality of IC die utilizing at least two of the plurality of metal interconnect levels,
• forming an inner metal meander stop ring utilizing the top metal interconnect level and an outer metal meander stop ring outside the scribe seal,
• wherein the inner metal meander stop ring is separated from the scribe seal by a first separation gap, and
• wherein the outer metal meander stop ring is separated from the inner metal meander stop ring by a second separation gap.

A method of fabricating integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• providing a substrate having a semiconductor surface layer with a plurality of the IC die each having circuitry in the semiconductor surface layer configured for at least one function, with a scribe street positioned between adjacent ones of the plurality of IC die;
• forming a metal stack including a plurality of metal interconnect levels including at least four levels thereon comprising a top metal interconnect level and a bottom metal interconnect level, with a passivation layer on the top metal interconnect level, the forming the plurality of metal interconnect levels including:
• forming in the scribe street a scribe seal around a periphery of the plurality of IC die utilizing at least two of the plurality of metal interconnect levels, and
• forming a single metal meander stop ring outside the scribe seal that is separated from the scribe seal by a separation gap, the single metal meander stop ring consisting of the top metal interconnect level and at most a metal interconnect level immediately below the top metal interconnect layer.