Fabrication of wire bond pads over underlying active devices, passive devices and /or dielectric layers in integrated circuits

A structure for connecting devices on a semiconductor die to an external package using wire bonds, comprising:

• a semiconductor substrate having active and/or passive devices formed thereon;
• interconnect metallization formed over said active and/or passive devices, including an upper metal layer;
• a passivation layer formed over said interconnect metallization, wherein openings are formed in said passivation layer to said upper metal layer;
• and
• gold bond pads formed over said passivation layer, wherein said gold bond pads are connected through said openings to said upper metal layer, and wherein said gold bond pads are formed substantially over said active and/or passive devices.

A wire connection structure for an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• a semiconductor wafer including at least one of an active device and a passive device, one or more metal interconnect layers that are arranged over said at least one of said active and passive device and that include an outermost metal interconnect layer defining a contact pad, one or more dielectric layers that are arranged adjacent to said plurality of metal interconnect layers, and a passivation layer arranged over said outermost metal interconnect layer and including at least one passivation opening that exposes said contact pad;
• and
• a bond pad that is arranged over said passivation layer and said at least one of said active and passive device and that is connected to said contact pad through said passivation opening, wherein said bond pad includes:
• an adhesion layer formed on said passivation layer that includes at least one of Ti, Cr, TiW and TiN;
• a seed layer formed over said adhesion layer that includes gold;
• and
• a bulk layer formed over said seed layer that includes gold.

A method for providing a connection to an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor wafer including at least one of an active device and a passive device, one or more dielectric layers, at least one of metal interconnect layers and vias, and a contact pad defined in an outermost metal interconnect layer;
• forming a passivation layer over said outermost metal interconnect layer;
• creating at least one passivation opening that exposes said contact pad;
• forming a gold bond pad over said passivation layer and said at least one of said active and passive devices;
• and
• connecting said gold bond pad to said contact pad through said passivation opening.

A method for providing a connecting to an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• providing a semiconductor wafer including at least one of an active device and a passive device, a plurality of metal interconnect layers with an outermost metal interconnect layer defining a contact pad, and one or more dielectric layers;
• forming a passivation layer over said outermost metal interconnect layer;
• creating a passivation opening that exposes said contact pad;
• and
• forming a bond pad over said passivation layer, said at least one of said active and passive devices, and said contact pad, wherein said forming said bond pad includes:
• depositing an adhesion layer on said passivation layer that includes at least one of Ti, Cr, TiW and TiN;
• depositing a seed layer over said adhesion layer that includes gold;
• and
• depositing a bulk layer over said seed layer that includes gold.

A wire connection structure for an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• semiconductor means for providing at least one of an active device and a passive device and that includes:
• dielectric means that is arranged adjacent to said at least one of said active and passive device for providing insulation,
• metal interconnect means that is arranged adjacent to said at least one of said active and passive device for providing interconnections, wherein said metal interconnect means defines a contact pad, and
• passivation means for insulating said outermost metal interconnect means and including at least one passivation opening that exposes said contact pad;
• and
• gold bond pad means arranged over said passivation means and said at least one of said active and passive devices for absorbing bond pad fabrication stress and for providing a connection to said contact pad through said passivation opening.

A wire connection structure for an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• semiconductor means for providing at least one of an active device and a passive device and that includes:
• dielectric means that is arranged adjacent to said at least one of said active and passive device for providing insulation,
• metal interconnect means that is arranged adjacent to said at least one of said active and passive device for providing interconnections, wherein said metal interconnect means defines a contact pad, and
• passivation means for insulating said outermost metal interconnect means and including at least one passivation opening that exposes said contact pad;
• and
• gold bond pad means arranged over said passivation means and said at least one of said active and passive devices for absorbing bond pad fabrication stress and for providing a connection to said contact means through said passivation opening, wherein said gold bond pad means includes:
• an adhesion layer formed on said passivation means that includes at least one of Ti, Cr, TiW and TiN;
• a seed layer formed over said adhesion layer that includes gold;
• and
• a bulk layer formed over said seed layer that includes gold.

A structure for enabling wire bond connections over intermetal dielectric layers formed over an integrated circuit (IC) die, comprising:

• a semiconductor die, the die comprising at least one interconnect metal layer having at least one top level metal contact, at least one intermetal dielectric layer, and a passivation layer over the at least one interconnect metal layer and over the at least one intermetal dielectric layer, wherein the passivation layer comprises at least one opening through which is exposed the at least one top level metal contact point;
• and
• a gold bond pad over the passivation layer, connected to said top level metal contact through said opening;
• wherein the intermetal dielectric layer is formed of a low-K dielectric material.