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US 2009/0256236 A1Published application
MEMS-topped integrated circuit with a stress relief layer and method of forming the circuit
AssigneeNational Semiconductor Corporation
InventorsPeter Smeys, Peter Johnson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The bow in a wafer that results from fabricating a large number of MEMS devices on the top surface of the passivation layer of the wafer so that a MEMS device is formed over each die region is reduced by forming a stress relief layer between the passivation layer and the MEMS devices.
Claims20
A semiconductor wafer comprising:
- a region;
- a metal interconnect structure that is connected to the substrate region, a top section of the metal interconnect structure having a number of conductive structures, and a layer of passivation material that touches and isolates the conductive structures, the layer of passivation material having a first maximum bulk elongation;
- a layer of stress relief material that touches the layer of passivation material, the layer of stress relief material being substantially horizontally planar and having a second maximum bulk elongation, the second maximum bulk elongation being substantially greater than the first maximum bulk elongation;
- and
- a MEMS film that touches the layer of stress relief material, the MEMS film having a third maximum bulk elongation.
2 more elements
A semiconductor wafer comprising:
- a substrate region;
- a metal interconnect structure that is connected to the substrate region, a top section of the metal interconnect structure having a number of conductive structures, and a layer of passivation material that touches and isolates the conductive structures, the layer of passivation material having a first maximum bulk elongation;
- a stress relief layer that touches the layer of passivation material, the stress relief layer having a second maximum bulk elongation, the second maximum bulk elongation being substantially greater than the first maximum bulk elongation;
- and
- a MEMS film that touches the stress relief layer, the MEMS film having a third maximum bulk elongation, the second maximum bulk elongation being substantially greater than the third maximum bulk elongation, the MEMS film is being a non-conductive mold that touches the stress relief layer.
2 more elements
9-12. (canceled)
A semiconductor wafer comprising:
- a substrate region;
- a metal interconnect structure that is connected to the substrate region, a top section of the metal interconnect structure having a number of conductive structures, and a layer of passivation material that touches and isolates the conductive structures, the layer of passivation material having a first maximum bulk elongation;
- a layer of stress relief material that touches and lies over the layer of passivation material, the layer of stress relief material having a second maximum bulk elongation, the second maximum bulk elongation being substantially greater than the first maximum bulk elongation;
- and
- a MEMS structure having a first conductive region, a second conductive region, and a third maximum bulk elongation,
- the first conductive region having a side surface and a lower surface, a portion of the side surface extending completely laterally around the first conductive region, the layer of stress relief material and the layer of passivation material touching all of the portion of the side surface that extends completely laterally around the first conductive region, the lower surface making an electrical contact with a conductive structure of the number of conductive structures,
- the second conductive region touching the first conductive region, and only extending substantially horizontally away from the first conductive region, the second conductive region lying directly vertically over the layer of stress relief material.
4 more elements
A semiconductor wafer comprising:
- a substrate region;
- a metal interconnect structure that is connected to the substrate region, a top section of the metal interconnect structure having a number of conductive structures, and a layer of passivation material that touches and isolates the conductive structures, the layer of passivation material having a first maximum bulk elongation;
- a layer of stress relief material that touches and lies over the layer of passivation material, the layer of stress relief material having a second maximum bulk elongation, the second maximum bulk elongation being substantially greater than the first maximum bulk elongation;
- and
- a MEMS structure having a lower surface and a third maximum bulk elongation, the lower surface including all surfaces of the MEMS structure that lie in a single substantially horizontal plane, all of the lower surface touching the layer of stress relief material.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.