System and method for preventing metal corrosion on bond pads

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for preventing metal corrosion on bond pads. During manufacture of an integrated circuit device an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer is applied to a metal stack of a bond pad. A mask and etch process is applied to etch an aperture through the ARC layer down to the metal stack. Then a passivation layer is applied to cover the ARC layer and the aperture through the ARC layer. Then another mask and etch process is applied to etch a bond pad opening through the passivation layer inside the ARC layer aperture down to the metal stack. Interior edge portions of the passivation layer seal the interior edge portions of the ARC layer aperture to prevent corrosion of the ARC layer due to high temperatures, high humidity and corrosive materials encountered in subsequent assembly operations of the integrated circuit device.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.