# US 2013/0154048 A1 · Guard Ring for Through Vias > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2013/0154048 A1 - Document ID: US20130154048A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/328,715 - Filed: 2011-12-16 - Published: 2013-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2011-12-16 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Inventors: Chih-Hung Lu; Song-Bor Lee; Ching-Chen Hao - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130154048A1 ## CPC - H10W 10/40: Isolation regions comprising polycrystalline semiconductor materials - H10D 84/0151: {Manufacturing their isolation regions} - H10D 84/038: {using silicon technology, e.g. SiGe} - H10W 10/00: Isolation regions in semiconductor bodies between components of integrated devices - H10W 10/01: {Manufacture or treatment} - H10W 10/041: {of isolation regions comprising polycrystalline semiconductor materials} - H10W 20/0245: {comprising use of blind vias during the manufacture} - H10W 20/20: Interconnections within wafers or substrates, e.g. through-silicon vias [TSV] - H10W 20/2134: {TSVs extending from the semiconductor wafer into back-end-of-line layers} - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A guard ring for a through via, and a method of manufacture thereof, is provided. The guard ring comprises one or more rings around a through via, wherein the rings may be, for example, circular, rectangular, octagon, elliptical, square, or the like. The guard ring may be formed from a contact through an inter-layer dielectric layer and interconnect structures (e.g., vias and lines) extending through the inter-metal dielectric layers. The guard ring may contact a well formed in the substrate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing a substrate; forming a plurality of dielectric layers over the substrate; forming a guard well in the substrate; forming a first guard ring extending through one or more of the plurality of dielectric layers and contacting the guard well; and forming a through via in an inner region of the first guard ring. ### Claim 2 (canceled) ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the forming the plurality of dielectric layers includes forming one or more metallization layers, and wherein the forming the first guard ring comprises forming metal lines and vias extending through one or more of the metallization layers, the metal lines extending around the through via. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the through via begins at an upper surface of an inter-layer dielectric and extends into the substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising a second guard ring extending through one or more of the plurality of dielectric layers. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first guard ring and the second guard ring forms a discontinuous shape around the through via. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein at least one of the first guard ring and the second guard ring forms a solid shape around the through via. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the forming a plurality of dielectric layers comprises forming at least one extreme low-k (ELK) dielectric layer and wherein the first guard ring extends through the at least one extreme low-k (ELK) dielectric layer. ### Claim 9 A method comprising: providing a substrate; forming a guard well in the substrate; forming an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer over the substrate; forming a guard ring over the guard well in the ILD layer, the guard ring enclosing an inner region separated from electrical circuitry formed on the substrate; and forming a through via in the inner region, the through via extending through the ILD layer to the substrate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising forming one or more inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers over the ILD layer, the through via extending through one or more of the one or more IMD layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising forming one or more inter-metal dielectric (IMD) layers over the ILD layer, and wherein the guard ring extends through one or more of the IMD layers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the forming the guard ring comprises forming interconnects through the IMD layers such that the interconnects contact an underlying conductive layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the forming the guard ring comprises forming one or more additional guard rings. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein at least one of the additional guard rings forms a solid shape around the through via. ### Claim 15 An electrical device comprising: a substrate; one or more dielectric layers formed over the substrate; a guard ring in at least one of the one or more dielectric layers, the guard ring having an interior region and an exterior region, wherein the guard ring comprises a contact extending through an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) layer to the substrate, and wherein the guard ring further comprises a doped well in the substrate below the contact of the guard ring, the contact being in electrical contact with doped well; and a through via extending through at least one of the one or more dielectric layers, the through via extending through the interior region of the guard ring. ### Claim 16 (canceled) ### Claim 17 (canceled) ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The electrical device of claim 15, wherein the through via extends through one or more inter-metal dielectric layers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The electrical device of claim 15, further comprising one or more additional guard rings. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The electrical device of claim 19, wherein at least one of the guard rings and the additional guard rings comprise at least one continuous ring around the through via.