In-line protection from process induced dielectric damage
AssigneeNXP USA, Inc.
InventorsWILLIAM ERNEST EDWARDS, Brian George Anthony
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of protecting a dielectric during fabrication is provided. A conductive layer is patterned to form a first conductive shape on a first portion of a dielectric layer and a second conductive shape on a second portion of the dielectric layer. A conductive trace is formed over at least a portion of the second conductive shape. The conductive trace electrically connects the first conductive shape with a substrate tie. An interconnect layer is coupled to the first conductive shape. The conductive trace is etched to electrically isolate the first conductive shape from the substrate tie.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- patterning a conductive layer to form a first conductive shape on a first portion of a dielectric layer and a second conductive shape on a second portion of the dielectric layer;
- forming a conductive trace over at least a portion of the second conductive shape, the conductive trace electrically connecting the first conductive shape to a substrate tie;
- forming an interconnect layer coupled to the first conductive shape;
- and
- etching through the conductive trace over the portion of the second conductive shape to electrically isolate the first conductive shape from the substrate tie.
A method comprising:
- patterning a conductive layer to form a first conductive shape on a first portion of a dielectric layer and a second conductive shape on a second portion of the dielectric layer;
- depositing a first metal layer to form an interconnect trace, a first contact, and a second contact, the interconnect trace to form an electrical connection between the first contact and the second contact, the first contact to connect to the first conductive shape and the second contact to connect to a substrate tie region;
- depositing a second metal layer to form an interconnect coupled to the first conductive shape;
- and
- etching through the conductive trace over a portion of the second conductive shape to electrically isolate the first conductive shape from the substrate tie region.
A method comprising:
- forming a dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate;
- depositing a polysilicon layer on the dielectric layer;
- patterning the polysilicon layer to form a first polysilicon region on a first portion of the dielectric layer and a second polysilicon region on a second portion of the dielectric layer;
- forming a conductive trace comprising an interconnect, a first contact, and a second contact from a same metal material, the first contact coupled to the first polysilicon region and the second contact coupled to the substrate by way of a substrate tie, the interconnect connected between the first and second contacts;
- forming an interconnect coupled to the first conductive shape;
- and
- etching the conductive trace directly over at least a portion of the second polysilicon region to form an open circuit between the first polysilicon region and the substrate tie.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.