Method for manufacturing a semiconductor device with a slotted metal test pad to prevent lift-off during wafer scribing
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorDavid E. Gross
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for semiconductor wafer scribing utilizing perforated metal areas in the scribe regions. In one form, a method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of semiconductor die (12) on a semiconductor wafer (10) such that the die are separated from one another by scribe regions (13). A test structure (14) is formed within one of the scribe regions and includes a perforated probe pad (16). In one embodiment, the probe pad is perforated by a plurality of slots (18). The perforations in the probe pad aid in scribing the semiconductor wafer by preventing metal lift-off which often occurs when cutting metal areas.
Claims12
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device with features to aid in cutting metal within a scribe region of the device, comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a plurality of spaced apart semiconductor die on the semiconductor wafer, each die being separated from one another by one of a plurality of scribe regions;
- and
- forming a test structure in at least one of the scribe regions, the test structure having at least one metal probe pad, the metal probe pad having a plurality of slots oriented in a predetermined direction;
- and
- scribing the semiconductor wafer along the plurality of scribe regions and through the metal probe pad substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the slots to substantially prevent metal lift-off generated from the metal probe pad.
A process for fabricating a semiconductor device with features to aid in cutting metal within a scribe region of the device, comprising the steps of:
- providing a semiconductor wafer;
- forming a plurality of spaced apart semiconductor die on the semiconductor wafer, the plurality of die being separated from one another by a plurality of horizontal scribe regions and a plurality of vertical scribe regions;
- forming an electrical test structure in at least one of the horizontal or vertical scribe regions, the test structure having at least one metal probe pad having a row of substantially rectangular slots, each slot having a longitudinal axis;
- and
- singulating the plurality of semiconductor die by cutting the semiconductor wafer through the horizontal and vertical scribe regions and through the metal probe pad in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axes of the slots such that metal lift-off generation is prevented.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.