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US 5,397,607 AGranted
Input/output (I/O) thin film repair process
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRonald R. Shields, Kurt A. Smith, Ronald J. McDonald
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Missing thin film metallurgy on substrates is replaced during the manufacture of thin film electronic circuits. The process allows the missing thin film metallurgy, such as an input/output (I/O) pad or pads, to be replaced quickly and simply, without damaging the other I/O pads or thin film metallurgy already applied to the substrate. The process essentially uses lift-off technology without building a complete lift-off stencil.
Claims5
A method of repairing missing thin film metallurgy on a substrate comprising the steps of:
- (a) locating a portion of the substrate where the thin film metallurgy is missing;
- (b) covering the substrate and the portion in (a) with a layer of soluble polymeric material;
- (c) ablating the polymeric material at the missing portion so as to create an opening in the polymeric material of a first dimension;
- (d) placing a mask over the polymeric material, said mask having perforations smaller in size than the first dimension and with one perforation being in alignment with the opening in the polymeric material;
- (e) depositing metal through said perforations and into the opening of the polymeric material so as to replace the missing portion of thin film metallurgy;
- and
- (f) removing the mask and layer of soluble polymeric material.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.