Thin-film resistor employed in a semiconductor wafer and its method formation

Abstract

The present invention provides a thin-film resistor positioned on a semiconductor wafer and its method of formation. The thin-film resistor comprises a dielectric layer, a resistance layer, a protective layer, an insulating layer and two conductive layers. The dielectric layer is positioned on the semiconductor wafer. The resistance layer is positioned in a predetermined area of the dielectric layer. The protective layer positioned on the resistance layer comprises two openings formed above two ends of the resistance layer by using the wet-etching process. The insulating layer positioned on the protective layer comprises two openings on the two openings of the protective layer by using the dry-etching process. The two conductive layers are separately positioned in the two openings of the protective layer and the insulating layer to connect two ends of the resistance layer and function as two electrical terminals. The protective layer is used to prevent plasma damage to the resistance layer from the dry-etching process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.