Semiconductor device protective overcoat with enhanced adhesion to polymeric materials and method of fabrication

A method of forming a semiconductor device having a protective overcoat with enhanced adhesion both to polymeric materials used in packaging and between the layers of said overcoat, the method including the following steps:

• positioning at least one semiconductor wafers with fabricated integrated circuits into a plasma deposition reactor,
• evacuating the chamber prior to deposition and the depositing on said at least one semiconductor wafer a silicon dioxide layer using a PETEOS (plasma enhanced tetraethyl ortho silicate) process,
• changing the gas supply in said chamber to include a silane, nitrogen, oxygen and ammonia, using a PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) process depositing a layer of silicon oxy-nitride thinner than said silicon dioxide layer,
• changing the gas supply in said chamber to deposit a thin film of silicon dioxide thinner than said silicon dioxide layer using a PETEOS process, and
• applying a photoresist, photopatterning the bond pads and/or other opening, and etching the openings in the protective overcoat using a dry etch process.

A method of forming a semiconductor device having a protective overcoat with enhanced adhesion both to polymeric materials used in packaging and between the layers of said overcoat, the method includes the following steps;

• evacuating the chamber prior to deposition and depositing of a silicon dioxide layer using a PETEOS (plasma enhanced tetraethyl ortho silicate) process,
• changing gas supply in the chamber to include silane/methane, or an organosilane, such as trimethyl or tetramethyl silane, using a PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) process depositing a layer of silicon carbide on the silicon dioxide layer thinner than the silicon dioxide layer,
• changing the gas supply in the chamber and depositing on the silicon carbide layer a thin film of silicon dioxide thinner than the silicon dioxide layer using a PETEOS process, and
• applying a photoresist, photopatterning the bond pads and/or other opening, and etching the openings in the protective overcoat using a dry etch process.

A method of forming a semiconductor device having an enhanced adhesion protective overcoat, the overcoat being fabricated by the steps of:

• providing a first layer of silicon dioxide;
• providing a second layer of a silicon compound selected from the group consisting of one of silicon nitride, silicon carbide or silicon oxynitride;
• and
• providing a third layer comprising a very thin film of silicon dioxide,
• the first layer being thicker than the second layer and the third layer being thinner than the first layer, the first layer relieving stresses imposed by the second layer and the third layer being an adhesion promoter between the second layer and a subsequently applied material.