Passivation integrity improvements
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsPhilip J. Ireland, James E. Green
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An exemplary implementation of the invention is a process for forming passivation protection on a semiconductor assembly by the steps of: forming a layer of oxide over patterned metal lines having sidewalls; forming a first passivation layer of silicon nitride over the layer of oxide such that the first passivation layer of silicon nitride resides along the sidewalls of metal lines and pinches off a gap between the metal lines; performing a facet etch to remove material from the edges of the first passivation layer of silicon nitride and re-deposits some of removed material across a pinch-off junction; forming a second passivation layer of silicon nitride on the first passivation layer of silicon nitride.
Claims5
A mobile ion barrier on a semiconductor assembly, said mobile ion barrier comprising:
- a layer of oxide over patterned metal lines having sidewalls;
- a layer of silicon nitride overlying said layer of oxide in such a manner that said layer of silicon nitride resides along said sidewalls of said metal lines and pinches off a gap between said metal lines.
A mobile ion barrier on a semiconductor assembly, said mobile ion barrier comprising:
- a layer of oxide over patterned metal lines having sidewalls;
- a layer of silicon nitride having faceted edges, said layer of silicon nitride overlying said layer of oxide in a conformal manner to resides along said sidewalls of said metal lines such that a pinched off gap is formed between said metal lines;
- and
- a second layer of silicon nitride overlying said first layer of silicon nitride.
A semiconductor assembly having mobile ion barrier, said mobile ion barrier comprising:
- a layer of oxide over patterned metal lines having sidewalls;
- a first layer of silicon nitride having faceted edges, said layer of silicon nitride overlying said layer of oxide in a conformal manner to reside along said sidewalls of said metal lines such that a pinched off air gap is formed between said metal lines;
- and
- a second layer of silicon nitride overlying said first layer of silicon nitride.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.