Passivation layer extension to chip edge
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsTimothy H. Daubenspeck, Ekta Misra, Marie-Claude Paquet, Francis Santerre, Wolfgang Sauter
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention provide a semiconductor chip having a passivation layer extending along a surface of a semiconductor substrate to an edge of the semiconductor substrate, and methods for their formation. One aspect of the invention provides a semiconductor chip comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a passivation layer including a photosensitive polyimide disposed along a surface of the semiconductor substrate and extending to at least one edge of the semiconductor substrate; and a channel extending through the passivation layer to the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
Claims18
A semiconductor chip comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
- a passivation layer including a photosensitive polyimide disposed along a surface of the semiconductor substrate and extending to at least one edge of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- a channel extending through the passivation layer to the surface of the semiconductor substrate,
- wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a crackstop structure extending from within the semiconductor substrate to the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
A method of forming a semiconductor chip, the method comprising:
- depositing a passivation material onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate to form a passivation layer extending to an edge of the semiconductor substrate;
- and
- etching a channel into the passivation layer through to the surface of the semiconductor substrate to leave a peripheral portion of the passivation layer adjacent the edge of the semiconductor substrate,
- wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a crackstop structure and the peripheral portion of the passivation layer covers at least a portion of the crackstop structure.
A method of forming a passivation layer on a semiconductor substrate, the method comprising:
- depositing a photosensitive polyimide onto a surface of a semiconductor substrate to form a passivation layer extending to an edge of the semiconductor substrate;
- photolithographically patterning and etching a channel into the passivation layer through to the surface of the semiconductor substrate to leave a peripheral portion of the passivation layer adjacent the edge of the semiconductor substrate;
- laser dicing the edge of the semiconductor substrate through the passivation layer;
- and
- blade dicing the edge of the semiconductor substrate through the passivation layer,
- wherein the semiconductor substrate includes a crackstop structure and the peripheral portion of the passivation layer covers at least a portion of the crackstop structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.