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US 8,918,988 B2Granted
Methods for controlling wafer curvature
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsMohammed Fazil Fayaz, Jeffery Burton Maxson, Anthony Kendall Stamper, Daniel Scott Vanslette
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and structures for controlling wafer curvature during fabrication of integrated circuits caused by stressed films. The methods include controlling the conductor density of wiring levels, adding compensating stressed film layers and disturbing the continuity of stress films with the immediately lower layer. The structure includes integrated circuits having compensating stressed film layers.
Claims15
A method, comprising:
- (a) selecting a wiring level design of an integrated circuit design, said design defining a physical wiring level of an integrated circuit chip on a wafer, wherein said physical wiring level comprises wires comprising an electrical conductor in an interlevel dielectric layer;
- after (a), (b) determining if an electrical conductor shape density of said wiring level design is within a pre-defined range, said pre-defined range having a lower limit and a different upper limit;
- after (b), (c) if said electrical conductor shape density is below said lower limit of said range, increasing said electrical conductor shape density, if said electrical conductor shape density is between said lower limit and said upper limit not changing said electrical conductor shape density, if said electrical conductor shape density is greater than an upper limit of said range, decreasing said electrical conductor shape density;
- after (c), (d) fabricating said one or more of said integrated circuit chips on said wafer using said wiring level design;
- and
- wherein said decreasing said electrical conductor shape density comprises moving a shape that defines a wire of said integrated circuit from a first region of said wiring level to a second region of said wiring level.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.