Planar passivation for pads

A method for forming a device comprising:

• providing a substrate having circuit component and a dielectric layer over the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a plurality of inter level dielectric (ILD) layers and the uppermost dielectric layer comprises at least one interconnect;
• providing a pad dielectric layer over the uppermost ILD layer, wherein providing the pad dielectric layer comprises forming a lower pad dielectric layer over the uppermost dielectric layer, and forming an upper pad dielectric layer over the lower pad dielectric layer, wherein the upper pad dielectric layer comprises a flowable dielectric material;
• forming a pad interconnect which is a wire bond pad configured for receiving a wire bond in the pad dielectric layer and a top surface of the pad interconnect is exposed such that the wire bond is to be attached and in direct contact thereto, wherein the pad interconnect is coupled to the at least one interconnect of the uppermost ILD layer, wherein a top surface of the pad dielectric layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the pad interconnect;
• and
• forming a passivation layer over and in direct contact with the pad dielectric layer, wherein the passivation layer comprises a first portion covering the pad interconnect having a first height and a second portion not covering the pad interconnect having a second height, wherein the first height is same as the second height, and
• wherein the passivation layer is used for preventing a top surface of the pad interconnect from oxidation/corrosion and contamination during wire bonding and packaging process.

A method for forming a device comprising:

• providing a substrate having circuit component and a dielectric layer over the substrate, wherein the dielectric layer comprises a plurality of inter level dielectric (ILD) layers and the uppermost dielectric layer comprises at least one interconnect;
• providing a pad dielectric layer which comprises a flowable dielectric material over the uppermost ILD layer;
• forming a pad interconnect which is a wire bond pad configured for receiving a wire bond in the pad dielectric layer and a top surface of the pad interconnect is exposed such that the wire bond is to be attached and in direct contact thereto, wherein the pad interconnect is coupled to the at least one interconnect of the uppermost ILD layer, wherein a top surface of the pad dielectric layer is substantially coplanar with a top surface of the pad interconnect;
• and
• forming a passivation layer over and in direct contact with the pad dielectric layer, wherein the passivation layer comprises a non-planar top surface having a first height closer to the pad interconnect and a second height away from the pad interconnect, wherein the first height is slightly higher than the second height, and the passivation layer is used for preventing a top surface of the pad interconnect from oxidation/corrosion and contamination during wire bonding and packaging process.