Structure and method of making an offset-trench crackstop that forms an air gap adjacent to a passivated metal crackstop
US8742594B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 14, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jun 3, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 14, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH01L2224/94
- WIPO fieldSemiconductors
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A structure and method of making an offset-trench crackstop, which forms an air gap in a passivation layer that is adjacent to a passivated top metal layer of a metal crackstop in an integrated circuit (IC) die. The offset-trench crackstop may expose a portion of a topmost dielectric layer in the crackstop region, not expose a topmost patterned metal layer of the metal crackstop, and may be interposed between the metal crackstop and an active device region. Alternatively, the offset-trench crackstop may expose a portion of the topmost dielectric layer, which separates an outermost metal layer and an innermost metal layer of the metal crackstop, and does not expose any of the topmost patterned metal layer of the metal crackstop, where the innermost metal layer of the metal crackstop is interposed between the offset-trench crackstop in the crackstop region and the active device region of the IC die.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.