DEVICE HAVING CONTACT PAD WITH A CONDUCTIVE LAYER AND A CONDUCTIVE PASSIVATION LAYER
First Claim
1. A contact pad of an integrated circuit die, the contact pad adapted to provide electrical connection between the integrated circuit die and an electrical system, the contact pad comprising:
- a conductive layer; and
a conductive passivation layer directly on the conductive layer.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus is disclosed for sequential processing of integrated circuits, particularly for conductively passivating a contact pad with a material which resists formation of resistive oxides. In particular, a tank is divided into three compartments, each holding a different solution: a lower compartment and two upper compartments divided by a barrier, which extends across and partway down the tank. The solutions have different densities and therefore separate into different layers. In the illustrated embodiment, integrated circuits with patterned contact pads are passed through one of the upper compartments, in which oxide is removed from the contact pads. Continuing downward into the lower compartment and laterally beneath the barrier, a protective layer is selectively formed on the insulating layer surrounding the contact pads. As the integrated circuits are moved upwardly into the second upper compartment, a conducting monomer selectively forms on the contact pads prior to any exposure to air. The integrated circuits can then be transferred to an ozone chamber where polymerization results in a conductive passivation layer on the contact pad.
-
Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A contact pad of an integrated circuit die, the contact pad adapted to provide electrical connection between the integrated circuit die and an electrical system, the contact pad comprising:
-
a conductive layer; and a conductive passivation layer directly on the conductive layer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13)
-
-
11. An integrated circuit die comprising:
-
a substrate; a conductive line on or within the substrate; and a contact pad electrically coupled to the conductive line, the contact pad comprising a conductive layer and a conductive passivation layer directly on the conductive layer. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A method of making an integrated circuit, comprising:
-
providing a substrate; forming electrical devices on the substrate; immersing the substrate in a cleaning fluid; and transferring the substrate from the cleaning fluid to a separate plating fluid while keeping the substrate immersed in fluid.
-
-
17. A method of making an integrated circuit die, comprising:
-
providing a substrate comprising a metal surface; forming electrical devices on the substrate; immersing the integrated circuit die in a container holding a plurality of solutions, wherein each of said plurality of solutions is in contact with at least one other of said plurality of solutions, thereby allowing direct transfer of said integrated circuit die between said plurality of solutions in said container; exposing the metal surface to an oxide cleaning solution within the container; preferentially forming a layer comprising a conducting monomer after exposing the metal surface to the oxide cleaning solution and prior to removing the integrated circuit die from the container; and polymerizing said conducting monomer layer.
-
-
18. A contact pad of an integrated circuit die, the contact pad adapted to provide electrical connection between the integrated circuit die and an electrical system, the contact pad comprising:
-
means for conducting electricity from an integrated circuit die to at least one outside circuit; and means for passivating the conducting means. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
-
21. An apparatus for sequential in situ cleaning and formation of a conductive passivation layer on a conductive element in an integrated circuit, the apparatus comprising:
-
means for cleaning the integrated circuit; means for forming a protective layer on the integrated circuit; means for forming a monomer layer on the integrated circuit; means for separating the cleaning means, the protective layer forming means, and the monomer layer forming means, wherein the separating means is positioned to separate the cleaning means from the monomer layer forming means; and means for containing the cleaning means, the protective layer forming means, and the monomer layer forming means, wherein the cleaning means is above and in contact with the protective layer forming means, and the monomer layer forming means is above and in contact with the protective layer forming means, such that the integrated circuit can be transferred from the cleaning means to the protective layer forming means, and then to the monomer layer forming means, while keeping the substrate immersed in fluid. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
Specification