Structure for testing integrated circuits

• US 5,684,304 A
• Filed: 12/20/1994
• Issued: 11/04/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ST-Ericcson SA (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Smears, Nicholas William
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jerome
• Assistant Examiner(s): GUAY, JOHN FRANCIS
• Application Number:
  US08/359,459
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 257/48, 257/532-535, 324/158.1
• US Class Current: 257/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/32 Additional lead-in metallisation on a device or substrate, e.g. additional pads or pad portions, lines in the scribe line, sacrificed conductors arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation H01L23/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/056 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01058 Cerium [Ce]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01072 Hafnium [Hf]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding

Abstract

An integrated circuit has at least one access pad connected to an element of an internal circuit through a capacitor including two opposed conductive layers insulated one from the other. The lower conductive layer portion is connected to the pad and the upper conductive layer portion is connected to the element. Thus, the upper conductive layer portion forms a d.c. current testing pad.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit having at least one access pad connected to an element of an internal circuit through a capacitor including

lower conductive plate occupying a capacitor area defined thereby;

an upper conductive plate occupying the capacitor area;

a first insulation layer disposed between the lower conductive plate and the upper conductive plate;

a second insulation layer disposed on the upper conductive plate and having at least one via defined therein; and

a conductive contact layer disposed on the second insulation layer, occupying the capacitor area and connected to the upper conducting plate through the via defined in the second insulation layer; and

wherein the lower conductive plate is connected to the pad and the upper conductive plate is connected to said element, wherein the conductive contact layer forms a test pad, and

wherein the lower conductive plate is made of polycrystalline silicon and wherein the upper conductive plate is further connected to a diffused region beneath the lower conductive plate, the diffused region connected to a portion of a first metallization level.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the portion of the first metallization level is coated with a portion of a conductive layer of a second metallization level connected thereto.