Integrated circuit structures and methods to facilitate accurate measurement of the IC devices

• US 6,262,434 B1
• Filed: 08/18/1997
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: California Micro Devices Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: Kalb, Jeffrey C.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGO, NGAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/914,309
• Time in Patent Office: 1,429 Days
• Field of Search: 438/382, 438/384, 438/617, 438/4, 257/484, 257/530, 257/775, 257/48, 257/723, 257/724, 257/536, 257/537, 257/538, 296/101, 338/295, 338/319, 338/320, 338/195, 338/114, 338/140
• US Class Current: 257/48
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04042 Bonding areas specifically adapted for wire connectors, e.g. wirebond pads
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05551 comprising apertures or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16106 the bump connector connecting one bonding area to at least two respective bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/4813 Connecting within a semiconductor or solid-state body, i.e. fly wire, bridge wire
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/85205 Ultrasonic bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/02 Bonding areas on insulating substrates, e.g. chip carriers, H01L23/49816, H01L23/49838, H01L23/5389; Manufacturing methods related thereto
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/03 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/45 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/85 using a wire connector wire bonding in general B23K20/004
• 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 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01057 Lanthanum [La]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01073 : Tantalum [Ta]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/04953 : TaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor

Abstract

The present invention relates, in one embodiment, to an integrated circuit including a first circuit structure, a first conductive bonding pad coupled to the first circuit structure, a second circuit structure, and a second conductive bonding pad coupled to the second circuit structure. The first conductive bonding pad is arranged to be separated from the second bonding pad by a gap having a gap dimension. The gap dimension is configured to be bridged by a wire bond, thereby permitting the wire bond to electrically couple the first conductive bonding pad with the second conductive bonding pad when the wire bond is coupled to the first bonding pad and the second bonding pad at the gap.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing an integrated circuit structure having a substrate, a first circuit structure formed on the substrate, the first circuit structure comprising a first tab portion, a first conductive bonding pad coupled to the first circuit structure, the first conductive bonding pad comprising a first portion of a conductive layer formed on the substrate, a second circuit structure formed on the substrate, the second circuit structure comprising a second tab portion, a second conductive bonding pad coupled to the second circuit structure, the second conductive bonding pad comprising a second portion of the conductive layer, the first conductive bonding pad being separated from the second conductive bonding pad by a gap between the first portion of the conductive layer and the second portion of the conductive layer, the method comprising:

measuring the first circuit structure via the first conductive bonding pad;

adjusting the measured value, if needed, by trimming the first tab;

measuring the second circuit structure via the second conductive bonding pad;

adjusting the measured value, if needed, by trimming the second tab; and

connecting the gap between the circuit structures with a wire bond after the measurements and adjustments are made to the tabbed portions in order to provide for independent testing and adjustment of each separate circuit, the wire bond being bonded to the first conductive bonding pad and to the second conductive bonding pad at the gap to form a terminal on the substrate.

2. The method of claim 1 which further includes extending the gap through the conductive layer.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the first circuit structure further comprises a thin-film resistor having a resistive portion, and the method for utilizing the structure includes coupling this resistive portion to the first conductive bonding pad, and forming the resistive portion from a resistive layer disposed below at least a portion of the conductive layer.

4. The method of claim 1 which further includes extending the gap through both the conductive layer and the resistive layer.

5. The method of claim 4 which further includes forming the gap dimension to be between a first dimension and about five microns, the first dimension representing a gap distance sufficient to electrically isolate the first conductive bonding pad and the second conductive bonding pad before the wire bond is coupled to the first conductive bonding pad and the second conductive bonding pad.

6. The method of claim 1 which further includes forming the wire bond as a ball bond.

7. An apparatus for utilizing an integrated circuit structure having a substrate, a first circuit structure formed on the substrate, the first circuit structure comprising a first tab portion, a first conductive bonding pad coupled to the first circuit structure, the first conductive bonding pad comprising a first portion of a conductive layer formed on the substrate, a second circuit structure formed on the substrate, the second circuit structure comprising a second tab portion, a second conductive bonding pad coupled to the second circuit structure, the second conductive bonding pad comprising a second portion of the conductive layer, the first conductive bonding pad being separated from the second conductive bonding pad by a gap between the first portion of th conductive layer and the second portion of the conductive layer, comprising;

a means for measuring the first circuit structure via the first conductive bonding pad;

a means for adjusting the measured value, if needed, by trimming the first tab;

a means for measuring the second circuit structure via the second conductive bonding pad;

a means for adjusting the measured value, if needed, by trimming the second tab; and

a means for connecting the gap between the circuit structures with a wire bond after the measurements and adjustments are made to the tabbed portions in order to provide for independent testing and adjustment of each separate circuit, the wire bond being bonded to the first conductive bonding pad and to the second conductive bonding pad at the gap to form a terminal on the substrate.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a means for extending the gap through the conductive layer.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 8, wherein the first circuit structure further comprises a thin-film resistor having a resistive portion.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a means for forming the resistive portion of the thin film resistor from a resistive layer disposed below at least a portion of the conductive layer.

11. An apparatus as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

a means for coupling the resistive portion of the thin film resistor to the first conductive bonding pad.

12. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a means for extending the gap through both the conductive layer and the resistive layer.

13. An apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein the means for forming the gap forms a gap dimension to be between a first dimension and about five microns, wherein the first dimension represents a gap distance sufficient to electrically isolate the first conductive bonding pad and the second conductive bonding pad before the wire bond is coupled to the first conductive bonding pad and the second conductive bonding pad.

14. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein the wire bond is a ball bond.