Reinforced bond pad

• US 6,960,836 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 11/01/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global))
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Incorporated (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chesire, Daniel Patrick, Osenbach, John William, Steiner, Kurt George, Merchant, Sailesh Mansinh, Bachman, Mark Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Thinh T
• Application Number:
  US10/675,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20050067709A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 257/763, 257/761, 257/762, 257/750, 257/764, 257/765, 257/766, 257/770
• US Class Current: 257/763
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/768 Applying interconnections to be used for carrying current between separate components within a device comprising conductors and dielectrics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/02166 Collar structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04042 Bonding areas specifically adapted for wire connectors, e.g. wirebond pads
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05082 Two-layer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05093 of a plurality of vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05552 in top view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05558 conformal layer on a patterned surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05567 the external layer being at least partially embedded in the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05624 Aluminium [Al] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05647 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/562 Protection against mechanical damage H01L23/02, H01L23/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/03 Manufacturing methods
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 : Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01022 : Titanium [Ti]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01028 : Nickel [Ni]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01073 : Tantalum [Ta]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/04941 : TiN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/04953 : TaN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/05042 : Si3N4
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a reinforcing system and method for reinforcing a contact pad of an integrated circuit. Specifically exemplified is a system and method that comprises a reinforcing structure interposed between a top contact pad layer and an underlying metal layer.

Claims

1. A wire bonding pad reinforcing system for an integrated circuit of the type using brittle inter-level dielectrics comprising:

a wire bonding pad formed of a metal;

a metal reinforcing layer formed under and in contact with the wire bonding pad, the metal reinforcing layer being structured to stiffen the wire bonding pad and to distribute bonding forces over an extended area;

at least one metal layer disposed under and in contact with said reinforcing layer; and

at least one brittle inter-level dielectric extending within the integrated circuit below said at least one metal layer.

2. The reinforcing system of claim 1 wherein the metal of the reinforcing layer is a refractory metal.

3. The reinforcing system of claim 1 wherein said reinforcing layer is a patterned structure.

4. The reinforcing system of claim 1 wherein the metal of the contact pad is selected from the group comprising aluminum, copper and alloys of aluminum and copper.

5. The reinforcing system of claim 1 wherein the metal of the reinforcing layer is selected from the group comprising titanium, titanium nitride, tungsten, tungsten nitride, nickle, and alloys or combinations thereof.

6. The reinforcing system of claim 1, wherein said reinforcing layer is 100-600 nm thick.