Method for providing and removing discharging interconnect for chip-on-glass output leads and structures thereof

• US 20070194414A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Snaptrack Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm MEMS Technologies Incorporated (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chou, Chen-Jean
• Granted Patent: US 7,582,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/678
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/047 Optical MEMS not provided for in B81B2201/042 - B81B2201/045
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/0022 Protection against electrostatic discharge electrostatic discharge protection for electronic semiconductor circuits H01L27/0248; circuit arrangements for protecting electronic switching circuits used for pulse technique against overcurrent or overvoltage H03K17/08
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0426 Layout of electrodes and connections
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2330/04 Display protection

Abstract

Microelectronic devices may be fabricated while being protected from damage by electrostatic discharge. In one embodiment, a shorting circuit is connected to elements of the microelectronic device, where the microelectronic device is part of a chip-on-glass system. In one aspect of this embodiment, a portion of the shorting circuit is in an area of a substrate where a microchip is bonded. In another embodiment, shorting links of the shorting circuit are comprised of a fusible material, where the fusible material may be disabled by an electrical current capable of fusing the shorting links.

Claims

1. A partially fabricated microelectronic device, comprising:

an array of electronic devices on a substrate;

conductive leads connecting to the electronic devices, wherein at least two leads connect to each electronic device;

a shorting structure; and

a plurality of shorting links in electrical connection with the conductive leads and the shorting structure;

wherein the shorting structure or the shorting links are at least partially located in a microchip bonding area of the substrate and the shorting links or the shorting structure are configured so as to be at least partially removable.

2. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising bond pads in electrical connection with the conductive leads in the microchip bonding area of the substrate.

3. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic devices are at least one of liquid crystal diodes, organic light emitting diodes and interferometric modulators.

4. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein at least some of the shorting links are connected between two conductive leads.

5. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the shorting links are comprised of a fusible material and are configured so as to be disabled by an electrical current capable of fusing the shorting links.

6. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the fusible material comprises at least one of aluminum, nickel and molybdenum.

7. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 5, wherein the shorting links are less than one micron thick in at least one point.

8. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the shorting links and the shorting structure are comprised of an etchable material.

9. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic devices comprise display elements and the conductive leads connect to row and column electrodes of the array of display elements.

10. A partially fabricated display unit, comprising:

a display array comprised of a plurality of display elements arranged upon a substrate;

conductive leads connecting to the display elements, wherein at least two leads connect to each display element; and

a plurality of shorting links in electrical connection with the conductive leads and configured such that all of the conductive leads are electrically connected;

wherein the shorting links are comprised of a fusible material and are configured so as to be disabled by an electrical current capable of fusing the shorting links.

11. The partially fabricated display unit of claim 10, wherein the display elements are at least one of liquid crystal diodes, organic light emitting diodes and interferometric modulators.

12. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the fusible material comprises at least one of aluminum, nickel and molybdenum.

13. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the shorting links are less than one micron thick in at least one point.

14. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 10, wherein the substrate comprises a transparent material.

15. The partially fabricated microelectronic device of claim 10, further comprising a shorting structure, and wherein the shorting links are in electrical connection with the conductive leads and the shorting structure.

16. A display device, comprising:

a display array comprised of a plurality of display elements arranged upon a substrate;

conductive leads connecting to the display elements, wherein at least two leads connect to each display element;

a shorting structure;

an electronic device comprising contacts in electrical connection with the conductive leads; and

a plurality of fused shorting links.

17. The display device of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of bond pads in electrical connection to the conductive leads and the electronic device contacts.

18. The display device of claim 16, wherein the display elements are interferometric modulators, the display device further comprising:

a processor that is configured to communicate with the display array, the processor being configured to process image data; and

a memory device that is configured to communicate with the processor.

19. The display device of claim 18, wherein the electronic device comprises a driver circuit configured to send at least one signal to the display array.

20. The display device of claim 19, further comprising:

a controller configured to send at least a portion of the image data to the driver circuit.

21. The display device of claim 18, further comprising:

an image source module configured to send the image data to the processor.

22. The display device of claim 21, wherein the image source module comprises at least one of a receiver, transceiver, and transmitter.

23. The display device of claim 18, further comprising:

an input device configured to receive input data and to communicate the input data to the processor.

24. A method of providing electrostatic discharge protection during a fabrication process of a micro-electronic device, wherein the microelectronic device comprises an array of electronic devices on a substrate, the method comprising:

applying a plurality of conductive leads to the substrate, wherein the leads connect to the electronic devices;

applying an electrically conductive material to the substrate to serve as a shorting structure;

applying shorting links to the substrate, wherein the shorting links are comprised of an electrically conductive material and are in electrical connection to the conductive leads and the shorting structure; and

wherein the shorting structure is at least partially located in an area of the substrate to attach a microchip and at least one of the group of shorting links or the shorting structure is configured so as to be at least partially removable.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising applying bond pads in the area of the substrate to attach the microchip;

26. The method of claim 24, further comprising removing at least a portion of the shorting structure or a portion of the group of shorting links, thus disabling the group of shorting links.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the removing comprises at least one of chemical etching, wet etching, plasma etching, laser etching, and electrical fusing.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein the group of shorting links comprises a fusible material.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein the shorting structure comprises an etchable material.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising applying an electrical current across one of the shorting links, the electrical current being sufficient to fuse the shorting link, thus disabling the shorting link.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

applying an etch-stop material to at least a portion of the conductive leads and the bond pads; and

etching at least a portion of the shorting structure, thus disabling the group of shorting links.

32. The method of claim 25, further comprising bonding an electronic device to the bond pads.

33. A display device made by the method of claim 32.

34. A method of providing electrostatic discharge protection during a fabrication process of a micro-electronic device, wherein the microelectronic device comprises an array of electronic devices on a substrate, the method comprising:

applying a plurality of conductive leads to the substrate, wherein the leads connect to the electronic devices; and

applying shorting links to the substrate in electrical connection with the conductive leads and configuring the shorting links such that all of the conductive leads are connected to a single shorting circuit, wherein the shorting links are comprised of fusible material and are configured so as to be disabled by an electrical current capable of fusing the shorting links.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising:

applying an electrically conductive material to the substrate to serve as a shorting structure; and

wherein the shorting links are in electrical connection with the conductive leads and the shorting structure.

36. The method of claim 34, further comprising applying an electrical current across one of the shorting links, the electrical current being sufficient to fuse the shorting link, thus disabling the shorting link.

37. The method of claim 35, further comprising applying an electrical current across one of the shorting links, the electrical current being sufficient to fuse the shorting link, thus disabling the shorting link.

38. The method of claim 34, further comprising applying an electrical current across all of the shorting links, the electrical current being sufficient to fuse all of the shorting links, thus disabling the shorting circuit.

39. A partially fabricated display device, comprising:

means for displaying image data;

means for electrically connecting the displaying means; and

means for shorting the electrical connecting means, wherein the shorting means is configured to be disabled by an electrical current capable of fusing the shorting means.

40. The partially fabricated display device of claim 39, wherein the displaying means comprises a display array.

41. The partially fabricated display device of claim 39, wherein the electrical connecting means comprises conductive leads.

42. The partially fabricated display device of claim 39, wherein the shorting means comprises shorting links.