Semiconductor wafer and pattern alignment method

Abstract

A semiconductor wafer and pattern alignment method are disclosed. The semiconductor wafer can include an exposure field; a die within the exposure field, wherein the die comprises an integrated circuit region, a seal ring region, and a corner stress relief region; and a die alignment mark disposed between the seal ring region and the corner stress relief region.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates generally to fabricating semiconductor devices, and more particularly to pattern alignment methods and design structures for fabricating these semiconductor devices. Background technique [0002] The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. Technological advances in integrated circuit materials and design have resulted in several generations of integrated circuits, where each generation has smaller feature sizes and more complex circuits than the previous generation. Semiconductor devices traditionally utilize a succession of patterned or unpatterned layers, with features on successive patterned layers being spatially related to other features. During fabrication, each patterned layer must be aligned with the previous patterned layers to a certain degree of accuracy. Pattern alignment techniques generally provide alignment marks to achieve alignment across the entire exposure field. A...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

As technology nodes continue to shrink, it has been noted that such alignment techniques provide less than satisfactory alignment in the field

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