Guard Ring and Trench Layout for Semiconductor Delamination Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Interfacial delamination within insulating layers of semiconductor devices occurs under harsh conditions such as high temperature and high humidity, reducing product reliability.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design incorporating a substrate with a main chip area and a scribe lane area, featuring multiple insulating and dielectric layers, guard rings, and trench structures to prevent delamination. The guard rings, including first and second types with unique protrusion structures, are connected by bridges, and the trench structure penetrates layers to isolate stress from the chip area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple insulating layers are formed on the substrate to create chip circuits, then the functional complexity and integration density are improved, but interfacial delamination occurs under harsh conditions reducing product reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The scribe lane area is divided into a first area adjacent to the main chip area and a second area farther from the main chip area, with different guard ring configurations in each zone. This segmentation allows targeted stress management where it is most needed while maintaining manufacturing efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different types of guard rings are placed in different locations: first guard rings connected to metal plugs in the first area, and second guard rings not connected to metal plugs in the second area. This local differentiation optimizes delamination prevention where thermal stress is most severe near the chip area while reducing unnecessary complexity in farther regions.
2Reliability
If guard rings are added to prevent delamination, then product reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Guard rings are implemented only in the scribe lane area, specifically in the first and second areas, rather than throughout the entire device. This partial application provides sufficient delamination prevention in critical regions without adding unnecessary complexity to the main chip circuit areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The guard ring structure is segmented into first guard rings in the first area and second guard rings in the second area, with different connection configurations. This segmentation simplifies the overall design by applying different levels of protection where needed rather than using a uniform complex structure everywhere.
3Productivity
If the scribe lane area is used for substrate cutting to fabricate individual chips, then productivity is improved, but damage may spread to the main chip area reducing reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The trench structure extracts and isolates the scribe lane area from the main chip area by penetrating through the first and second insulating layers. This physical separation prevents damage from spreading during substrate cutting while maintaining the productivity benefits of scribe lane fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
Guard rings are placed in the scribe lane area before the cutting process to cushion and absorb potential damage from substrate handling and cutting operations. This preemptive protection ensures chip integrity even when productivity requires efficient scribe lane processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes: a substrate including a main chip area and a scribe lane area, wherein chip circuits are disposed in the main chip area, and the scribe lane area surrounds the main chip area; a first insulating layer disposed on the substrate; a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer and in which a plurality of guard rings are embedded; a dielectric layer disposed on the second insulating layer; and a third insulating layer disposed on the dielectric layer, wherein the scribe lane area includes a first area and a second area, wherein the first area is adjacent to the main chip area based on a decreasing point of a thickness of the third insulating layer, wherein the plurality of guard rings includes a first guard ring disposed in the first area and a second guard ring disposed in the second area.