Insulating Film Pattern on Segmented Semiconductor Pads
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor manufacturing, the miniaturization of scribe lines and test element group (TEG) pads makes it difficult for probe pins to maintain stable contact during inspection, leading to potential short-circuits and inaccurate defect evaluation due to the reduced width and precision requirements.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates an insulating film pattern that covers the edge portions of inspection pad pieces, preventing the probe tips from slipping out and ensuring stable contact, even with misalignment, while also protecting the chip area from stress during the scribing process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the width of the scribe line is reduced to increase chip yield, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates making stable probe contact difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection pad is divided into multiple pad pieces arranged in a matrix pattern. Each pad piece is smaller than the original single pad, allowing the probe pin to contact a smaller target area. This segmentation enables precise positioning even when the overall scribe line width is reduced, maintaining manufacturing precision while improving productivity through miniaturization.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the inspection pad have different functions: the pad pieces provide contact points for probe pins, while the insulating film pattern provides electrical isolation. This local differentiation of quality and function allows the structure to maintain stable electrical contact while preventing short circuits, resolving the precision issue in miniaturized scribe lines.
2Productivity
If the pad pitch is reduced to fit more TEGs in the scribe line, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to increased risk of short-circuit
Solution Approach 1:
An insulating film pattern is introduced as an intermediary element between adjacent pad pieces. This insulating film acts as a mediator that provides electrical isolation, preventing short-circuits between neighboring pads even when the pad pitch is reduced. This allows higher density TEG arrangement while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating film pattern ensures that adjacent pad pieces maintain different electrical potentials by providing complete electrical isolation. This equipotential design prevents current leakage between pads, enabling reduced pad pitch without compromising reliability.
3Measurement precision
If excessive pressing force is applied to ensure probe pin contact with TEG pad, then measurement precision is improved, but object-generated harmful factors worsen due to probe tip slipping and short-circuit
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection pad is segmented into multiple small pad pieces. This segmentation reduces the contact area required for each probe pin, allowing stable electrical contact with minimal pressing force. The smaller contact targets reduce the risk of probe tip slipping that would cause short-circuits, while still ensuring measurement precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The insulating film pattern serves as a mediator that confines the electrical contact to specific pad pieces. This isolation ensures that even with minimal pressing force, the electrical path is well-defined and protected from short-circuits to neighboring conductors, reducing harmful effects while maintaining measurement precision.
Data Source
AI summary
According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate, an edge seal, a plurality of pad pieces, and an insulating film pattern. The semiconductor substrate includes a chip area formed at an inward side of the semiconductor substrate when viewed in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the semiconductor substrate. The edge seal is disposed around the chip area on the surface to protect the chip area. The plurality of pad pieces are disposed on an edge region on the surface. The insulating film pattern covers edge portions of the plurality of pad pieces at a side of the edge seal, at least at one side of the chip area on the surface in a first direction and at least at one side of the chip area on the surface in a second direction.