Semiconductor Fuse Capping Film Slot Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor memory devices often suffer from defects due to copper migration and oxidation, leading to entire devices being discarded even if only a fraction of cells are defective, resulting in reduced production yield. To address this, a repair process involving a fuse blowing process is necessary, but existing technologies lack effective methods to prevent cracks in capping film patterns during this process.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device design featuring a capping film pattern with a slot over the fuse pattern, using copper for the fuse and nitride film for the capping layer, where the slot acts as a stress buffer to prevent cracks and defects caused by copper migration and oxidation, allowing for effective fuse blowing without damaging the capping film.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a capping film pattern is formed continuously over the fuse pattern without slots, then the capping film provides complete coverage and protection, but cracks occur in the capping film during the fuse blowing process
Solution Approach 1:
The capping film pattern is segmented by forming slots that divide the continuous film into separate regions. These slots are positioned to align with the fuse pattern, allowing the capping film to flex and release stress during the fuse blowing process, thereby preventing cracks while maintaining protective coverage.
2Reliability
If copper is used for the fuse to improve signal transmission characteristics, then lower resistivity is achieved, but copper migration and oxidation defects occur
Solution Approach 1:
The capping film pattern acts as an intermediary protective layer over the copper fuse. It physically barriers that prevents copper atoms from migrating to adjacent regions and blocks oxygen from reaching the copper surface to cause oxidation. The slots in the capping film allow stress relief while maintaining this protective function.
3Reliability
If the entire semiconductor memory device is discarded when one defective cell is found, then quality control is maintained, but production yield is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fuse structure enables selective discarding of only the defective cell's connection to the main circuit, while the rest of the semiconductor memory device is recovered and can continue to function. By blowing the fuse to isolate the defective cell, the device is recovered from a fully defective state to a partially functional state that can still be used.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes fuse patterns spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance over a first interlayer insulation film; a second interlayer insulation film disposed between the fuse patterns over the first interlayer insulation film; and a capping film pattern formed over the fuse patterns and the second interlayer insulation films, the capping film pattern including a slot exposing the second interlayer insulation film.