Semiconductor Seal Ring Design for Crack Prevention
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Solution Overview
Problem
Miniaturization of semiconductor chips during the dicing process often results in cracks due to mechanical stress, and the use of guard rings to prevent cracks increases the device area, sacrificing the advantage of miniaturization.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a circuit region, metal wires, and a seal ring region where the distance between the circuit region and the seal ring region, and the minimum interval of metal wires, are optimized to maintain a specific ratio (1≦(L/Wmin)≦3, ensuring minimal crack formation during manufacturing and enhancing reliability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a guard ring is provided between the circuit pattern region and dicing line to prevent cracks, then reliability is improved, but the area of the semiconductor device is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the geometric parameters by establishing a specific ratio relationship between the distance L (from circuit region outer periphery to seal ring region inner periphery) and the minimum wire interval Wmin, where 1 ≤ (L/Wmin) ≤ 3. This parameter optimization allows the seal ring to be positioned closer to the circuit region while maintaining crack prevention functionality, thus reducing the overall device area compared to conventional guard ring designs.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of using a guard ring formed at the outer periphery of each chip as in conventional technology, the invention inverts the approach by forming a seal ring region that surrounds the circuit region and extends to the dicing line. The seal ring region is formed by removing insulating film to expose the semiconductor substrate, creating a mechanical barrier against cracks from a different structural approach that reduces area consumption.
2Productivity
If the chip is miniaturized to improve productivity, then productivity is improved, but the distance between dicing blade and chip is reduced causing cracks
Solution Approach 1:
The seal ring region is formed in advance during the semiconductor manufacturing process, before the dicing step. By pre-forming this protective structure that extends to the dicing line, the invention creates a mechanical barrier that prevents cracks from propagating into the chip during the dicing process, enabling safe miniaturization without compromising reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The seal ring region acts as an intermediary protective structure between the dicing blade and the chip circuit region. This intermediate zone, formed by exposing the semiconductor substrate through insulating film removal, absorbs and redirects mechanical stress from the dicing blade, preventing direct transmission of cracks to the miniaturized chip.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a circuit region on the semiconductor substrate, a plurality of metal wires formed in the circuit region on the semiconductor device and a seal ring region surrounding the circuit region. A distance L between an outer periphery of the circuit region and an inner periphery of the seal ring region and a minimum interval Wmin in mutual intervals of the metal wires have a relationship of “1≦(L/Wmin)≦3”.