Semiconductor Substrate Corner Area Design for Crack Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices are prone to malfunctions and breakdowns due to cracks caused by stress and temperature loads during manufacturing, particularly at the corners of the silicon substrate, which can lead to electrical failures and reduced production yield.
Innovation Solution
Designing a semiconductor device with a main electric circuit that extends over the substrate surface, leaving open corner areas of at least 300 μm along the edges to deflect cracks away from the main circuit, and optionally incorporating electric test circuits or dummy structures in these areas to maintain structural homogeneity and prevent shorts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the main electric circuit is manufactured over the entire main surface of the semiconductor substrate, then the functional area is maximized, but the reliability deteriorates due to cracks occurring at corner positions during manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The semiconductor substrate surface is segmented into a main region containing the main electric circuit and corner areas that are left open or filled with dummy structures. This segmentation isolates the critical functional area from crack-prone corner regions, allowing the main circuit to avoid stress concentration while maximizing usable functional space.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the semiconductor substrate are assigned different qualities: the main region contains the functional electric circuit optimized for performance, while the corner areas are specifically treated by being left open or filled with dummy structures to optimize for crack resistance. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by allowing each region to serve its specific purpose.
2Reliability
If corner areas are left open to avoid cracks affecting the main circuit, then the reliability is improved, but the productive use of the substrate area deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The corner areas, which are naturally prone to cracking and would otherwise be wasted space reducing substrate utilization, are converted into beneficial dummy structures. These dummy structures fill the corner areas with non-functional but structurally sound material that prevents crack propagation while utilizing the entire substrate area, thus converting a harmful region into a beneficial one.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of completely discarding the corner areas as unusable space, the invention recovers their utility by filling them with dummy structures. These dummy structures serve as crack arrestors and stress distributors, transforming previously wasted corner regions into functional elements that enhance overall device reliability and substrate utilization.
3Reliability
If dummy structures are manufactured in corner areas to maintain structural homogeneity, then the crack resistance is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Dummy structures are manufactured in corner areas to match the structural characteristics of the main electric circuit regions. By creating structurally homogeneous areas with similar material composition and mechanical properties, the dummy structures effectively arrest cracks while maintaining overall structural consistency across the substrate, reducing the complexity of dealing with heterogeneous material interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate including a main surface with a polygonal geometry and a main electric circuit manufactured within a main region on the semiconductor substrate. The main electric circuit is operable to perform an electric main function. The main region extends over the main surface of the semiconductor substrate leaving open at least one corner area at a corner of the polygonal geometry of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The corner area extends at least 300 μm along the edges of the semiconductor substrate beginning at the corner.