Wire Bonded Pad Structure With Oxide Barrier Against Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity of manufacturing semiconductor devices leads to deficiencies in the integration and manufacturing processes, necessitating improvements to enhance device performance and prevent oxidation and contamination of bonding pads.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a metal oxide layer covering the bonding pad, where a wire bond penetrates through the metal oxide layer to bond with the pad, providing mechanical support and protection from oxidation and contamination, and using selective deposition methods like atomic layer deposition to prevent detrimental impacts on device performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the bonding pad is exposed during manufacturing, then wire bonding can be performed, but the bonding pad is susceptible to oxidation and contamination
Solution Approach 1:
A metal oxide layer is deposited over the bonding pad before wire bonding to prevent oxidation and contamination. This preliminary protective action is performed during manufacturing, and the layer is later removed only at the bonding pad area to enable wire bonding, thus protecting the pad throughout the manufacturing process while maintaining bonding accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The metal oxide layer acts as an intermediary protective barrier between the bonding pad and the harmful environment (oxidation and contamination). This intermediary layer is deposited over the entire bonding pad area, then selectively removed to expose the bonding pad only where needed for wire bonding, thus mediating between protection and accessibility requirements.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a protective layer is added over the bonding pad, then oxidation and contamination are prevented, but the structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The metal oxide layer serves multiple functions: it protects the bonding pad from oxidation and contamination during manufacturing, and also acts as an etch stop layer during subsequent processing steps. This multi-functionality reduces the need for additional separate protective layers, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while providing comprehensive protection.
3Reliability
If selective deposition is used to prevent detrimental impacts, then device performance is maintained, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The metal oxide layer is selectively deposited only over the bonding pad area using localized deposition techniques, rather than covering the entire wafer uniformly. This local quality approach ensures that the protective layer is applied precisely where needed, maintaining device performance by avoiding unnecessary material deposition in other areas, while the selective nature of the deposition process manages the precision requirements through targeted application.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution effectively protects the bonding pad from oxidation and contamination, enhances mechanical support for the wire bond, and improves semiconductor device performance by preventing ion migration and maintaining device integrity.
Implementation Method 1
using selective deposition methods like atomic layer deposition to prevent detrimental impacts on device performance
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a bonding pad, and a first dielectric layer disposed over the semiconductor substrate. A portion of the bonding pad is exposed by the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor device also includes a metal oxide layer disposed over the portion of the bonding pad, and a wire bond penetrating through the metal oxide layer to bond to the bonding pad. The portion of the bonding pad is entirely covered by the metal oxide layer and the wire bond.