Moisture detection and ingression monitoring systems and methods of manufacture

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10545110-B2
Application number	US-201916392055-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2019
Priority date	May 7, 2015
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

Moisture detection and ingression monitoring systems and methods of manufacture are provided. The moisture detection structure includes chip edge sealing structures including at least one electrode forming a capacitor structured to detect moisture ingress within an integrated circuit. The at least one electrode and a second electrode of the capacitor is biased to ground and to a moisture detection circuit or vice versa, respectively.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A moisture detection structure comprising:
a guardring structure extending through multiple wiring layers and insulator layers along an edge of a chip around active devices;
a crackstop structure extending through the multiple wiring layers and the insulator layers along the edge of the chip around the active devices and at a different location from the guardring structure; and
a moisture detection circuit composed of electrodes on different wiring levels, a first electrode electrically contacting the guarding structure and a second electrode connected to a solder bump in electrical contact with the crackstop structure.

2. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the guardring structure and the crackstop structures completely surround the active devices.

3. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the guardring structure and the crackstop structures provide chip moisture detection and moisture ingression monitoring both vertically and horizontally at any metal level, in 360 degrees.

4. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the guardring structure and the crackstop structures are composed of metal features comprise wiring structures and interconnect structures.

5. The moisture detection structure claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes form a capacitor which is composed of metal materials and insulator therebetween.

6. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the moisture detection circuit is formed electrically connected to an active circuit which detects and notifies a user of moisture ingression.

7. The moisture detection structure of claim 6 , wherein the moisture detection circuit is a capacitor formed from the first and second electrodes with insulator material therebetween.

8. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second electrodes are separated from one another.

9. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are a two terminal capacitor.

10. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the guardring structure and the crackstop structure are adjacent to a scribe line.

11. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the active devices are separated by shallow trench isolation structures.

12. The moisture detection structure of claim 1 , wherein the guardring structure and the crackstop structure include a plurality of wiring levels and via interconnect structures, formed within insulator material.

13. The moisture detection structure of claim 9 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode are biased to ground and to an active circuit.

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Chen Fen
• Gambino Jeffrey P
• Graas Carole D
• Liu Wen
• Periasamy Prakash

Classifications

• H03K17/955

  using a capacitive detector · CPC title

• G01N27/223 Primary

  for determining moisture content, e.g. humidity (rain detectors on vehicle windows B60S1/0825) · CPC title

• G01R27/2605

  Measuring capacitance (capacitive sensors G01D5/24) · CPC title

• G01D5/24

  by varying capacitance · CPC title

• G01D5/2405

  by varying dielectric · CPC title