Self-healing crack stop structure

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230921-B2
Application number	US-201314048838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 8, 2013
Priority date	Oct 8, 2013
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

A self-healing crack stop structure and methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. The structure comprises a crack stop structure formed in one or more dielectric layers and surrounding an active region of an integrated circuit chip. The crack stop comprises self healing material which, upon propagation of a crack, is structured to seal the crack and prevent further propagation of the crack.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A structure comprising a crack stop structure formed on one or more dielectric layers on outermost edge surfaces of a diced integrated circuit chip to completely surround an active region of the diced integrated circuit chip, the crack stop comprising self healing material which, upon propagation of a crack, is structured to seal the crack and prevent further propagation of the crack.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the crack stop structure is a wall surrounding the active region of the diced integrated circuit chip.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the crack stop structure is provided on all wiring levels of the diced integrated circuit chip.

4. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the crack stop structure comprises the self healing material within a resin matrix.

5. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the resin matrix includes a catalyst to polymerize the self healing material.

6. The structure of claim 5 , wherein the catalyst is a Grubbs' catalyst in a resin.

7. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the self healing material is provided in a glass sphere.

8. The structure of claim 7 , wherein the glass sphere is filled with dicyclopentadiene, surrounded by the catalyst.

9. A structure comprising:
a diced integrated circuit chip comprising an active region with active and passive devices; and
a crack stop structure formed on one or more dielectric layers on outermost edge surfaces of the diced integrated circuit chip to completely surround the active region of the diced integrated circuit chip, the crack stop structure including encapsulated self healing material within a resin matrix having a catalyst.

10. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the crack stop structure is a wall surrounding the active region of the diced integrated circuit chip.

11. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the crack stop structure is provided on multiple wiring levels of the active region of the diced integrated circuit chip.

12. The structure of claim 11 , wherein the crack stop structure is provided on all wiring levels of the diced integrated circuit chip, extending to an underlying substrate.

13. The structure of claim 9 , wherein the self healing material is provided in a capsule of thermoset polymer or a glass sphere and the catalyst is a Grubbs' catalyst.

14. The structure of claim 13 , wherein the self healing material is dicyclopentadiene.

Assignees

• IBM
• Globalfoundries Inc

Inventors

• Ayotte Stephen P
• Cote Alissa R
• Lyons Kendra A
• Malinowski John C
• Pierce Benjamin J

Classifications

• H10P95/00

  Generic processes or apparatus for manufacture or treatments not covered by the other groups of this subclass · CPC title

• H10P50/283

  by chemical means · CPC title

• H10P14/683

  carbon-based polymeric organic materials, e.g. polyimides, poly cyclobutene or PVC · CPC title

• H10W74/147

  the encapsulations being multilayered · CPC title

• H10W42/121 Primary

  protecting against mechanical damage (H10W76/00, H10W74/00 take precedence) · CPC title