Semiconductor device with improved metal pillar configuration

摘要

When forming sophisticated semiconductor devices including metal pillars arranged on contact pads, which may comprise aluminum, device performance and reliability may be improved by avoiding exposure of the contact pad material to the ambient atmosphere, in particular during and between dicing and packaging processes. To this end, the contact pad material may be covered by a protection layer or may be protected by the metal pillars itself, thereby concurrently improving mechanical stress distribution in the device.

主权项

1. A method, comprising:
forming a contact pad above a substrate comprising circuit elements; forming a conductive protection layer protecting said contact pad; depositing a passivation layer embedding said contact pad and covering said conductive protection layer; forming an opening in said passivation layer; depositing a metal layer system; forming a metal pillar on said metal layer system in said opening; and removing exposed portions of said metal layer system to expose a portion of said conductive protection layer.