JPH0350732A - Semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the swarf of a measuring electrode from warping in the form of moustache and coming into contact with an integrated circuit main body, by a method wherein a testing circuit measuring electrode arranged in a scribe region is divided in small regions along a cutting line at the time of cutting an integrated circuit chip. CONSTITUTION:A measuring electrode 1 and its notches 2 are formed at a time, by selectively eliminating the following by a method like photo etching: an uniform aluminum film which is formed, by a method like sputtering, on a silicon dioxide film 4 being an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate 3. Thereby the measuring electrode 1 is constituted in a form divided into small regions along a cutting line 6, so that it can be prevented that the swarf of the measuring electrode 1 warps in the form of moustache when an integrated circuit chip is cut.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention is applicable to manufacturing semiconductor devices, especially integrated circuits.
The present invention relates to a fourth structure of a test circuit for testing the electrical characteristics of element bodies such as transistors and resistors used in the circuit.

[Prior Art] As the degree of integration of integrated circuits increases and the element size decreases, the number of items to be tested and evaluated increases. In order to maintain the high degree of integration of the integrated circuit itself, the trial circuit that has been standardized must be installed in the scribe area outside the integrated circuit itself, that is, in the "cut margin" area when cutting the completed integrated circuit chip. There are many.

The test circuit in the scribe area that is no longer needed after evaluation is turned into chips and disappears when the integrated circuit chip is cut, so the above method can be used to unnecessarily increase the size of the integrated circuit chip. This makes it possible to install large test circuits without having to do anything.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, when a test circuit is installed within the scribe area using the conventional technology, a large measurement electrode is installed to receive the measurement probe during test measurement. This measurement electrode is generally made of a soft metal such as aluminum, so when cutting the integrated circuit chip, chips from the measurement electrode curl up in a "whisker-like" pattern. There was a risk that the product could come into contact with the integrated circuit itself and cause a malfunction.

The present invention solves the problem of the "whisker-like" curling up of conventional test circuit measurement electrodes for semiconductor integrated circuits, and aims to reduce the failure rate of semiconductor integrated circuits, and improved reliability.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The semiconductor device of the present invention has a "cutting margin", that is, a scribe area for cutting finished product chips on the surface of a semiconductor substrate, and a test area for testing device characteristics in the scribe area. A semiconductor device having a circuit and a measurement electrode for receiving a probe for measuring the test circuit, characterized in that the measurement electrode has a notch.

[Function] According to the above-mentioned +4 of the present invention, by providing an appropriate notch in the measuring electrode, the measuring electrode becomes finely divided along the cutting line, and the integrated circuit chip is cut. It is possible to prevent the phenomenon in which the chips of the liK measurement electrode curl up in a "whisker-like" manner.

[Example] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a measurement electrode of a test circuit of a semiconductor device in an example of the present invention, and illustrates the shape of a notch. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the cutting line of the electrode shown in FIG. 1. 1 is a measurement electrode made of aluminum, 2 is a notch provided in the measurement electrode, and 3
4 is a semiconductor substrate, 4 is a silicon dioxide film, 5 is a boundary line with the integrated circuit main body chip, and 6 is a cutting line when cutting the main body chip.

The measurement electrode 1 and the notch 2 are formed by photo-etching a uniform aluminum film formed on a silicon dioxide film 4, which is an insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate 3, by a method such as sputtering. It is selectively removed using the ``method'' and formed all at once.

Due to this structure, the measurement electrode 1 has a shape in which it is finely divided along the cutting line 6, and when cutting the collector circuit chip, the chips of the measurement electrode 1 are curled up in a "beard shape". The phenomenon can be prevented.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the test circuit measurement electrode installed in the scribe area is finely divided along the cutting line when cutting the integrated circuit chip, thereby making it possible to cut the measurement electrode. This has the effect of preventing debris from curling up in a "whisker-like" manner and contacting the integrated circuit body, thereby reducing quality.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing measurement electrodes of a test circuit for a semiconductor device in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the cutting line of the electrode shown in FIG. 1...Measurement electrode formed of aluminum 2...Notch provided in the measurement electrode 3...Semiconductor substrate 4 ......... Silicon dioxide film 5 ...... Boundary line with integrated circuit main chip 6
・・・・・・・・・Above the cutting line when cutting the main chip

Claims (1)

[Claims] "Cut" for cutting finished product chips on the surface of the semiconductor substrate,
That is, in a semiconductor device that has a scribe region, and has a test circuit for element characteristic testing in the scribe region, and a measurement electrode for receiving a probe when measuring the test circuit, A semiconductor device characterized by having a notch in an electrode.