JPH04240745A - Manufacture of semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a manufacturing method for a semiconductor device in which marking ink adhered on a protective film in a probe test is inhibited to flow to an electrode pad. CONSTITUTION:A semiconductor device having an electrode pad 11a formed on a semiconductor substrate 10 and a protective film 12 made of an insulating material at least on the surface of the part except the pad 11a, is formed. A resist film is formed on the device, and the pad 11a and at least partial resist film of other part except the peripheral edge of the pad are removed. With the remaining film as a mask the film 12 exposed on the removed part of the film is so etched to a predetermined depth as not to expose its lower layer to remove the remaining film. Thus, a recess 12a of a desired depth is formed on the film 12 part.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a protective film is formed on the surface of a semiconductor substrate except for an electrode pad portion. The portion of this protective film that overlaps with the periphery of the electrode pad portion is approximately as high as the height of the electrode pad portion, and a step is formed in the protective film at the periphery of the electrode pad portion (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-181429). ).

0003

However, the level difference in the protective film is usually about 1 micron. For this reason, if the semiconductor device after the protective film is formed is determined to be defective in the probe test and a certain amount of marking ink is applied on the protective film, the ink will disappear as shown in FIG. It spreads over the protective film, flows over the step portion to the electrode pad portion, and may adhere to the measurement probe. If measurements are continued with a measuring probe that has such ink attached, the ink that has adhered to the measuring probe will cause poor contact between the measuring probe and the electrode pad, which may cause a non-defective product to become a defective product. Misjudgment may occur, and the reliability of the probe test is impaired. It is possible to reduce the amount of ink ejected to avoid this problem, but the amount of ink ejected is determined for reasons such as making the marking clear and ensuring smooth ink ejection from the ink ejection mechanism. Therefore, it is not possible to reduce the amount below the above-mentioned certain amount. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve this problem, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device in which ink ejected onto a protective film during a probe test does not flow to an electrode pad portion.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] A feature of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including an electrode pad portion formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a protective film made of an insulating material on at least a surface portion excluding the electrode pad portion. a step of forming a resist film on a semiconductor device having a structure, a step of removing at least a part of the resist film on other parts except the electrode pad part and its peripheral part, and a step of removing the resist film on the semiconductor device having the remaining resist film as a mask. The method includes the steps of etching the film to a predetermined depth so that the underlying layer is not exposed, and removing the remaining resist film.

[0005]

In the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device described above, a resist film is formed on a semiconductor device that includes an electrode pad portion formed on a semiconductor substrate and has a protective film on at least a surface portion excluding the electrode pad portion. At least a portion of this resist film other than the electrode pad portion and its periphery is removed, and using the remaining resist film as a mask, the exposed portion of the protective film is etched to a predetermined depth so that the underlying layer is not exposed. Then, the remaining resist film is removed. In this way, a recessed portion having a predetermined depth is formed in at least a portion of the protective film portion other than the electrode pad portion and the peripheral portion thereof of the semiconductor device.

[0006]

[Effects of the Invention] Therefore, even if the semiconductor device manufactured according to the present invention is determined to be defective in the probe test and marking ink is applied to the protective film, the ink will flow into the recess and go outside. Since the spread of the liquid is prevented, it does not flow into the electrode pad portion. Therefore, the measurement pro-
This prevents ink from adhering to the probe and maintains proper electrical contact between the probe and the electrodes, which prevents good products from being incorrectly judged as defective and improves the reliability of probe tests. can be increased.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the flow of a manufacturing process and a probe testing process of a semiconductor integrated circuit, which is an example of a semiconductor device. FIG. 2 shows a semiconductor substrate 10 in a semiconductor element forming process 1.
A semiconductor element 11 such as a transistor is formed thereon, and then, in a protective film forming step 2, a protective film 12 such as phosphor silica glass is formed on the semiconductor substrate 10 on which the semiconductor element 11 is formed by CVD technology or the like. The protective film 12 on the electrode pad portion 11a is removed and the electrode pad portion 11a is removed.
2 shows a cross section of a semiconductor integrated circuit A provided with an opening. This semiconductor integrated circuit A has a predetermined pattern on a semiconductor substrate 10.
Multiple pieces are formed at the same time.

Next, in the resist film forming step 3, as shown in FIG. 3, a positive or negative photoresist is applied to the entire surface of the protective film 12 and the electrode pad portion 11a using a spinner or the like. A resist film 13 is formed by drying at an appropriate temperature. In the photolithography process 4, as shown in FIG.
A predetermined portion located on the electrode pad portion 2 and excluding the periphery of the electrode pad portion 11a is selectively removed by photolithography using a predetermined photomask.

In the etching step 5, as shown in FIG. 5, the resist film 13 is selectively removed in the photolithography step and the protective film 1 is removed from the exposed portion of the surface.
2 is etched by dry or wet etching means using the remaining resist film 13 as a mask to a predetermined depth so that the underlying layer is not exposed, thereby forming a recess 12a. In this case, the shape and arrangement of the recesses 12a are as follows:
The area and thickness of the protective film 12, the arrangement of the electrode pad portions 11a, etc. are designed in advance so that marking ink, which will be described later, does not flow into the electrode pad portions 11a. Depending on this design result, the pattern shape of the photomask in the photolithography process 4 and the etching conditions in the etching process 5 are determined. In the resist film removal step 6, the electrode pad portion 1 is removed after the etching step 5.
1a and the resist film 13 remaining on the protective film 12 is removed, and as shown in FIG. 6, a plurality of recesses 12a are formed on the protective film 12 except around the electrode pad portion 11a.

A plurality of semiconductor integrated circuits B manufactured on the semiconductor substrate 10 through the above steps are subjected to a probe test step 7.
In this case, as in the conventional example shown in FIG.
By electrically contacting the measuring probe 20 to 1a, its characteristics are sequentially measured. As a result, the semiconductor integrated circuits B are sorted into good and defective products, and if the semiconductor integrated circuits B are defective, marking ink 21 is applied to the upper surface of the protective film 12. At this time, since the protective film 12 is provided with a plurality of recesses 12a, a portion of the ink 21 flows into the recesses 12a and is prevented from spreading outward, so that it does not flow into the electrode pad portion 11a. . Therefore, the ink 21 does not adhere to the measuring probe 20, and good electrical contact between the measuring probe 20 and the electrode pad portion 11a is maintained in subsequent measurements, so that good products are replaced by defective ones. The reliability of the above probe test is guaranteed.

In the first embodiment, a plurality of recesses 12 are formed on the protective film 12 except around the electrode pad portion 11a.
In the second embodiment, a recessed portion may be formed as shown below. That is, in the photolithography step 4, as shown in FIG. 7, the entire resist film 13 on the protective film 12 except for the electrode pad portion 11a and its surroundings is removed, and the exposed portion of the protective film 12 on the surface is etched. In step 5, as shown in FIG. 8, the remaining resist film 13 is removed by etching to a depth of about 3 to 5 microns, and the protective film 12 excluding the area around the electrode pad portion 11a is subjected to a conventional manufacturing process. The recess 12b may be formed at a depth that cannot be formed depending on the case. By forming the recess 12b as in the second embodiment, the marking ink 21 applied on the protective film 12 is stopped in the deep recess 12b, as in the first embodiment. It does not flow into the pad portion 11a, and the reliability of the probe test is guaranteed.

[0012] In the first and second embodiments described above, in the protective film forming step 2, the electrode pad portion 11a
Although the upper protective film 12 is removed and an opening is formed in the electrode pad portion 11a, the opening of the electrode pad portion 11a is removed after the recess 12a or 12b is provided in the protective film 12, that is, in the resist film removal step 6 in FIG. It may be formed after.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing process and a probe testing process.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor integrated circuit on which a protective film is formed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a resist film is formed on the surfaces of a protective film and an electrode pad portion.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor integrated circuit with a predetermined portion of the resist film removed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a recess is formed in a protective film by etching.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor integrated circuit from which the resist film has been removed after etching.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor integrated circuit from which a predetermined portion of a resist film has been removed according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor integrated circuit in which a concave portion is formed in a protective film by etching according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a probe test on a semiconductor integrated circuit according to a conventional technique.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Semiconductor substrate, 11... Semiconductor element, 11a... Electrode pad part, 12... Protective film, 12a, 12b... Recessed part, 13
...Resist film, 20...Probe, 21...Marking ink, A, B...Semiconductor integrated circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A step of forming a resist film on a semiconductor device including an electrode pad portion formed on a semiconductor substrate and having a protective film made of an insulating material on at least a surface portion excluding the electrode pad portion; etching the protective film to a predetermined depth so that the underlying layer is not exposed using the remaining resist film as a mask; 1. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the step of removing a remaining resist film.