JPS63234544A - Semiconductor device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To narrow the width of a scribing line even when a monitor pad is formed in required size, and to improve productivity by constituting a monitor pad for a monitor as a protrusion into the allowance region of an integrated circuit chip from the scribing line. CONSTITUTION:In a semiconductor device having scribing lines 21, integrated circuit chips 22 partitioned by the scribing lines 21 and a monitor for inspecting characteristics inserted and formed onto the scribing lines 21 on a wafer, the monitor is organized as a device having monitor pads 23 shaped extending over the upper section of the allowance regions of the integrated circuit chips 22 from the upper sections of the scribing lines 21. Consequently, the monitor pads 23 can be constructed as wide ones without direct relationship with the scribing lines 21. Accordingly, the width of the scribing lines 21 can be narrowed, and productivity can be improved.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device having a feature in a monitor for inspecting characteristics formed on a wafer.

(Prior Art) In order to maintain high quality products in manufacturing ICs (integrated circuits), it is necessary to stabilize the manufacturing line and manufacturing process. Therefore, it is important to check whether the transistor elements (FET) and resistance elements formed on the wafer can operate at the desired voltage, that is, at the desired FET threshold voltage.
In addition, it is necessary to perform a sound inspection of the process parameters used at the wafer stage to check whether the resistance value is as designed in advance. For the inspection, an inspection monitor is formed on the semiconductor device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a part of the semiconductor device to show the arrangement of the monitor. In the figure, 1 is a scribe line (dicing line), and 2 is an IC chip separated by the scribe line 1. The scribe line 1 is a dicing area that serves as a cutting allowance when cutting and separating the IC chip 2. An inspection monitor 3 is inserted and formed on this scribe line 1. Various types of monitors 3 are formed depending on the structure of the semiconductor device to be inspected. For example, for FET operating voltage (threshold voltage) measurement, P-type nested FET and N
There is a type single FET. In addition, P type diffusion and N+ type diffusion in high concentration diffusion and P− type diffusion and N type diffusion in low concentration diffusion.
There are methods for measuring the sheet resistance (ρ) of -type diffusion, etc. Such a monitor 3 is equipped with a monitor bat 4, and more specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, for example, it is equipped with a monitor cord 4a. The monitor pad 4 is used for inspection by bringing it into contact with a measuring jig (needle).

As mentioned above, the monitor 3 is formed on the scribe line. The width g of the scribe line 1 is approximately 80μ
It is about m. This width ρ1 is determined as follows. That is, the scribe line 1 is cut with a cutter of one of three types: a diamond scriber, a laser scriber, or a blade dizer. By cutting, each IC chip is individually separated. As is clear from this, the width Ω1 of the scribe line 1 is determined based on the thickness of the cutter blade when cutting, the pitch alignment accuracy of the cut location by the dicing machine, the margin between the scribe line area to be scraped and the IC chip area, etc. It was decided that

It is technically possible to make the width ρ1 narrower.

However, if the width Ω1 is narrowed, it becomes impossible to form the monitor 3, especially the bat 4.

That is, for example, there are four bats used in a single FET: a substrate bias bat, a source power supply bat, a gate signal bat, and a drain bat, but the sizes of these bats depend on the measurement jig. Needle tip size (
(approximately 20 μm), which is determined based on workability such as needle positioning accuracy and ease of contact of the needle with the butt. The size of the bat is approximately 60 to 80 μm in length and width.

However, since the size of this bat is determined from the above-mentioned viewpoint, it is extremely difficult to reduce the size to less than the above-mentioned size.

-Z- If the monitor 3, especially the bat 4, is formed at a location other than the scribe line 1, the scribe line 1
can be narrowed independently of the bat 4. However, it is extremely difficult to form the monitor 3 and the bat 4 outside the scribe line 1. In other words, in the first place, monitor 3
(and the bat 4) are formed on the scribe line 1 because if the monitor 3 is formed inside the IC chip 2, the size of the chip will increase and the number of chips formed on the wafer will decrease. to cause.

Therefore, the scribe line is a place where the size of the butt 4 of the monitor 3 can be made sufficiently large without affecting the chip size, and where a monitor with a shape common to many types of semiconductor devices can be inserted and formed into the package. 1 was selected, and monitor 3 was formed there.

However, for the following reasons, scribe line 1
There is a growing need to narrow the range of

That is, in order to reduce the cost of semiconductor devices, it is necessary to reduce the chip size. Furthermore, as ultra-small packages are developed, it is also necessary to develop ultra-small IC chip sizes. However, the frame bet size of these ultra-small packages is sometimes less than 1 mm in length and width, and the corresponding chip size is about 0.5 mm in length and width, taking into account the margin between the bet and the chip. In order to form a large number of such ultra-small IC chips on a wafer, it is necessary to narrow the scribe line.

However, as described above, the width of the scribe line cannot be narrowed due to the monitor 3 and especially the bat 4.

(Problems with the invention) As described above, although there is a demand for narrowing the scribe line width from the viewpoint of ultra-miniaturizing IC chip size and improving product productivity, the scribe line does not have a monitor. It was not possible to narrow the scribe line width because the scribe line was formed by insertion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor device in which a monitor can be inserted and formed in a scribe line while reducing the width of the scribe line.

[Structure of the invention]

(Means for Solving the Problems) A semiconductor device of the present invention includes a scribe line on a wafer, an integrated circuit chip partitioned by the scribe line, and a chip for characteristic testing inserted and formed on the scribe line. In the semiconductor device including a monitor, the monitor includes a monitor pad formed from above the scribe line to above a margin area of the integrated circuit chip.

(Function) Since the monitor pad of the monitor is configured to be wider than the scribe line, the monitor pad can be configured to be wide without having a direct relation to the scribe line. Therefore, conversely, the scribe line can be made narrower. By narrowing the scribe line in this manner, product productivity can be improved. In addition, when making the monitor pad wider, the part of the monitor pad that protrudes from the scribe line
Since it is located in the margin area of the integrated circuit chip,
The operation of the integrated circuit chip is not affected by the monitor pad.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1(a) is a plan view showing a part of an embodiment of the present invention. In the same figure (a), 21 is a scribe line (
dicing line), 22 is the scribing line 21
It is an IC chip divided by IC chip 22
is configured to include an element region 22A including a bonding pad and a margin region 22B located outside of the element region 22A. Although this spare area 22B does not include any elements that directly function as a semiconductor device, it is a portion that is required for attachment to a package, etc. The present invention aims to make effective use of this extra area 22B.

That is, the four corners of each IC chip 22 are formed in such a manner that the triangular corner portions 22a in the margin area 22B are cut off, as shown in FIG. 2(b). This allows the four I
The intersecting portion 21a surrounded by the C-chip 22 is formed to have both a height and a width larger than the width g2 of the scribe line 21. A monitor 24 is formed at this intersection portion 21,a and the scribe line 21,
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, a monitor pad 23, which requires a large area to form, is formed in the intersection portion 21a in an approximately octagonal shape. Further, as shown in FIG. 1(a), an element 25a that requires a large area among a monitor element such as an FET, a resistor element, etc. is formed at the intersection. Small element 2 among resistive elements etc.
5b is formed on the scribe line 21.

FIG. 2 shows a modification of the manner in which the four corners of the IC chip are removed, and shows a portion corresponding to FIG. 1(b). In FIG. 2, the same parts as in FIG. 1(b) are given the same reference numerals.

As is clear from FIG. 2, the four corners of the IC chip 22 are formed in a substantially square shape with corner portions 22b cut away. As a result, the intersecting portion 21b is configured to have a square shape larger than the scribe line 21. This intersection portion 21b has, corresponding to its shape,
A substantially square monitor pad 23a is formed.

FIG. 3 shows a portion of another embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. 3, parts equivalent to those in FIG. 1(b) are given the same reference numerals. In the figure, each IC chip 22
In the opposing parts of the four corners of each margin area 22B
A monitor pad 23 of a monitor 24 is formed at a corner of the monitor 24. These monitor pads 23 are connected to monitor elements 25c formed on the scribe line 21.

FIG. 4 shows part of a ticle arrangement according to yet another embodiment of the invention. In this figure 4, figure 1 (a
) are given the same reference numerals. In the embodiment of FIG. 4, the monitor pad 23 of the monitor 24
c is formed on the scribe line 21, and a portion of the monitor pad 23c on the left and right in the figure is formed so as to protrude above the margin area 22B of the IC chip 22. The monitor element 25c is formed on the scribe line 21 as in the case of FIG. In addition, in the figure, 2
7 indicates the butt of the IC chip 22.

In each of the embodiments described above, the scribe line 21
The width p2 of the monitor pad is approximately 40 μm, and the monitor pad has a length and width of 80. It can be configured to approximately um. For this reason,
According to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to form a monitor, especially a monitor pad, on a wafer with a size that does not cause problems in testing the characteristics of semiconductor devices, while reducing the width of the scribe line.

For example, the following specific effects can be obtained.

(1) If the scribe line width increases by 40 μm with a chip size of 0.5 in the vertical and horizontal directions, it will be 0.5 10.542-0.857%, so
Gross will decrease by approximately 14%. However, according to embodiments of the invention, this is avoided.

(2) If a mask is made with a chip size of 0.5 m + n in length and width and 50 reticles, and a monitor for 5 reticles is inserted, it will be 50 x 5 - 250 pieces, which is 100 y.
The gross of a wafer with ++iφ is π((100/2)−
2) 210.52 = 28938 pieces, 250 pieces/2893
8 pieces - 0,0086, which reduces the gross by 0.86%.

However, according to the invention this is avoided.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the monitor pad of the monitor is configured to protrude from the scribe line into the margin area of the integrated circuit chip, so that the monitor pad can be used for inspection without adversely affecting the integrated circuit chip. Product productivity can be improved by making the scribe line narrower while forming the product in a larger size.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1(a) is a plan view of a part of one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1(b) is an enlarged view of the part, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a part of another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a part of still another embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5 is a plan view showing a part of a conventional semiconductor device, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a partial arrangement of a monitor thereof. 21...Scribe line, 22...IC chip,
22A...Element area, 22B...Margin area, 23.
...Monitor pad, 23a...Monitor pad, 2
3C...monitor pad, 24...monitor. Applicant's agent Yudokoro Sato 1 Figure (0) 2 Figure foil 1 Figure (b)

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a semiconductor device including a scribe line on a wafer, an integrated circuit chip partitioned by the scribe line, and a monitor for characteristic inspection inserted and formed on the scribe line, the monitor is configured to A semiconductor device comprising a monitor pad formed over a surplus area of the integrated circuit chip.