Scribe-line structures and methods of forming the same

Abstract

Scribe-line structures and methods of forming such scribe-line structures on a face of a semiconductor substrate are provided. By means of the scribe-line structures and the methods of this invention, physical shock and cracking tendencies along a semiconductor substrate can be minimized during performance of a cutting process on the semiconductor substrate as part of post-fabrication processing. A representative method according to this invention comprises the sequential steps of: forming a lower layer on a semiconductor substrate; forming a molding layer on the lower layer such that the molding layer includes at least one protective contact hole; subsequently forming a dielectric layer and an upper layer on the molding layer so as to fill the protective contact hole, such dielectric layer being formed of a material having a greater mechanical intensity than that of the molding layer; and then forming protective layer patterns on the upper layer.

1 . A scribe-line structure along a face of a semiconductor substrate comprising:
 a lower layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate;   a molding layer disposed on the lower layer with at least one protective contact hole therein having a contact hole width;   a dielectric layer and an upper layer stacked in sequence on the molding layer so as to fill the protective contact hole; and   protective layer patterns disposed on the upper layer, said protective layer patterns being spaced a spacing distance away from each other,   wherein, the spacing distance between the protective layer patterns is different in size from the contact hole width of the protective contact hole; and also wherein the dielectric layer is formed of a material having a greater mechanical intensity than that of the molding layer.   
   
   
       2 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the protective layer patterns are formed of polyimide. 
   
   
       3 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is a low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       4 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer is a composite low-k material including at least two members selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       5 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer includes a composite lower-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, and a composite of low-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, the lower-k material and the low-k material being stacked in turn. 
   
   
       6 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the molding layer is a lower-k material selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       7 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper layer is formed of Si 3 N 4 . 
   
   
       8 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 1 , wherein the lower layer is material having a greater mechanical intensity than that of the dielectric layer. 
   
   
       9 . A scribe-line structure along a face of a semiconductor substrate comprising:
 a lower layer disposed on the semiconductor substrate;   a pad layer and a molding layer stacked in sequence on the lower layer with at least one protective contact hole therein having a contact hole width;   a dielectric layer and an upper layer stacked in sequence on the molding layer so as to fill the protective contact hole; and   protective layer patterns disposed on the upper layer, said protective layer patterns being spaced a spacing distance away from each other,   wherein the spacing distance between the protective layer patterns is different in size from the contact hole width of the protective contact hole; and also wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are formed of a material or of materials having a greater mechanical intensity than that of the molding layer   
   
   
       10 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the protective layer patterns are formed of polyimide. 
   
   
       11 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       12 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are composite low-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       13 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the dielectric layer is a low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, and the pad layer is a lower-k material selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       14 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the dielectric layer includes both a low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, and a lower-k material selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, wherein the low-k material and the lower-k material are stacked in turn, and further wherein the pad layer is a composite lower-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       15 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the upper layer is formed of Si 3 N 4 . 
   
   
       16 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 9 , wherein the lower layer is material having a greater mechanical intensity than that of either the dielectric layer or the pad layer. 
   
   
       17 . A scribe-line structure along a face of a semiconductor substrate comprising:
 a lower layer and a pad layer disposed in sequence on the semiconductor substrate;   a molding layer disposed on the pad layer with at least one protective contact hole therein having a contact hole width;   a dielectric layer and an upper layer disposed in sequence on the molding layer so as to fill the protective contact hole; and   protective layer patterns disposed on the upper layer, said protective layer patterns being spaced a spacing distance away from each other,   wherein the spacing distance between the protective layer patterns is different in size from the contact hole width of the protective contact hole; and also wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are formed of a material or materials having a greater mechanical intensity than that of the molding layer.   
   
   
       18 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the protective layer patterns are formed of polyimide. 
   
   
       19 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       20 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the dielectric layer and the pad layer are composite low-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       21 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the dielectric layer is a low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, and the pad layer is a lower-k material selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       22 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the dielectric layer includes both a low-k material selected from the group consisting of Black Diamond, Coral, Aurora, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, and a lower-k material selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto, wherein the low-k material and the lower-k material are stacked in turn, and further wherein the pad layer is a composite lower-k material comprising at least two members selected from the group consisting of Nanoporous silicate, BCB, Flare, ALCAP, LKD, and materials having dielectric constants similar thereto. 
   
   
       23 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the upper layer is formed of Si 3 N 4 . 
   
   
       24 . The scribe-line structure according to  claim 17 , wherein the lower layer is material having a greater mechanical intensity than that of either the dielectric layer or the pad layer.