Dummy Insertion Method

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) device according to the present disclosure includes a substrate including a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, a redistribution layer disposed over the first surface and including a conductive feature, a passivation structure disposed over the redistribution layer, a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor embedded in the passivation structure, a dummy MIM feature embedded in the passivation structure and including an opening, a top contact pad over the passivation structure, a contact via extending between the conductive feature and the top contact pad, and a through via extending through the passivation structure and the substrate. The dummy MIM feature is spaced away from the MIM capacitor and the through via extends through the opening of the dummy MIM feature without contacting the dummy MIM feature.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a design that includes a plurality of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures identifying isolated regions among the plurality of MIM structures;   fitting a plurality of dummy MIM structures into the isolated regions;   after the fitting, inserting the plurality of dummy MIM structures in the design; and   after the inserting, fabricating a semiconductor structure on a substrate based on the design.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the design further includes a plurality of vias that do not extend through the plurality of MIM structures. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 before the inserting, determining a plurality of openings in the plurality of dummy MIM structures that are directly overlapping with the plurality of vias; and   incorporating the plurality of openings into the design.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of openings comprises a circular shape. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein each of the plurality of openings is greater than a cross sectional area of each of the plurality of though vias along a direction perpendicular to the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of dummy MIM structures comprises a square shape, a rectangular shape, or a stair shape. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of MIM structures and each of the plurality of dummy MIM structures comprise a bottom conductor plate, a middle conductor plate over the bottom conductor plate, and a top conductor plate over the middle conductor plate. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the bottom conductor plate, the middle conductor plate and the top conductor plate are interleaved by a plurality of insulator layers. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 ,
 wherein the bottom conductor plate, the middle conductor plate and the top conductor plate comprise titanium (Ti), tantalum (Ta), titanium nitride (TiN), or tantalum nitride (TaN),   wherein the plurality of insulator layers comprise silicon oxide, zirconium oxide, hafnium oxide, aluminum oxide, tantalum oxide, titanium oxide, or a combination thereof.   
     
     
         10 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a design that includes a plurality of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structures and a plurality of vias that do not extend through the plurality of MIM structures;   determining a plurality of dummy MIM shapes;   identifying a subset of the plurality of vias that overlap the plurality of dummy MIM shapes;   determining a plurality of opening shapes over the subset of the plurality of vias;   super-positioning the plurality of dummy MIM shapes and the plurality of opening shapes to obtaining a plurality of final dummy MIM structures; and   inserting the plurality of final dummy MIM structures in the design to obtain a modified design.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of dummy MIM shapes comprises a square shape, a rectangular shape, or a stair shape. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of opening shapes comprises a circular shape. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the determining of the plurality of dummy MIM shapes is based on a distribution of the plurality of MIM structures. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein each of the plurality of MIM structures and each of the plurality of final dummy MIM structures comprise a bottom conductor plate, a middle conductor plate over the bottom conductor plate, and a top conductor plate over the middle conductor plate. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) device based on the modified design. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the fabricating of the IC device comprises simultaneously forming the plurality of MIM structures and the plurality of final dummy MIM structures. 
     
     
         17 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a design that comprises:
 a substrate, 
 a redistribution layer disposed over the substrate and including a conductive feature, 
 a passivation structure disposed over the redistribution layer, 
 a plurality of metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors embedded in the passivation structure, and 
 a plurality of through via extending through the passivation structure and the substrate, the plurality of through via being spaced apart from the plurality of MIM capacitors; 
   determining a plurality of dummy MIM shapes based on a distribution of the plurality of MIM capacitors in the passivation structure;   identifying a subset of the plurality of through vias that overlap the plurality of dummy MIM shapes;   determining a plurality of opening shapes over the subset of the plurality of through vias;   super-positioning the plurality of dummy MIM shapes and the plurality of opening shapes to obtaining a plurality of final dummy MIM structures; and   inserting the plurality of final dummy MIM structures in the design to obtain a modified design.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of opening shapes is greater than a cross sectional area of each of the subset of the plurality of though vias along a direction perpendicular to the substrate. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 ,
 wherein each of the plurality of dummy MIM shapes comprises a square shape, a rectangular shape, or a stair shape,   wherein each of the plurality of opening shapes comprises a circular shape.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) device based on the modified design.