Ex parte WONG - Page 2




          Appeal No. 1998-0338                                                        
          Application No. 08/350,865                                                  


          and 23 since there is no prior art rejection for these claims.              
                                                                                     
               The invention relates to a bond pad such as that used in               
          a semiconductor integrated circuit.  Stress on parts of a bond              
          pad makes them susceptible to cracking (see Figure 2 and crack              
          16).  Looking at Figure 3, an elongated strip-shaped volume of              
          oxide (36) in contact with the foundation layer (22)                        
          underlying the bond pad, along with strip-shaped openings                   
          (note width B of the opening) in the metal plate (24)                       
          overlying the foundation layer (22), relieves this stress.                  
               Representative independent claim 1 is reproduced as                    
          follows:                                                                    
               1.  A bond pad structure, comprising:                                  
                    a first metal plate, an opening existing in said                  
          first     metal plate;                                                      
                    a second metal plate disposed over said first metal               
               plate and extending over said opening;                                 
                    a layer of oxide disposed between said first metal                
               plate and said second metal plate, a plurality of vias                 
               formed in said layer of oxide between said first metal                 
          plate     and said second metal plate; and                                  
                    a plurality of conductive plugs, each of said                     
               conductive plugs being disposed in a respective one of                 
          said      vias, each of said conductive plugs being                         

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