Passivation process seals surfaces of IC wafers

摘要

A protective passivation coating that effectively seals the surfaces of integrated circuits (IC) while still in wafer form has been reported by Dow Corning Corp., Midland, Mich. The test data resulted from a multi-year, multi-partner development effort sponsored in part by the USAF Wright Laboratory, seeking to identity a protective coating to effectively seal the surface of ICs while still in wafer form.The Air Force Tech Base Program has reportedly demonstrated that Dow Corning ChipSeal Advanced Passivation Process can provide wafer-level hermetic protection to integrated circuits, offering bare die reliability that rivals traditional ceramic packaging at a fraction of the cost. Such protection is needed because silicon nitride ceramic, the typical IC substrate, is susceptible to pinholes and cracks that make it vulnerable to water vapor intrusion.