Method and structure for electrostatic discharge protection of photomasks

• Main Author: KUO KUEII
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 24.10.2006
• Subjects: APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CINEMATOGRAPHY; ELECTRIC SOLID STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROGRAPHY; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; HOLOGRAPHY; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; PHOTOGRAPHY; PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES,e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTORDEVICES; PHYSICS; SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ARTCOLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS

A mask for manufacturing integrated circuits and use of the mask. The mask has a mask substrate. The mask also has an active mask region within a first portion of the mask substrate. The active region is adapted to accumulate a pre-determined level of static electricity. The mask also has a first guard ring structure surrounding a portion of the active mask region to isolate the active region from an outer region of the mask substrate and a second guard ring structure having at least one fuse structure surrounding a portion of the first guard ring structure. The fuse structure is operably coupled to the active region to absorb a current from static electricity. The static electricity is accumulated by the active region to the pre-determined level and being discharged as current to the fuse structure while maintaining the active region free from damage from the static electricity.