Patent ID: 6864562

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: an active element provided on a semiconductor substrate, said active element including at least two diffusion layers and a gate electrode; a metal wiring layer provided on said active element; an interlayer insulating film covering said active element; a pad metal for an electrode pad forming an external electrical terminal for said semiconductor device, said pad metal being provided over said interlayer insulating film and substantially covering the at least two diffusion layers and said gate electrode of the active element, wherein said active element is on a side of the interlayer insulating film opposite to the pad metal and said pad metal is over the active element; and a barrier metal layer provided over said active element and said interlayer insulating film, so that said pad metal is provided on said barrier metal layer and covering said active element, wherein: said interlayer insulating film has at least a level difference compensating film for compensating for a level difference of the metal wiring layer, wherein said level difference compensating film is between portions of the metal wiring layer; and said level difference compensating film under said pad metal is substantially completely removed.