Patent ID: 8912076

Claim:
A process of forming an integrated circuit, comprising the steps of: providing a substrate, said substrate including a scribeline region adjacent to an area defined for said integrated circuit; forming a pre-metal dielectric (PMD) layer on a top surface of said substrate; forming a continuous contact in said PMD layer in a region defined for a crack deflecting structure, said crack deflecting structure region being located at a perimeter of said integrated circuit adjacent to said scribeline region, and such that said continuous contact directly connects to said substrate; forming a first IMD layer on a top surface of said PMD layer; forming a continuous first metal line in said first IMD layer in said crack deflecting structure region, such that said continuous first metal line connects to said continuous contact and does not overhang an exterior edge of said continuous contact, wherein said exterior edge is an edge nearest the scribeline region; forming a first ILD layer on a top surface of said first IMD layer; forming a continuous first via in said first ILD layer in said crack deflecting structure region, such that said continuous first via connects to said continuous first metal line; forming a continuous second metal line in said first ILD layer in said crack deflecting structure region, such that said continuous second metal line connects to said continuous first via and does not overhang an exterior edge nearest the scribeline region of said continuous first via; forming a second ILD layer on a top surface of said first ILD layer; forming a continuous second via in said second ILD layer in said crack deflecting structure region, such that said continuous second via connects to said continuous second metal line; and forming a continuous third metal line in said second ILD layer in said crack deflecting structure region, such that said continuous third metal line connects to said continuous second via and does not overhang an exterior edge nearest the scribeline region of said continuous second via; such that at least one of the following conditions exists: said continuous first via is recessed from an exterior edge nearest the scribeline region of said continuous first metal line; and said continuous second via is recessed from an exterior edge nearest the scribeline region of said continuous second metal line.