Patent ID: 8536044

Claim:
A method for use with a semiconductor device including a light sensor, a bond pad for the light sensor, and a passivation layer that covers the light sensor and the bond pad, wherein the method is for opening the bond pad on the semiconductor device, the method comprising: (a) removing at least a portion of the passivation layer to expose a first portion of the bond pad for the light sensor without removing the portion of the passivation layer that is over the light sensor; (b) forming a sacrificial protective layer over the exposed first portion of the bond pad for the light sensor and over at least a portion of passivation layer that remains following the removing at step (a), wherein the sacrificial protective layer comprises at least one of an oxide, oxynitride, tetraethyl orthosilicate, silicon nitride, titanium nitride or titanium tungsten, or combinations thereof, (c) performing subsequent processing of the semiconductor device while the sacrificial protective layer remains over the first portion of the bond pad for the light sensor and thereby protects the bond pad from the subsequent processing, wherein the subsequent processing includes forming at least one filter over the light sensor; and (d) after performing the subsequent processing, removing at least a portion of the sacrificial protective layer to expose a second portion of the bond pad for the light sensor and thereby make the second portion of the bond pad accessible for connection to a wire bond or other electrical connector.