Abstract: A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a front region having a front surface, a back region having a back surface, an edge exclusion region, and a chamfered surface. The back surface is laterally opposite the front surface. The edge exclusion region is surrounding the front region. The chamfered surface is at least partially arranged in the edge exclusion region.

Abstract: A substrate is provided. The substrate includes a front region having a front surface, a back region having a back surface, an edge exclusion region, and a chamfered surface. The back surface is laterally opposite the front surface. The edge exclusion region is surrounding the front region. The chamfered surface is at least partially arranged in the edge exclusion region.

Abstract: Interconnect structures for a security application and methods of forming an interconnect structure for a security application. A sacrificial masking layer is formed that includes a plurality of particles arranged with a random distribution. An etch mask is formed using the sacrificial masking layer. A hardmask is etched while masked by the etch mask to define a plurality of mask features arranged with the random distribution. A dielectric layer is etched while masked by the hardmask to form a plurality of openings in the dielectric layer that are arranged at the locations of the mask features. The openings in the dielectric layer are filled with a conductor to define a plurality of conductive features.

Abstract: Interconnect structures for a security application and methods of forming an interconnect structure for a security application. A sacrificial masking layer is formed that includes a plurality of particles arranged with a random distribution. An etch mask is formed using the sacrificial masking layer. A hardmask is etched while masked by the etch mask to define a plurality of mask features arranged with the random distribution. A dielectric layer is etched while masked by the hardmask to form a plurality of openings in the dielectric layer that are arranged at the locations of the mask features. The openings in the dielectric layer are filled with a conductor to define a plurality of conductive features.

Abstract: A thermo-mechanical cleavable structure is provided and may be used as a programmable fuse for integrated circuits. As applied to a programmable fuse, the thermo-mechanical cleavable structure includes an electrically conductive cleavable layer adjacent to a thermo-mechanical stressor. As electricity is passed through the cleavable layer, the cleavable layer and the thermo-mechanical stressor are heated and gas evolves from the thermo-mechanical stressor. The gas locally insulates the thermo-mechanical stressor, causing local melting adjacent to the bubbles in the thermo-mechanical stressor and the cleavable structure forming cleaving sites. The melting also interrupts the current flow through the cleavable structure so the cleavable structure cools and contracts. The thermo-mechanical stressor also contracts due to a phase change caused by the evolution of gas therefrom. As the thermo-mechanical cleavable structure cools, the cleaving sites expand causing gaps to be permanently formed therein.