Process for manufacturing semiconductor devices with active structures

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The process of the present invention generally involves forming several essentially identical active device structures on each one of a plurality of semiconductor devices.
In this manner, the area of the semiconductor device is used more efficiently.
When the active device structures formed on a semiconductor device are tested, the structure best suited for the respective application can be selected and used.
The probability that a semiconductor device cannot be used decreases with the number of active device structures formed on it.
This results in a substantial increase in the yield of semiconductor devices which meet a given set of specified requirements.
The manufacturing costs of the semiconductor devices decrease considerably.
The advantages are already achieved if, because of the process parameters, the device area is at least twice as great as the area of the active device structures.
Referring now to FIG.
1, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.
In particular, a wafer portion 10 contains six semiconductor devices 12.
On each of these semiconductor devices 12, there is provided nine, essentially identical active device structures 13.
Separation regions 14 are provided between the semiconductor devices 12.
On the separation regions 14, no active device structure 13 can be formed, because these regions are required to separate the semiconductor devices 12 from the wafer 10.
In the separation regions 14, material is removed by sawing, for example.
In the example shown, instead of one active device structure 13 as is the case in prior art process, nine active device structures 13 have been formed on each semiconductor device 12 thus, the area of the semiconductor device is used more efficiently.
Such active device structures are formed using conventional techniques which involve a sequence of masking, photoresist coating, exposure, etching, doping, and deposition steps as required for the respective active device structure.
If several active device structures 13 are formed on each of the semiconductor devices 12, the number of those steps remains unchanged, so that this does not add to the process complexity