1. A method of producing a bioabsorbable, implantable substrate having a graded molecular weight distribution, comprising the steps of providing an implantable substrate and altering the molecular weight distribution of at least a portion of the implantable substrate by exposing that portion of the implantable substrate to electron beam irradiation.
2-18. (canceled)
19. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable substrate is exposed to one or more doses of electron beam irradiation having an intensity of 0.1 to 10 MeV for 0.1 to 100 seconds and the electron beam irradiation penetrates 0.1 to 40 mm from the surface of the implantable substrate.
20. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable substrate is exposed to more than one dose of electron beam irradiation and each dose of electron beam irradiation is of a different intensity.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein each dose of electron beam irradiation penetrates the implantable substrate to a different depth.
22. The bioabsorbable, implantable substrate produced by the method of claim 1, wherein the molecular weight distribution of at least a portion of the implantable substrate has been altered by exposing that portion of the implantable substrate to the electron beam irradiation.
23. The bioabsorbable implantable substrate of claim 22, comprising a bioabsorbable polymer having a graded molecular weight distribution through at least a portion of its thickness
24. The substrate of claim 22, wherein the rate of bioabsorbability of the implant is predetermined.
25. The substrate of claim 22, having a graded molecular weight distribution through the complete thickness of the implantable substrate.
26. The substrate of claim 22, having an outer surface and a core, wherein the molecular weight distribution of the implantable substrate is greater at the core than at the outer surface, and wherein the rate of bioabsorbability of the core is less than the rate of bioabsorbability of the outer surface.
27. The substrate of claim 26, wherein the outer surface and the core of the bioabsorbable implantable substrate are formed from the same material.
28. The substrate of claim 22, comprising a composition selected from polyglycolide (PGA), polycaprolactone, polylactide (PLA), poly(dioxanone) (PDO), poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PGA-TMC), polyanhydrides, poly(propylene fumarate), polyurethane, and copolymers thereof and combinations thereof.
29. The substrate of claim 22, formed into an interference screw, a suture anchor, a bioresorbable polymer composite, or a bioabsorbable scaffold for tissue regeneration and growth.
30. The method of claim 1, further comprising exposing the entire surface of the implantable substrate to electron beam irradiation, thereby altering the molecular weight distribution of the entire surface of the implantable substrate.
31. The method of claim 30, wherein the implantable substrate is exposed to one or more doses of electron beam irradiation having an intensity of 0.1 to 10 MeV for 0.1 to 100 seconds and the electron beam irradiation penetrates 0.1 to 40 mm from the surface of the implantable substrate.
32. The method of claim 30, wherein the implantable substrate is exposed to more than one dose of electron beam irradiation and each dose of electron beam irradiation is of a different intensity.
33. The method of claim 32, wherein each dose of electron beam irradiation penetrates the implantable substrate to a different depth.
34. The bioabsorbable, implantable substrate produced by the method of claim 30, wherein the molecular weight distribution of the entire surface of the implantable substrate has been altered by exposing the entire surface of the implantable substrate to the electron beam irradiation.
35. The bioabsorbable implantable substrate of claim 34, comprising a bioabsorbable polymer having a graded molecular weight distribution through at least a portion of its thickness.
36. The substrate of claim 34, wherein the rate of bioabsorbability of the implant is predetermined.
37. The substrate of claim 34, having a graded molecular weight distribution through the complete thickness of the implantable substrate.
38. The substrate of claim 34, having an outer surface and a core, wherein the molecular weight distribution of the implantable substrate is greater at the core than at the outer surface, and wherein the rate of bioabsorbability of the core is less than the rate of bioabsorbability of the outer surface.
39. The substrate of claim 38, wherein the outer surface and the core of the bioabsorbable implantable substrate are formed from the same material.
40. The substrate of claim 34, comprising a composition selected from polyglycolide (PGA), polycaprolactone, polylactide (PLA), poly(dioxanone) (PDO), poly(glycolide-co-trimethylene carbonate) (PGA-TMC), polyanhydrides, poly(propylene fumarate), polyurethane, and copolymers thereof and combinations thereof.
41. The substrate of claim 34, formed into an interference screw, a suture anchor, a bioresorbable polymer composite, or a bioabsorbable scaffold for tissue regeneration and growth.
42. A method of modifying a rate of bioabsorbability of at least a portion of a bioabsorbable, implantable substrate, comprising the step of exposing that portion of the implantable substrate to electron beam irradiation.
43. A method of treating a disorder of, or damage to, hard or soft tissue in a human or animal subject in need of such treatment, said method comprising the step of implanting the substrate of claim 22 into the human or animal body to treat, repair or replace the diseased or damaged hard or soft tissue.
44. The method of claim 43, wherein the disorder is osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic or infectious tissue conditions, syndromes characterised by chondrodysplasia, synovitis, or systemic lupus erthematosus; or wherein the damage results from wounds sustained during surgery, cartilage damage, fracture, ligament tears, or hernia.
45. A method of using the composition of claim 22 in manufacturing a medicament or medical device for the repair, treatment or replacement of diseased or damaged hard or soft tissue of in a human or animal subject.
46. A method of treating a disorder of, or damage to, hard or soft tissue in a human or animal subject in need of such treatment, said method comprising the step of implanting the substrate of claim 35 into the human or animal body to treat, repair or replace the diseased or damaged hard or soft tissue.
47. The method of claim 46, wherein the disorder is osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis, osteoporosis, inflammatory, neoplastic, traumatic or infectious tissue conditions, syndromes characterised by chondrodysplasia, synovitis, or systemic lupus erthematosus; or wherein the damage results from wounds sustained during surgery, cartilage damage, fracture, ligament tears, or hernia.
48. A method of using the composition of claim 35 in manufacturing a medicament or medical device for the repair, treatment or replacement of diseased or damaged hard or soft tissue of in a human or animal subject.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a last wiring level including a terminal wire, two related wires, and another wire formed in a dielectric material layer;
at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and an isolation layer formed on the dielectric material layer;
a terminal bond pad formed on the terminal wire;
a thin film resistor formed on and conductively linking the two related wires;
a cap formed on the other wire;
a passivation layer formed over the terminal bond pad, the thin film resistor, and the cap; and
an opening formed in the passivation layer over the terminal bond pad,
wherein the terminal bond pad, the thin film resistor, and the cap are composed of portions of a common layer of refractory metal.
2. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and an isolation layer comprises:
the diffusion barrier layer on and contacting the dielectric material layer; and
the isolation layer on and contacting the diffusion barrier layer.
3. The semiconductor structure of claim 2, wherein the terminal bond pad contacts a top surface of the terminal wire and a top surface of the isolation layer.
4. The semiconductor structure of claim 2, wherein the thin film resistor contacts a top surface of each of the two related wires and a top surface of the isolation layer.
5. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the refractory metal is composed of TaN.
6. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the passivation layer is composed of photosensitive polyimide.
7. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, further comprising a pad film on and contacting a top surface of the terminal bond pad.
8. The semiconductor structure of claim 7, wherein the passivation layer is over portions of the pad film.
9. The semiconductor structure of claim 7, wherein the pad film comprises aluminum.
10. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein a top surface of the dielectric material layer between the two related wires is devoid of the diffusion barrier layer and the isolation layer.
11. The semiconductor structure of claim 10, wherein the thin film resistor is on and contacting the top surface of the dielectric material layer between the two related wires.
12. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the terminal wire is coplanar with an upper surface of the dielectric material layer.
13. The semiconductor structure of claim 1, wherein the cap is separate from the terminal bond bad and the resistor, and the cap directly contacts the other wire.
14. A semiconductor structure, comprising:
an intermediate wiring level comprising a first wire;
a barrier layer including at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and an isolation oxide layer formed over the intermediate wiring level;
a cap formed on an upper surface of the first wire;
a thin film resistor formed on the barrier layer;
a next wiring level formed over the cap and the thin film resistor;
a second wire formed in the next wiring level and in electrical contact with the cap;
third and fourth wires formed in the next wiring level and in electrical contact with the thin film resistor,
wherein the cap and the thin film resistor are composed of portions of a common layer of refractory metal.
15. The semiconductor structure of claim 14, wherein:
the barrier layer is on and contacting the intermediate wiring level; and
the isolation layer is on and contacting the barrier layer.
16. The semiconductor structure of claim 14, wherein the next wiring level is on and contacting the cap and the thin film resistor.
17. The semiconductor structure of claim 14, further comprising:
a first liner between the first wire and a dielectric material of the intermediate wiring level, wherein the first liner directly contacts the first wire and the dielectric material; and
a second liner between the second wire and the dielectric material, wherein the second liner directly contacts the second wire and the dielectric material.
18. A semiconductor structure, comprising:
an intermediate wiring level comprising a first wire:
a barrier layer including at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and an isolation oxide layer formed over the intermediate wiring level;
a cap formed on an upper surface of the first wire;
a thin film resistor formed on the barrier layer;
a next wiring level formed over the cap and the thin film resistor;
a second wire formed in the next wiring level and in electrical contact with the cap;
third and fourth wires formed in the next wiring level and in electrical contact with the thin film resistor,
wherein the cap and the thin film resistor are composed of portions of a common layer of refractory metal, and
the cap directly contacts the upper surface of the first wire.
19. A semiconductor structure, comprising:
a last wiring level including a terminal wire, two related wires. and another wire formed in a dielectric material layer;
at least one of a diffusion barrier layer and an isolation layer formed on the dielectric material layer;
a terminal bond pad formed on the terminal wire;
a thin film resistor formed on and conductively linking the two related wires;
a cap formed on the other wire;
a passivation layer formed over the terminal bond pad, the thin film resistor, and the cap; and
an opening formed in the passivation layer over the terminal bond pad,
wherein the terminal bond pad, the thin film resistor, and the cap are composed of portions of a common layer of refractory metal, and
the passivation layer is a different material than the at least one of the diffusion barrier layer and the isolation layer.