A method for forming a chess-board patterned bond pad structure with stress buffered characteristics and the bond pad structure formed are disclosed. In one method, a multiplicity of field oxide regions are first formed in the surface of a silicon substrate. A conductive layer such as polycide is then deposited and formed on the substrate to form a stepped surface with a metal layer subsequently deposited on top of the conductive layer to form a bond pad. The stepped structure reproduced on the metal layer serves to distribute bonding stresses during a wire bonding process such that bond pad lift-off defects are substantially eliminated. In another method, the conductive layer is first formed into conductive gates with insulating sidewalls formed subsequently. Similarly stepped surface on a metal layer can be obtained to realize the stress buffered characteristics of the novel method.