A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip that includes a first conductive pad whose top surface is exposed; and a second semiconductor chip that includes a second conductive pad whose top surface is exposed and in contact with at least a portion of the top surface of the first conductive pad. The first semiconductor chip may include a first diffusion barrier in contact with a bottom surface of the first conductive pad, and a second diffusion barrier in contact with a lateral surface of the first conductive pad, and the first diffusion barrier and the second diffusion barrier may include different materials from each other.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor structure, a second semiconductor structure, a through semiconductor via, and an insulation layer. The first semiconductor structure includes a first circuit layer and a first main bonding layer in the first circuit layer and substantially coplanar with a front face of the first circuit layer. The second semiconductor structure includes a second circuit layer on the first circuit layer and a second main bonding layer in the second circuit layer, and topologically aligned with and contacted to the first main bonding layer. The through semiconductor via is along the second semiconductor structure and the first and second main bonding layer, and extending to the first circuit layer. The insulation layer is positioned on a sidewall of the through semiconductor via.

Exothermic reactive bonding for semiconductor die assemblies, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. In an embodiment, a semiconductor die includes a dielectric layer having a conductive pad, where at least a portion of a surface of the dielectric layer includes a first epoxy compound. When another semiconductor die including a second epoxy compound (and another conductive pad) is brought in contact with the semiconductor die such that the first and second epoxy compounds can exothermically react, the thermal energy emanating from the exothermic reaction can facilitate bonding between the conductive pads to form interconnects between the two semiconductor dies. In some cases, the thermal energy is sufficient to form the interconnects. In other cases, the thermal energy assists the post bond annealing process to form the interconnects such that the annealing can be carried out at a lower temperature.

A semiconductor device includes a first passivation layer over a circuit and. conductive pad over the first passivation layer, wherein the conductive pad is electrically connected to the circuit. A second passivation layer is disposed over the conductive pad and the first passivation layer, and has a first opening and a second opening. The first opening exposes an upper surface of a layer that extends underneath the conductive pad, and the second opening exposes the conductive pad. A first insulating layer is disposed over the second passivation layer and filling the first and second openings. A through substrate via extends through the insulating layer, second passivation layer, passivation layer, and substrate. A side of the through substrate via and the second passivation layer have a gap that is filled with the first insulating layer. A conductive via extends through the first insulating layer and connecting to the conductive pad.

A first metal layer can be deposited over first dielectric material layers of a first substrate, and can be patterned into first bonding pads. A first low-k material layer can be formed over the first bonding pads. The first low-k material layer includes a low-k dielectric material such as a MOF dielectric material or organosilicate glass. A second semiconductor die including second bonding pads can be provided. The first bonding pads are bonded to the second bonding pads to form a bonded assembly.

Semiconductor devices having interconnect structures with vertically offset bonding surfaces, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate at least partially covered by a first dielectric material having an upper surface, and an interconnect structure extending therefrom. The interconnect structure can include a plurality of conductive elements, and a continuous region of a first insulating material at least partially between the plurality of conductive elements. The plurality of conductive elements and the continuous region can have coplanar end surfaces. The interconnect structure can further include a perimeter structure at least partially surrounding the plurality of conductive elements and the continuous region. The perimeter structure can have an uppermost surface that can be vertically offset from the upper surface of the first dielectric material and/or the coplanar end surfaces.

Structures and techniques provide bond enhancement in microelectronics by trapping contaminants and byproducts during bonding processes, and arresting cracks. Example bonding surfaces are provided with recesses, sinks, traps, or cavities to capture small particles and gaseous byproducts of bonding that would otherwise create detrimental voids between microscale surfaces being joined, and to arrest cracks. Such random voids would compromise bond integrity and electrical conductivity of interconnects being bonded. In example systems, a predesigned recess space or predesigned pattern of recesses placed in the bonding interface captures particles and gases, reducing the formation of random voids, thereby improving and protecting the bond as it forms. The recess space or pattern of recesses may be placed where particles collect on the bonding surface, through example methods of determining where mobilized particles move during bond wave propagation. A recess may be repeated in a stepped reticule pattern at the wafer level, for example, or placed by an aligner or alignment process.

A jointed body that has been solid-phase jointed at normal temperature and that has a non-conventional structure is presented. The jointed body is formed by solid-phase joining a first jointed member to a second jointed member, and has a junction interface between the first member and the second member. This jointed body includes an average crystal grain size in a near interface structure that constitutes a near interface area having a total width of 20 micrometers and extending at both sides of the junction interface as a center is 75-100% of an average crystal grain size in an around interface structure that constitutes around interface areas located at both outer sides of the near interface area. In the jointed body, the near interface structure after the joining is almost the same as the structure before the joining, allowing the jointed body to exert similar characteristics to the jointed members.

A package structure includes a first dielectric layer, semiconductor device(s) attached to the first dielectric layer, and an embedding material applied to the first dielectric layer so as to embed the semiconductor device therein, the embedding material comprising one or more additional dielectric layers. Vias are formed through the first dielectric layer to the at least one semiconductor device, with metal interconnects formed in the vias to form electrical interconnections to the semiconductor device. Input/output (I/O) connections are located on one end of the package structure on one or more outward facing surfaces thereof to provide a second level connection to an external circuit. The package structure interfits with a connector on the external circuit to mount the package perpendicular to the external circuit, with the I/O connections being electrically connected to the connector to form the second level connection to the external circuit.

The present application provides a method for manufacturing a semiconductor package with air gaps for reducing capacitive coupling between conductive features. The method comprises: providing a first substrate with an integrated circuit; forming a first stack of insulating layers with first protruding portions on the integrated circuit; removing a topmost insulating layer in the first stack of insulating layers; forming through holes in the first stack to form a first semiconductor structure; providing a second substrate with an integrated circuit; forming a second stack of insulating layers with second protruding portions on the integrated circuit; forming a recess portion in the first stack to form a second semiconductor structure; and bonding the first semiconductor structure with the second semiconductor structure, with an air gap formed from the recess portion.