A method of forming a semiconductor device includes: forming first electrical components in a substrate in a first device region of the semiconductor device; forming a first interconnect structure over and electrically coupled to the first electrical components; forming a first passivation layer over the first interconnect structure, the first passivation layer extending from the first device region to a scribe line region adjacent to the first device region; after forming the first passivation layer, removing the first passivation layer from the scribe line region while keeping a remaining portion of the first passivation layer in the first device region; and dicing along the scribe line region after removing the first passivation layer.

A bonded assembly includes a first semiconductor die containing a first substrate, first semiconductor devices, and first bonding pads laterally surrounded by a first pad-level dielectric layer. The first pad-level dielectric layer includes at least one first encapsulated airgap located between neighboring pairs of first bonding pads and encapsulated by a first dielectric fill material of the first pad-level dielectric layer. The bonded assembly includes a second semiconductor die containing a second substrate, second semiconductor devices, and second bonding pads laterally surrounded by a second pad-level dielectric layer. Each of the second bonding pads is bonded to a respective one of the first bonding pads.

A method comprises the steps of providing a wafer; applying a redistribution layer, grinding a back side of the wafer; depositing a metal layer; and applying a singulation process. A semiconductor package comprises a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), a redistribution layer, and a metal layer. The MOSFET comprises a source electrode, a gate electrode, a drain electrode and a plurality of partial drain plugs. The source electrode, the gate electrode, and the drain electrode are positioned at a front side of the MOSFET.

A chip bonding method includes the following operations. A first chip is provided, which includes a first contact pad including a first portion lower than a first surface of a first substrate and a second portion higher than the first surface of the first substrate to form the stepped first contact pad. A second chip is provided, which includes a second contact pad including a third portion lower than a third surface of a second substrate and a fourth portion higher than the third surface of the second substrate to form the stepped second contact pad. The first chip and the second chip are bonded. The first portion of the first chip contacts with the fourth portion of the second chip, and the second portion of the first chip contacts with the third portion of the second chip.

A preferred aim of the invention is to provide technique for improving reliability of semiconductor devices when using a low-dielectric-constant film having a lower dielectric constant than a silicon oxide film to a part of an interlayer insulating film. More specifically, to achieve the preferred aim, an interlayer insulating film IL1 forming a first fine layer is formed of a middle-Young's-modulus film, and thus it is possible to separate an integrated high-Young's-modulus layer (a semiconductor substrate 1S and a contact interlayer insulating film CIL) and an interlayer insulating film (a low-Young's-modulus film; a low-dielectric-constant film) IL2 forming a second fine layer not to let them directly contact with each other, and stress can be diverged. As a result, film exfoliation of the interlayer insulating film IL2 formed of a low-Young's-modulus film can be prevented and thus reliability of semiconductor devices can be improved.

A semiconductor package includes: a package substrate; an interposer disposed on the package substrate; a first semiconductor chip mounted on the interposer; a second semiconductor chip mounted on the interposer adjacent to the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip having an overhang portion that does not overlap the interposer in a vertical direction; a first underfill disposed between the package substrate and the interposer, the first underfill having a first extension portion extending from a side surface of the interposer; a second underfill disposed between the interposer and the second semiconductor chip, the second underfill having a second extension portion extending to an upper surface of the package substrate along at least a portion of the first extension portion of the first underfill, wherein the second extension portion protrudes from the overhang portion contact the upper surface of the package substrate.

A substrate bonding apparatus includes a substrate susceptor to support a first substrate, a substrate holder over the substrate susceptor to hold a second substrate, the substrate holder including a plurality of independently moveable holding fingers, and a chamber housing to accommodate the substrate susceptor and the substrate holder.

Structures and methods for reducing thermal expansion mismatch during chip scale packaging are disclosed. In one example, a semiconductor structure is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a first metal layer over a substrate, a dielectric region, and a polymer region. The first metal layer comprises a first device metal structure. The dielectric region is formed over the first metal layer. The polymer region is formed over the dielectric region. The dielectric region comprises a plurality of metal layers and an inter-metal dielectric layer comprising dielectric material between each pair of two adjacent metal layers in the plurality of metal layers. Each of the plurality of metal layers comprises a dummy metal structure over the first device metal structure. The dummy metal structures in each pair of two adjacent metal layers in the plurality of metal layers shield respectively two non-overlapping portions of the first device metal structure from a top view of the semiconductor structure.

Provided are a method of manufacturing a ring-shaped member and the ring-shaped member. A method of manufacturing a ring-shaped member to be placed in a process chamber of a substrate processing apparatus includes arranging one silicon member and another silicon member to cause one abutting surface of the one silicon member and another abutting surface of the other silicon member to abut on each other, heating the one abutting surface and the other abutting surface through optical heating to melt silicon on a surface of the one abutting surface and silicon on a surface of the other abutting surface such that silicon melt is caused to flow into a gap between the one abutting surface and the other abutting surface, and cooling the one abutting surface and the other abutting surface to crystallize the silicon melt forming a silicon adhesion part.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip having a device forming surface on which a device structure is formed, a first conductive layer formed on the device forming surface of the semiconductor chip, a second conductive layer formed on the first conductive layer, a first wire that is connected to the second conductive layer and that is made of a material composed mainly of copper, and a third conductive layer that is formed between the first conductive layer and the second conductive layer and that includes a material harder than copper.