A semiconductor device wafer includes a plurality of device patterns formed in or over a semiconductor substrate, and a scribe area from which the device patterns are excluded. A plurality of dummy features are located in at least one material level in the scribe area, including over laser scribe dots formed in the semiconductor substrate.

The present invention provides a method for an improved protective coating for plasma dicing a substrate. A work piece having a support film, a frame and the substrate, the substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, the top surface of the substrate having a plurality of device structures and a plurality of street areas is provided. The work piece is formed by adhering the substrate to a support film and then mounting the substrate with the support film to a frame. A composite material coating having a matrix component and a filler component is applied to the top surface of the substrate. The filler component has a plurality of particles. The composite material coating is removed from at least one street area to expose the street area. The exposed street area is plasma etched. The composite material coating is removed from the top surface of the substrate.

In a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer is formed over a substrate, a CMP stop layer is formed over the first ILD layer, a trench opening is formed by patterning the CMP stop layer and the first ILD layer, an underlying first process mark is formed by forming a first conductive layer in the trench opening, a lower dielectric layer is formed over the underlying first process mark, a middle dielectric layer is formed over the lower dielectric layer, an upper dielectric layer is formed over the middle dielectric layer, a planarization operation is performed on the upper, middle and lower dielectric layers so that a part of the middle dielectric layer remains over the underlying first process mark, and a second process mark by the lower dielectric layer is formed by removing the remaining part of the middle dielectric layer.

The reflectance of a low-reflectance alignment mark is increased by coating the alignment mark with a high-reflectance film layer. This improves the strength of the light signal and reduces variation in the light signal.

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a semiconductor device comprising: a die having a central active region, a top surface, a bottom surface, and sidewalls having a plurality of perforations therein, each perforation extending from a top end at the top surface to a bottom end at the bottom surface; a plurality of die pads on the top surface and extending from the central active region to respective top ends; a patterned back-side-metallization layer on the bottom surface, comprising a plurality of electrically isolated regions extending to respective bottom ends; metal coating partially filling the perforations and providing electrical connection between respective ones of the plurality of die pads and respective ones of the plurality of electrically isolated regions; and a passivation layer covering the top surface and the die pads.

A novel material is provided. A composite oxide semiconductor in which a first region and a plurality of second regions are mixed is provided. Note that the first region contains at least indium, an element M (the element M is one or more of Al, Ga, Y, and Sn), and zinc, and the plurality of second regions contain indium and zinc. Since the plurality of second regions have a higher concentration of indium than the first region, the plurality of second regions have a higher conductivity than the first region. An end portion of one of the plurality of second regions overlaps with an end portion of another one of the plurality of second regions. The plurality of second regions are three-dimensionally surrounded with the first region.

A method for forming a through-substrate via structure includes providing a substrate and providing a conductive via structure adjacent to a first surface of the substrate. The method includes providing a recessed region on an opposite surface of the substrate towards the conductive via structure. The method includes providing an insulator in the recessed region and providing a conductive region extending along a first sidewall surface of the recessed region in the cross-sectional view. In some examples, the first conductive region is provided to be coupled to the conductive via structure and to be further along at least a portion of the opposite surface of the substrate outside of the recessed region. The method includes providing a protective structure within the recessed region over a first portion of the first conductive region but not over a second portion of the first conductive region that is outside of the recessed region. The method includes attaching a conductive bump to the second portion of the first conductive region.

A semiconductor package includes an interposer chip having a frontside, a backside, and a corner area on the backside defined by a first corner edge and a second corner edge of the interposer chip. A die is bonded to the frontside of the interposer chip. At least one dam structure is formed on the corner area of the backside of the interposer chip. The dam structure includes an edge aligned to at least one the first corner edge and the second corner edge of the interposer chip.

Apparatuses including structures in scribe lines are described. An example apparatus includes: a first chip and a second chip; a scribe region between the first chip and the second chip; a crack guide region in the scribe region, the crack guide region including a dicing line along which the first chip and the second chip are to be divided; and a structure disposed in the crack guide region and extending along the dicing line.

Apparatuses and methods for manufacturing chips are described. An example method includes: removing a first portion of a cover layer and at least one dielectric layer under the first portion of the cover layer in a cut region between chips to form a groove, and forming a support structure including a second portion of the cover layer and the at least one dielectric layer under the second portion of the cover layer in the cut region; removing a third portion of the cover layer in one of the chips and a portion of the at least one dielectric layer under the third portion of the cover layer to form an hole on the first chip; depositing a conductive layer to cover the cover layer and the hole; forming a conductive pillar on the conductive layer in the hole; and removing the conductive layer on the cover layer and an edge surface of the hole.