A semiconductor device has a first semiconductor die and second semiconductor die with a conductive layer formed over the first semiconductor die and second semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die is disposed adjacent to the first semiconductor die with a side surface and the conductive layer of the first semiconductor die contacting a side surface and the conductive layer of the second semiconductor die. An interconnect, such as a conductive material, is formed across a junction between the conductive layers of the first and second semiconductor die. The conductive layer may extend down the side surface of the first semiconductor die and further down the side surface of the second semiconductor die. An extension of the side surface of the first semiconductor die can interlock with a recess of the side surface of the second semiconductor die. The conductive layer extends over the extension and into the recess.

A semiconductor device has a semiconductor die containing a base material having a first surface and a second surface with an image sensor area. A masking layer with varying width openings is disposed over the first surface of the base material. The openings in the masking layer are larger in a center region of the semiconductor die and smaller toward edges of the semiconductor die. A portion of the first surface of the base material is removed by plasma etching to form a first curved surface. A metal layer is formed over the first curved surface of the base material. The semiconductor die is positioned over a substrate with the first curved surface oriented toward the substrate. Pressure and temperature is applied to assert movement of the base material to change orientation of the second surface with the image sensor area into a second curved surface.

The process for manufacturing a silicon wafer includes steps for mounting a float zone silicon work piece for exfoliation, energizing a microwave device for generating an energized beam sufficient for penetrating an outer surface layer of the float zone silicon work piece, exfoliating the outer surface layer of the float zone silicon work piece with the energized beam, and removing the exfoliated outer surface layer from the float zone silicon work piece as the silicon wafer having a thickness less than 100 micrometers.

Implementations of methods of removing an edge support ring may include: providing a semiconductor wafer. The semiconductor wafer may include a first side and a second side. The first side of the semiconductor wafer may include a backmetal. The semiconductor wafer may also include an edge ring around a perimeter of the semiconductor wafer. The method may include mounting a first side of the semiconductor wafer to a film frame. The method may include removing a portion of the backmetal around the edge support ring and singulating the edge support ring from the semiconductor wafer.

A semiconductor, such as crystallized silicon or germanium, features top-mounted ridges. Circuits are capable of being integrated onto the ridges using modified photolithographic processes. The ridged architecture increases the usable surface area per given footprint of semiconductors. Specifically, if the preferred embodiment is adopted, the ridges increase relative surface area by 41.42%. Such an increase in surface area has numerous advantages. One advantage is that microchip footprints can be 29.29% smaller, allowing 1.41 times more microchips to be produced per wafer. Another advantage is that solar panels can contain 1.41 times more electron-shuttling junctions, thereby increasing overall sunlight harnessing, electrical conversion, and panel efficiency by 41.42%.

A semiconductor wafer has a base material with a first thickness and first and second surfaces. A wafer scribe mark is disposed on the first surface of the base material. A portion of an interior region of the second surface of the base material is removed to a second thickness less than the first thickness, while leaving an edge support ring of the base material of the first thickness and an asymmetric width around the semiconductor wafer. The second thickness of the base material is less than 75 micrometers. The wafer scribe mark is disposed within the edge support ring. The removed portion of the interior region of the second surface of the base material is vertically offset from the wafer scribe mark. A width of the edge support ring is wider to encompass the wafer scribe mark and narrower elsewhere around the semiconductor wafer.

Embodiments of semiconductor structures for wafer flatness control and methods for using and forming the same are disclosed. In an example, a model indicative of a flatness difference of a wafer between a first direction and a second direction is obtained. The flatness difference is associated with one of a plurality of fabrication stages of a plurality of semiconductor devices on a front side of the wafer. A compensation pattern is determined for reducing the flatness difference based on the model. At the one of the plurality of the fabrication stages, a compensation structure is formed on a backside opposite to the front side of the wafer based on the compensation pattern to reduce the flatness difference.

High yield substrate assembly. In accordance with a first method embodiment, a plurality of piggyback substrates are attached to a carrier substrate. The edges of the plurality of the piggyback substrates are bonded to one another. The plurality of piggyback substrates are removed from the carrier substrate to form a substrate assembly. The substrate assembly is processed to produce a plurality of integrated circuit devices on the substrate assembly. The processing may use manufacturing equipment designed to process wafers larger than individual instances of the plurality of piggyback substrates.

A method of forming stacked semiconductor device structure includes providing a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device includes a recessed region bounded by sidewall portions and a conductive layer disposed adjoining at least portions of the recessed region. The method includes electrically connecting the second semiconductor device to the conductive layer within the recessed region such that at least a portion of the second semiconductor device is disposed within the recessed region.

A method of cleaving includes providing a substrate. Optionally, the substrate includes -gallium oxide, hexagonal zinc sulfide, or magnesium selenide. The substrate includes at least one natural cleave plane and a crystallinity. The substrate is cleaved along a first natural cleave plane of the at least one natural cleave plane. The cleaving the substrate along the first natural cleave plane includes the following. A micro-crack is generated in the substrate while maintaining the crystallinity adjacent to the micro-crack by generating a plurality of phonons in the substrate, the micro-crack comprising a micro-crack direction along the first natural cleave plane. The micro-crack is propagated along the first natural cleave plane while maintaining the crystallinity adjacent to the micro-crack. Optionally, generating a micro-crack in the substrate by generating a plurality of phonons in the substrate includes generating the plurality of phonons by electron-hole recombination. Optionally, the electron-hole recombination includes non-radiative electron-hole recombination.