Dies and/or wafers including conductive features at the bonding surfaces are stacked and direct hybrid bonded at a reduced temperature. The surface mobility and diffusion rates of the materials of the conductive features are manipulated by adjusting one or more of the metallographic texture or orientation at the surface of the conductive features and the concentration of impurities within the materials.

Representative techniques and devices, including process steps may be employed to mitigate undesired dishing in conductive interconnect structures and erosion of dielectric bonding surfaces. For example, an embedded layer may be added to the dished or eroded surface to eliminate unwanted dishing or voids and to form a planar bonding surface. Additional techniques and devices, including process steps may be employed to form desired openings in conductive interconnect structures, where the openings can have a predetermined or desired volume relative to the volume of conductive material of the interconnect structures. Each of these techniques, devices, and processes can provide for the use of larger diameter, larger volume, or mixed-sized conductive interconnect structures at the bonding surface of bonded dies and wafers.

Representative techniques and devices, including process steps may be employed to mitigate undesired dishing in conductive interconnect structures and erosion of dielectric bonding surfaces. For example, an embedded layer may be added to the dished or eroded surface to eliminate unwanted dishing or voids and to form a planar bonding surface. Additional techniques and devices, including process steps may be employed to form desired openings in conductive interconnect structures, where the openings can have a predetermined or desired volume relative to the volume of conductive material of the interconnect structures. Each of these techniques, devices, and processes can provide for the use of larger diameter, larger volume, or mixed-sized conductive interconnect structures at the bonding surface of bonded dies and wafers.

A first conductive material having a first hardness is disposed within a recess or opening of a microelectronic component, in a first preselected pattern, and forms a first portion of an interconnect structure. A second conductive material having a second hardness different from the first hardness is disposed within the recess or opening in a second preselected pattern and forms a second portion of the interconnect structure.

A first conductive material having a first hardness is disposed within a recess or opening of a microelectronic component, in a first preselected pattern, and forms a first portion of an interconnect structure. A second conductive material having a second hardness different from the first hardness is disposed within the recess or opening in a second preselected pattern and forms a second portion of the interconnect structure.

A semiconductor device includes a first substrate having an attaching surface on which first electrodes and a first insulating film are exposed, an insulating thin film that covers the attaching surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate which has an attaching surface on which second electrodes and a second insulating film are exposed and is attached to the first substrate in a state in which the attaching surface of the second substrate and the attaching surface of the first substrate are attached together sandwiching the insulating thin film therebetween, and the first electrodes and the second electrodes deform and break a part of the insulating thin film so as to be directly electrically connected to each other.

Representative techniques and devices including process steps may be employed to mitigate the potential for delamination of bonded microelectronic substrates due to metal expansion at a bonding interface. For example, a through-silicon via (TSV) may be disposed through at least one of the microelectronic substrates. The TSV is exposed at the bonding interface of the substrate and functions as a contact surface for direct bonding.

Representative techniques and devices including process steps may be employed to mitigate the potential for delamination of bonded microelectronic substrates due to metal expansion at a bonding interface. For example, a metal pad may be disposed at a bonding surface of at least one of the microelectronic substrates, where the contact pad is positioned offset relative to a TSV in the substrate and electrically coupled to the TSV.

An imaging device comprises a first chip that includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion region. The first chip includes a first insulating layer including a first multilayer wiring electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion region. The first multilayer wiring includes a first vertical signal line (VSL1) to output a first pixel signal, and a first wiring. The imaging device includes a second chip including a second semiconductor substrate including a logic circuit. The second chip includes a second insulating layer including a second multilayer wiring electrically connected to the logic circuit. The second multilayer wiring includes a second wiring. The first chip and the second chip are bonded to one another, and, in a plan view, the first wiring and the second wiring overlap with at least a portion of the first vertical signal line (VSL1).

Representative techniques and devices including process steps may be employed to mitigate the potential for delamination of bonded microelectronic substrates due to metal expansion at a bonding interface. For example, a through-silicon via (TSV) may be disposed through at least one of the microelectronic substrates. The TSV is exposed at the bonding interface of the substrate and functions as a contact surface for direct bonding.