Image sensor devices, methods of manufacture thereof, and semiconductor device manufacturing methods are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes bonding a first semiconductor wafer to a second semiconductor wafer, the first semiconductor wafer comprising a substrate and an interconnect structure coupled to the substrate. The method includes removing a portion of the substrate from the first semiconductor wafer to expose a portion of the interconnect structure.

There is provided a method of bonding substrates to each other, which includes: holding a first substrate on a lower surface of a first holding part; adjusting a temperature of a second substrate by a temperature adjusting part to become higher than a temperature of the first substrate; holding the second substrate on an upper surface of a second holding part; inspecting a state of the second substrate by imaging a plurality of reference points of the second substrate with a first imaging part, measuring positions of the reference points, and comparing a measurement result with a predetermined permissible range; and pressing a central portion of the first substrate with a pressing member, bringing the central portion of the first substrate into contact with a central portion of the second substrate, and sequentially bonding the first substrate and the second substrate.

There is provided a method of bonding substrates to each other, which includes: holding a first substrate on a lower surface of a first holding part; adjusting a temperature of a second substrate by a temperature adjusting part to become higher than a temperature of the first substrate; holding the second substrate on an upper surface of a second holding part; inspecting a state of the second substrate by imaging a plurality of reference points of the second substrate with a first imaging part, measuring positions of the reference points, and comparing a measurement result with a predetermined permissible range; and pressing a central portion of the first substrate with a pressing member, bringing the central portion of the first substrate into contact with a central portion of the second substrate, and sequentially bonding the first substrate and the second substrate.

A semiconductor package includes main pad structures and dummy pad structures between a first semiconductor chip and a second semiconductor chip. The main pad structures include first main pad structures apart from one another on the first semiconductor chip and second main pad structures placed apart from one another on the second semiconductor chip and bonded to the first main pad structures. The dummy pad structures include first dummy pad structures including first dummy pads apart from one another on the first semiconductor chip and first dummy capping layers on the first dummy pads, and second dummy pad structures including second dummy pads apart from one another on the second semiconductor chip and second dummy capping layers on the second dummy pads. The first dummy capping layers of the first dummy pad structures are not bonded to the second dummy capping layers of the second dummy pad structures.

The present invention provides stretchable, and optionally printable, semiconductors and electronic circuits capable of providing good performance when stretched, compressed, flexed or otherwise deformed. Stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits of the present invention preferred for some applications are flexible, in addition to being stretchable, and thus are capable of significant elongation, flexing, bending or other deformation along one or more axes. Further, stretchable semiconductors and electronic circuits of the present invention may be adapted to a wide range of device configurations to provide fully flexible electronic and optoelectronic devices.

A semiconductor structure including at least one integrated circuit component is provided. The at least one integrated circuit component includes a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate electrically coupled to the first semiconductor substrate, wherein the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate are bonded through a first hybrid bonding interface, and at least one of the first semiconductor substrate or the second semiconductor substrate includes at least one first embedded capacitor.

Systems and methods of in-situ calibration of semiconductor material layer deposition and Removal processes are disclosed. Sets of test structures including one or more calibration vias or posts are used to precisely monitor processes such as plating and polishing, respectively. Known (e.g., empirically determined) relationships between the test structure features and product feature enable monitoring of wafer processing progress. Optical inspection of the calibration feature(s) during processing cycles permits dynamic operating condition adjustments and precise cessation of processing when desired product feature characteristics have been achieved.

A semiconductor device comprises a first chip bonded on a second chip. The first chip comprises a first substrate and first interconnection components formed in first IMD layers. The second chip comprises a second substrate and second interconnection components formed in second IMD layers. The device further comprises a first conductive plug formed within the first substrate and the first IMD layers, wherein the first conductive plug is coupled to a first interconnection component and a second conductive plug formed through the first substrate and the first IMD layers and formed partially through the second IMD layers, wherein the second conductive plug is coupled to a second interconnection component.

A metal-dielectric bonding method includes providing a first semiconductor structure and a second semiconductor structure. The first semiconductor structure includes: a first semiconductor layer including a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a first metal layer on the first dielectric layer, the first metal layer having a metal bonding surface. The metal bonding surface is planarized and a plasma treatment is applied thereto. The second semiconductor structure includes a second semiconductor layer including a pixel wafer, and a second dielectric layer on the second semiconductor layer, the second dielectric layer having a dielectric bonding surface. The dielectric bonding surface is planarized and a plasma treatment is applied thereto. The first and second semiconductor structures are bonded together by bonding the metal bonding surface with the dielectric bonding surface.

A metal-dielectric bonding method includes providing a first semiconductor structure and a second semiconductor structure. The first semiconductor structure includes: a first semiconductor layer including a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor device, a first dielectric layer on the first semiconductor layer, and a first metal layer on the first dielectric layer, the first metal layer having a metal bonding surface. The metal bonding surface is planarized and a plasma treatment is applied thereto. The second semiconductor structure includes a second semiconductor layer including a pixel wafer, and a second dielectric layer on the second semiconductor layer, the second dielectric layer having a dielectric bonding surface. The dielectric bonding surface is planarized and a plasma treatment is applied thereto. The first and second semiconductor structures are bonded together by bonding the metal bonding surface with the dielectric bonding surface.