A method of processing an interconnection element can include providing a substrate element having front and rear opposite surfaces and electrically conductive structure, a first dielectric layer overlying the front surface and a plurality of conductive contacts at a first surface of the first dielectric layer, and a second dielectric layer overlying the rear surface and having a conductive element at a second surface of the second dielectric layer. The method can also include removing a portion of the second dielectric layer so as to reduce the thickness of the portion, and to provide a raised portion of the second dielectric layer having a first thickness and a lowered portion having a second thickness. The first thickness can be greater than the second thickness. At least a portion of the conductive element can be recessed below a height of the first thickness of the second dielectric layer.

In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor device includes forming a contact layer over a first major surface of a substrate. The substrate includes device regions separated by kerf regions. The contact layer is disposed in the kerf region and the device regions. A structured solder layer is formed over the device regions. The contact layer is exposed at the kerf region after forming the structured solder layer. The contact layer and the substrate in the kerf regions are diced.

A method of making an assembly can include forming a first conductive element at a first surface of a substrate of a first component, forming conductive nanoparticles at a surface of the conductive element by exposure to an electroless plating bath, juxtaposing the surface of the first conductive element with a corresponding surface of a second conductive element at a major surface of a substrate of a second component, and elevating a temperature at least at interfaces of the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements to a joining temperature at which the conductive nanoparticles cause metallurgical joints to form between the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements. The conductive nanoparticles can be disposed between the surfaces of the first and second conductive elements. The conductive nanoparticles can have long dimensions smaller than 100 nanometers.

A method for increasing dielectric bonding strength during wafer-level processing is incorporated into a hybrid bonding process. A method may include immersing a substrate into a chemical bath at atmospheric conditions where the chemical bath forms a self-assembled monolayer on metal surfaces of the substrate and selectively depositing a high-k dielectric material to form a dielectric cap on dielectric surfaces of the substrate absent of the self-assembled monolayer.

A method of forming a sandwich passivation layer (405) on a semiconductor device (400) comprising a bond pad (404) is provided. The method comprises forming a first layer (406) over a surface of the semiconductor device (400), removing a part of the first layer (406) to expose a surface of the bond pad (404), forming a second layer (407) over the first layer (406) and the surface of the bond pad (404), and forming a third layer (408) over the second layer (407), wherein the surface of the bond pad (404) is not in contact with the first layer (406) or third layer (408).

A semiconductor device assembly including a first semiconductor die having a first dielectric region and a first bond pad that are disposed on a first side of the first semiconductor die, and a second semiconductor die having a second dielectric region and a second bond pad that are disposed on a second side of the second semiconductor die, wherein a hybrid bonding interface between the first side of the first semiconductor die and the second side of the second semiconductor die includes a conductive region between the first bond pad and the second bond pad, and wherein the conductive region and at least one of the first and the second bond pads include a same conductive material element, and the conductive region has an electrical resistivity lower than the at least one of the first and the second bond pads.

A microelectronic structure with through substrate vias (TSVs) and method for forming the same is disclosed. The microelectronic structure can include a bulk semiconductor with a via structure. The via structure can have a first and second conductive portion. The via structure can also have a barrier layer between the first conductive portion and the bulk semiconductor. The structure can have a second barrier layer between the first and second conductive portions. The second conductive portion can extend from the second barrier layer to the upper surface of the bulk semiconductor. The microelectronic structure containing TSVs is configured so that the microelectronic structure can be bonded to a second element or structure.