A plasma-based ashing process for surface conditioning and material modification to improve bond pad metallurgical properties as well as semiconductor device performance. Residue materials generated in a removal process at a process layer having recessed features with Ni—Pd surfaces are ashed in a plasma reactor to reduce defect count and improve surface conditioning associated with bond pads of the semiconductor device.

A method is provided. The method includes one or more of conditioning one or more die pads of a singular die, applying a nickel layer to the one or more die pads, applying a gold layer over the nickel layer, applying a solder paste over the gold layer, applying one or more solder balls to the solder paste, and mating the one or more solder balls to one or more bond pads of another die, a printed circuit board, or a substrate.

According to various embodiments, a method for processing an electronic component including at least one electrically conductive contact region may include: forming a contact pad including a self-segregating composition over the at least one electrically conductive contact region to electrically contact the electronic component; forming a segregation suppression structure between the contact pad and the electronic component, wherein the segregation suppression structure includes more nucleation inducing topography features than the at least one electrically conductive contact region for perturbing a chemical segregation of the self-segregating composition by crystallographic interfaces of the contact pad defined by the nucleation inducing topography features.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe scalable package architecture of an integrated circuit (IC) assembly and associated techniques and configurations. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) assembly includes a package substrate having a first side and a second side disposed opposite to the first side, a first die having an active side coupled with the first side of the package substrate and an inactive side disposed opposite to the active side, the first die having one or more through-silicon vias (TSVs) configured to route electrical signals between the first die and a second die, and a mold compound disposed on the first side of the package substrate, wherein the mold compound is in direct contact with a sidewall of the first die between the active side and the inactive side and wherein a distance between the first side and a terminating edge of the mold compound that is farthest from the first side is equal to or less than a distance between the inactive side of the first die and the first side. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe scalable package architecture of an integrated circuit (IC) assembly and associated techniques and configurations. In one embodiment, an integrated circuit (IC) assembly includes a package substrate having a first side and a second side disposed opposite to the first side, a first die having an active side coupled with the first side of the package substrate and an inactive side disposed opposite to the active side, the first die having one or more through-silicon vias (TSVs) configured to route electrical signals between the first die and a second die, and a mold compound disposed on the first side of the package substrate, wherein the mold compound is in direct contact with a sidewall of the first die between the active side and the inactive side and wherein a distance between the first side and a terminating edge of the mold compound that is farthest from the first side is equal to or less than a distance between the inactive side of the first die and the first side. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for substrate processing for lowering contact resistance in at least contact pads of a semiconductor device are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method of substrate processing for lowering contact resistance of contact pads includes: circulating a cooling fluid in at least one channel of a pedestal; and exposing a backside of the substrate located on the pedestal to a cooling gas to cool a substrate located on the pedestal to a temperature of less than 70 degrees Celsius. In some embodiments in accordance with the present principles, the method can further include distributing a hydrogen gas or hydrogen gas combination over the substrate.

A semiconductor device includes a substrate including, on a surface thereof, a first conductive pad and a first insulating layer formed around the first conductive pad, a semiconductor chip including, on a surface thereof, a second conductive pad and a second insulating layer around the second conductive pad, an intermediate layer formed between the substrate and the semiconductor chip, and including a conductive portion between the first and second conductive pads, and an insulating portion between the first and second insulating layers, and a molecular bonding layer formed between the substrate and the intermediate layer, and including at least one of a first molecular portion covalently bonded to a material of the first conductive pad and a material of the conductive portion, and a second molecular portion covalently bonded to a material of the first insulating layer and a material of the insulating portion.

A semiconductor device includes a base, a semiconductor chip on the base, a conductive bonding layer between a surface of the base and a surface of the semiconductor chip, the conductive bonding layer including a resin and a plurality of conductive particles contained in the resin, and a molecular bonding layer between the surface of the semiconductor chip and a surface of the conductive bonding layer, and including a molecular portion covalently bonded to a material of the semiconductor chip and a material of the conductive bonding layer.

Hybrid bonding systems and methods for semiconductor wafers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a hybrid bonding system for semiconductor wafers includes a chamber and a plurality of sub-chambers disposed within the chamber. A robotics handler is disposed within the chamber that is adapted to move a plurality of semiconductor wafers within the chamber between the plurality of sub-chambers. The plurality of sub-chambers includes a first sub-chamber adapted to remove a protection layer from the plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a second sub-chamber adapted to activate top surfaces of the plurality of semiconductor wafers prior to hybrid bonding the plurality of semiconductor wafers together. The plurality of sub-chambers also includes a third sub-chamber adapted to align the plurality of semiconductor wafers and hybrid bond the plurality of semiconductor wafers together.

Hybrid bonding systems and methods for semiconductor wafers are disclosed. In one embodiment, a hybrid bonding system for semiconductor wafers includes a chamber and a plurality of sub-chambers disposed within the chamber. A robotics handler is disposed within the chamber that is adapted to move a plurality of semiconductor wafers within the chamber between the plurality of sub-chambers. The plurality of sub-chambers includes a first sub-chamber adapted to remove a protection layer from the plurality of semiconductor wafers, and a second sub-chamber adapted to activate top surfaces of the plurality of semiconductor wafers prior to hybrid bonding the plurality of semiconductor wafers together. The plurality of sub-chambers also includes a third sub-chamber adapted to align the plurality of semiconductor wafers and hybrid bond the plurality of semiconductor wafers together.