A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes: providing a semiconductor chip comprising an active surface; forming a conductive bump over the active surface of the semiconductor chip; and coupling the conductive bump to a substrate. The conductive bump includes a plurality of bump segments including a first group of bump segments and a second group of bump segments. Each bump segment has a same segment thickness in a direction orthogonal to the active surface of the semiconductor chip, and each bump segment has a volume defined by a multiplication of the same segment thickness with an average cross-sectional area of the bump segment in a plane parallel to the active surface of the semiconductor chip. A ratio of a total volume of the first group of bump segments to a total volume of the second group of bump segments is between 0.03 and 0.8.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first metal film on a first insulating region and a first metal region directly adjacent to the first insulating region, wherein the first metal film comprises a metal other than the metal of the first metal region, forming a second metal film on a second insulating region and a second metal region directly adjacent to the second insulating region, wherein the second metal film comprises a metal other than the metal of the second metal region, bringing the first metal film and the second metal film into contact with each other, and heat treating the first substrate and the second substrate and thereby electrically connecting the first metal region and the second metal region to each other and simultaneously forming an insulating interface film between the first insulating region and the second insulating region.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes forming a first metal film on a first insulating region and a first metal region directly adjacent to the first insulating region, wherein the first metal film comprises a metal other than the metal of the first metal region, forming a second metal film on a second insulating region and a second metal region directly adjacent to the second insulating region, wherein the second metal film comprises a metal other than the metal of the second metal region, bringing the first metal film and the second metal film into contact with each other, and heat treating the first substrate and the second substrate and thereby electrically connecting the first metal region and the second metal region to each other and simultaneously forming an insulating interface film between the first insulating region and the second insulating region.

A chip package is provided. The chip package may include at least one chip, an exposed metal region and a metal protection layer structure over the exposed metal region and configured to protect the metal region from oxidation. The protection layer structure includes a low-temperature deposited oxide, and a hydrothermally converted metal oxide layer over the protection layer structure.

A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate; a conductive film covering a front face of the semiconductor substrate, a front face of the conductive film having plural straight-line shaped concave portions disposed in parallel to each other; and a protecting film covering the front face of the conductive film, the protecting film having an opening that has an edge forming an angle with the plural concave portions of greater than 0 and less than 90, and that partially exposes the conductive film.

A method of making a semiconductor including soldering a conductor to an aluminum metallization is disclosed. In one example, the method includes substituting an aluminum oxide layer on the aluminum metallization by a substitute metal oxide layer or a substitute metal alloy oxide layer. Then, substitute metal oxides in the substitute metal oxide layer or the substitute metal alloy oxide layer are at least partly reduced. The conductor is soldered to the aluminum metallization using a solder material.

A method of making a semiconductor including soldering a conductor to an aluminum metallization is disclosed. In one example, the method includes substituting an aluminum oxide layer on the aluminum metallization by a substitute metal oxide layer or a substitute metal alloy oxide layer. Then, substitute metal oxides in the substitute metal oxide layer or the substitute metal alloy oxide layer are at least partly reduced. The conductor is soldered to the aluminum metallization using a solder material.

A method is provided. The method includes one or more of extracting a die from an original packaged integrated circuit, modifying the extracted die, reconditioning the modified extracted die, placing the reconditioned die into a cavity of a hermetic package base, bonding a plurality of bond wires between reconditioned die pads of the reconditioned die to leads of the hermetic package base or downbonds to create an assembled hermetic package base, and sealing a hermetic package lid to the assembled hermetic package base to create a new packaged integrated circuit. Modifying the extracted die includes removing the one or more ball bonds on the one or more die pads. Reconditioning the modified extracted die includes adding a sequence of metallic layers to bare die pads of the modified extracted die. The extracted die is a fully functional semiconductor die with one or more ball bonds on one or more die pads of the extracted die.

An electronic device is formed by providing a substrate having a recess at a top surface. A layer of an organic protective material is formed over the substrate, with the organic protective material extending into the recess. A polishing process is performed on the layer of protective material. The polishing process may remove a portion of an underlying metal layer over the top surface while protecting the underlying metal layer within the recess.

A method of forming an aluminum oxide layer is provided. The method includes providing a metal surface including at least one metal of a group of metals, the group of metals consisting of copper, aluminum, palladium, nickel, silver, and alloys thereof. The method further includes depositing an aluminum oxide layer on the metal surface by atomic layer deposition, wherein a maximum processing temperature during the depositing is 280 C., such that the aluminum oxide layer is formed with a surface having a liquid solder contact angle of less than 40.