A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor wafer or a single semiconductor chip or die, and a layer stack. The layer stack comprises a first layer comprising NiSi, and a second layer comprising NiV, wherein the second layer is arranged between the first layer and the semiconductor wafer or single semiconductor chip or die.

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor wafer or a single semiconductor chip or die, and a layer stack. The layer stack comprises a first layer comprising NiSi, and a second layer comprising NiV, wherein the second layer is arranged between the first layer and the semiconductor wafer or single semiconductor chip or die.

A method of electroplating a metal into features, having substantially different depths, of a partially fabricated electronic device on a substrate is provided. The method includes adsorbing accelerator into the bottom of recessed features; partially filling the features by a bottom up fill mechanism in an electroplating solution; diffusing leveler into shallow features to decrease the plating rate in shallow features as compared to deep features; and electroplating more metal into the features such that the height of metal in deep features is similar to the height of metal in shallow features.

A method of electroplating a metal into features, having substantially different depths, of a partially fabricated electronic device on a substrate is provided. The method includes adsorbing accelerator into the bottom of recessed features; partially filling the features by a bottom up fill mechanism in an electroplating solution; diffusing leveler into shallow features to decrease the plating rate in shallow features as compared to deep features; and electroplating more metal into the features such that the height of metal in deep features is similar to the height of metal in shallow features.

A semiconductor device comprises a substrate body with a surface, a conductor comprising a conductor material covering at least part of the surface, and a dielectric that is arranged on a part of the surface that is not covered by the conductor. Therein, the conductor is in contact with the substrate body, the conductor and the dielectric form a layer, and a bonding surface of the layer has surface topographies of less than 10 nm, with the bonding surface facing away from the substrate body. Moreover, the semiconductor device is free of a diffusion barrier.

A bonded assembly includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die includes first metallic bonding pads embedded in first dielectric material layers, the second semiconductor die includes second metallic bonding pads embedded in second dielectric material layers, the first metallic bonding pads are bonded to a respective one of the second metallic bonding pads; and each of the first metallic bonding pads includes a corrosion barrier layer containing an alloy of a primary bonding metal and at least one corrosion-suppressing element that is different from the primary bonding metal.

A bonded assembly includes a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die includes first metallic bonding pads embedded in first dielectric material layers, the second semiconductor die includes second metallic bonding pads embedded in second dielectric material layers, the first metallic bonding pads are bonded to a respective one of the second metallic bonding pads; and each of the first metallic bonding pads includes a corrosion barrier layer containing an alloy of a primary bonding metal and at least one corrosion-suppressing element that is different from the primary bonding metal.

A semiconductor device structure includes a silicon layer disposed over a first semiconductor die, and a first mask layer disposed over the silicon layer. The semiconductor device structure also includes a second semiconductor die disposed over the first mask layer, and a through silicon via penetrating through the silicon layer and the first mask layer. A bottom surface of the through silicon via is greater than a top surface of the through silicon via, and the top surface of the through silicon via is greater than a cross-section of the through silicon via between and parallel to the top surface and the bottom surface of the through silicon via.

A semiconductor device structure includes a silicon layer disposed over a first semiconductor die, and a first mask layer disposed over the silicon layer. The semiconductor device structure also includes a second semiconductor die disposed over the first mask layer, and a through silicon via penetrating through the silicon layer and the first mask layer. A bottom surface of the through silicon via is greater than a top surface of the through silicon via, and the top surface of the through silicon via is greater than a cross-section of the through silicon via between and parallel to the top surface and the bottom surface of the through silicon via.

Methods for bonding substrates used, for example, in substrate-level packaging, are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for bonding substrates includes: performing electrochemical deposition (ECD) to deposit at least one material on each of a first substrate and a second substrate, performing chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) on the first substrate and the second substrate to form a bonding interface on each of the first substrate and the second substrate, positioning the first substrate on the second substrate so that the bonding interface on the first substrate aligns with the bonding interface on the second substrate, and bonding the first substrate to the second substrate using the bonding interface on the first substrate and the bonding interface on the second substrate.