A first semiconductor die includes first semiconductor devices located over a first substrate, first interconnect-level dielectric material layers embedding first metal interconnect structures and located on the first semiconductor devices, and a first pad-level dielectric layer located on the first interconnect-level dielectric material layers and embedding first bonding pads. Each of the first bonding pads includes a first proximal horizontal surface and at least one first distal horizontal surface that is more distal from the first substrate than the first proximal horizontal surface is from the first substrate and has a lesser total area than a total area of the first proximal horizontal surface. A second semiconductor die including second bonding pads that are embedded in a second pad-level dielectric layer can be bonded to a respective distal surface of the first bonding pads.

A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip that includes a first conductive pad whose top surface is exposed; and a second semiconductor chip that includes a second conductive pad whose top surface is exposed and in contact with at least a portion of the top surface of the first conductive pad. The first semiconductor chip may include a first diffusion barrier in contact with a bottom surface of the first conductive pad, and a second diffusion barrier in contact with a lateral surface of the first conductive pad, and the first diffusion barrier and the second diffusion barrier may include different materials from each other.

The present disclosure discloses a semiconductor device structure with an air gap for reducing capacitive coupling and a method for forming the semiconductor device structure. The semiconductor device structure includes a first conductive pad over a first semiconductor substrate, and a first conductive structure over the first conductive pad. The semiconductor device structure also includes a second conductive structure over the first conductive structure, and a second conductive pad over the second conductive structure. The second conductive pad is electrically connected to the first conductive pad through the first and the second conductive structures. The semiconductor device structure further includes a second semiconductor substrate over the second conductive pad, a first passivation layer between the first and the second semiconductor substrates and covering the first conductive structure, and a second passivation layer between the first passivation layer and the second semiconductor substrate. The first and the second passivation layers surround the second conductive structure, and a first air gap is enclosed by the first and the second passivation layers.

A method includes forming a metal seed layer over a first conductive feature of a wafer, forming a patterned photo resist on the metal seed layer, forming a second conductive feature in an opening in the patterned photo resist, and heating the wafer to generate a gap between the second conductive feature and the patterned photo resist. A protection layer is plated on the second conductive feature. The method further includes removing the patterned photo resist, and etching the metal seed layer.

A method includes forming a first conductive feature, depositing a passivation layer on a sidewall and a top surface of the first conductive feature, etching the passivation layer to reveal the first conductive feature, and recessing a first top surface of the passivation layer to form a step. The step comprises a second top surface of the passivation layer. The method further includes forming a planarization layer on the passivation layer, and forming a second conductive feature extending into the passivation layer to contact the first conductive feature.

A semiconductor package and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor package are provided. The semiconductor package includes a first semiconductor device, a second semiconductor device, and an alignment material. The first semiconductor device has a first bonding layer, and the first bonding layer includes a first bond pad contacting an organic dielectric material. The second semiconductor device has a second bonding layer, and the second bonding layer includes a second bond pad contacting the organic dielectric material. The alignment material is between the first bonding layer and the second bonding layer.

According to an aspect of the inventive concept, there is provided a die-to-wafer bonding structure including a die having a first test pad, a first bonding pad formed on the first test pad, and a first insulating layer, the first bonding pad penetrates the first insulating layer. The structure may further include a wafer having a second test pad, a second bonding pad formed on the second test pad, and a second insulating layer, the second bonding pad penetrates the second insulating layer. The structure may further include a polymer layer surrounding all side surfaces of the first bonding pad and all side surfaces of the second bonding pad, the polymer layer being arranged between the die and the wafer. Additionally, the wafer and the die may be bonded together.

A semiconductor device includes: a semiconductor substrate having a first main surface; an aluminum electrode having a first surface facing the first main surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the aluminum electrode being disposed on the semiconductor substrate; a passivation film that covers a peripheral edge of the second surface and that is provided with an opening from which a portion of the second surface is exposed; a copper film disposed on the second surface exposed from the opening so as to be separated from the passivation film; and a metal film disposed on the second surface exposed from between the passivation film and the copper film. The metal film is constituted of at least one selected from a group consisting of a nickel film, a tantalum film, a tantalum nitride film, a tungsten film, a titanium film, and a titanium nitride film.

An SiC semiconductor device includes an SiC chip having a first main surface at one side and a second main surface at another side, a first main surface electrode including a first Al layer and formed on the first main surface, a pad electrode formed on the first main surface electrode and to be connected to a lead wire, and a second main surface electrode including a second Al layer and formed on the second main surface.

Improved bump coplanarity for semiconductor device assemblies, and associated methods and systems are disclosed. In one embodiment, when openings in a passivation layer of a semiconductor device are formed to expose surfaces of bond pads, additional openings may also be formed in the passivation layer. The additional openings may have depths shallower than the openings extending to the surfaces of bond pads by leveraging partial exposures to the passivation layer using a leaky chrome process. Subsequently, when active bumps (pillars) are formed on the exposed surfaces of bond pads, dummy bumps (pillars) may be formed on recessed surfaces of the additional openings such that differences in heights above the surface of the passivation between the active bumps and the dummy bumps are reduced to improve coplanarity.