Microelectronic assemblies, related devices and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a microelectronic assembly may include a package substrate having a surface; a die having a first surface and an opposing second surface; and a chiplet having a first surface and an opposing second surface, wherein the chiplet is between the surface of the package substrate and the first surface of the die, wherein the first surface of the chiplet is coupled to the surface of the package substrate and the second surface of the chiplet is coupled to the first surface of the die, and wherein the chiplet includes: a capacitor at the first surface; and an element at the second surface, wherein the element includes a switching transistor or a diode.

The present application provides a semiconductor device with an edge-protecting spacer over a bonding pad. The semiconductor device includes a bonding pad disposed over a semiconductor substrate; a first spacer disposed over a top surface of the bonding pad; a dielectric liner disposed between the first spacer and the bonding pad; a dielectric layer between the bonding pad and the semiconductor substrate, wherein the dielectric layer includes silicon-rich oxide; and a conductive bump disposed over the bonding pad and covering the first spacer and the dielectric liner, wherein the conductive bump is electrically connected to a source/drain (S/D) region in the semiconductor substrate through the bonding pad.

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 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 semiconductor structure includes a conductive structure over a first passivation layer; and a second passivation layer over the conductive structure and the first passivation layer. The second passivation layer has a first oxide film extending along a top surface of the first passivation layer, sidewalls and a top surface of the conductive structure, wherein a top surface of the first oxide film is planar. The second passivation layer further includes a second oxide film over a top surface of the first oxide film and a top surface of the conductive structure, wherein a top surface of the second oxide film is planar. The second passivation layer further includes a third oxide film extending along a top surface of the second oxide film, the sidewalls and the top surface of the conductive structure, wherein a top surface of the third oxide film is curved.

In a described example a device includes: a first corner formed between a circuit side surface of a semiconductor die and a first sidewall formed with a first depth extending along a side of the semiconductor die from the circuit side surface; a ledge having a planar surface formed parallel to the circuit side surface of the semiconductor die formed at the first depth from the circuit side surface at the first corner, and being perpendicular to the first sidewall; a second corner formed by an intersection of the planar surface of the ledge and a scribe lane sidewall of the semiconductor die, forming a second sidewall perpendicular to the circuit side surface; and portions of the circuit side surface of the semiconductor die, the first corner, the first sidewall, and the planar surface of the ledge covered by a passivation layer.

A semiconductor element encompasses a first external electrode on an upper surface side of a semiconductor chip, a second external electrode, spaced apart from the first external electrode, provided in parallel with the first external electrode; and a protective film covering the first and second external electrodes, having first and second windows to expose portions of upper surfaces of the first and second external electrodes, respectively. Planar patterns of the first and second windows are in two-fold rotational symmetry with respect to a center point of an area including the first and second external electrodes and to be asymmetric with respect to a center line between the first and second external electrodes.

A method includes thinning a semiconductor substrate of a device die to reveal through-substrate vias that extend into the semiconductor substrate, and forming a first redistribution structure, which includes forming a first plurality of dielectric layers over the semiconductor substrate, and forming a first plurality of redistribution lines in the first plurality of dielectric layers. The first plurality of redistribution lines are electrically connected to the through-substrate vias. The method further includes placing a first memory die over the first redistribution structure, and forming a first plurality of metal posts over the first redistribution structure. The first plurality of metal posts are electrically connected to the first plurality of redistribution lines. The first memory die is encapsulated in a first encapsulant. A second plurality of redistribution lines are formed over, and electrically connected to, the first plurality of metal posts and the first memory die.

An integrated circuit interconnect structure includes a first interconnect in a first metallization level and a first dielectric adjacent to at least a portion of the first interconnect, where the first dielectric having a first carbon content. The integrated circuit interconnect structure further includes a second interconnect in a second metallization level above the first metallization level. The second interconnect includes a lowermost surface in contact with at least a portion of an uppermost surface of the first interconnect. A second dielectric having a second carbon content is adjacent to at least a portion of the second interconnect and the first dielectric. The first carbon concentration increases with distance away from the lowermost surface of the second interconnect and the second carbon concentration increases with distance away from the uppermost surface of the first interconnect.

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.