A method of forming a conductive material on a semiconductor device. The method comprises removing at least a portion of a conductive pad within an aperture in a dielectric material over a substrate. The method further comprises forming a seed material at least within a bottom of the aperture and over the dielectric material, forming a protective material over the seed material within the aperture, and forming a conductive pillar in contact with the seed material through an opening in the protective material over surfaces of the seed material within the aperture. A method of forming an electrical connection between adjacent semiconductor devices, and a semiconductor device, are also described.

Disclosed are semiconductor devices that include additional gate pads, and methods of fabricating and testing such devices. A device may include a first gate pad, a second gate pad, and a third gate pad. The first gate pad is connected to a gate including a gate oxide layer. The second and third gate pads are part of an electro-static discharge (ESD) protection network for the device. The ESD protection network is initially isolated from the first gate pad and hence from the gate and gate oxide layer. Accordingly, gate oxide integrity (GOI) testing can be effectively performed and the reliability and quality of the gate oxide layer can be checked. The second gate pad can be subsequently connected to the first gate pad to enable the ESD protection network, and the third gate pad can be subsequently connected to an external terminal when the device is packaged.

Disclosed herein is a method that includes forming a contact plug to be embedded in a first insulating film formed on a semiconductor substrate; forming a probe pad on the first insulating film to contact with the contact plug; performing a test operation by probing the probe pad; removing the probe pad; forming a second insulating film to cover the contact plug after removing the probe pad; and forming a pad electrode to be embedded in the second insulating film.

Provided is a semiconductor device having a pad on a semiconductor chip, a first passivation film formed over the semiconductor chip and having an opening portion on the pad of a probe region and a coupling region, a second passivation film formed over the pad and the first passivation film and having an opening portion on the pad of the coupling region, and a rewiring layer formed over the coupling region and the second passivation film and electrically coupled to the pad. The pad of the probe region placed on the periphery side of the semiconductor chip relative to the coupling region has a probe mark and the rewiring layer extends from the coupling region to the center side of the semiconductor chip. The present invention provides a technology capable of achieving size reduction, particularly pitch narrowing, of a semiconductor device.

An interconnect assembly includes a bond pad and an interconnect structure configured to electrically couple an electronic structure to the bond pad. The interconnect structure physically contacts areas of the bond pad that are located outside of a probe contact area that may have been damaged during testing. Insulating material covers the probe contact area and defines openings spaced apart from the probe contact area. The interconnect structure extends through the openings to contact the bond pad.

An interconnect assembly includes a bond pad and an interconnect structure configured to electrically couple an electronic structure to the bond pad. The interconnect structure physically contacts areas of the bond pad that are located outside of a probe contact area that may have been damaged during testing. Insulating material covers the probe contact area and defines openings spaced apart from the probe contact area. The interconnect structure extends through the openings to contact the bond pad.

A device includes a test pad on a chip. A first microbump has a first surface area that is less than a surface area of the test pad. A first conductive path couples the test pad to the first microbump. A second microbump has a second surface area that is less than the surface area of the test pad. A second conductive path couples the test pad to the second microbump.

A method of fabricating a semiconductor package includes forming a capping pattern on a chip pad of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a passivation pattern that exposes a portion of the chip pad, and the capping pattern covers the chip pad. The method further includes forming a redistribution layer on the capping pattern. Forming the redistribution layer includes forming a first insulation pattern on the capping pattern and the passivation pattern, forming a first opening in the first insulation pattern by performing exposure and development processes on the first insulation pattern, in which the first opening exposes a portion of the capping pattern, and forming a redistribution pattern in the first opening.

A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device is provided. The method includes forming a conductive probe plug on an exposed portion of a die pad of a semiconductor die by way of an electroless plating process. A top surface of the conductive probe plug extends above a top surface of a top passivation layer of the semiconductor die. A copper pillar is formed over the conductive probe plug by way of an electrolytic plating process. Outer sidewalls of the copper pillar surround the top surface of the conductive probe plug. A top surface of the copper pillar is plated with a solder plate material and reflowed to form a solder cap on the top of the copper pillar.

A method for use in manufacturing semiconductor devices such as, e.g., semiconductor power devices includes providing: a semiconductor die provided with bonding pads, a lead frame for the semiconductor die, a wire bonding layout including electrically conductive wires coupling bonding pads of the semiconductor die with leads in the lead frame. One or more bonding pads of the semiconductor die is/are coupled to a respective lead in the lead frame via a plurality of wires with a plurality of mutually insulated testing lands in the respective lead, so that the plurality of wires are coupled to respective testing lands. The electrical connection between such a bonding pad and the respective lead may be tested by testing the individual electrical connections between the bonding pad and the plurality of testing lands.