Methods of processing a semiconductor device include providing a patterned mask over a major surface of a substrate and comprising at least one opening exposing a conductive structure, and depositing particles of material by direct material deposition adjacent and in contact with an edge wall of the mask adjacent the at least one opening to form a supplemental mask over the major surface of the substrate. Other methods of processing semiconductor devices include depositing particles of material by direct material deposition adjacent a conductive structure at an intersection of the conductive structure and a surface of a substrate.

An electronic device includes a substrate, a structure over the substrate having an edge wall defining at least a portion of an opening exposing a surface of the substrate, and a dielectric material adjacent and in contact with the edge wall and an adjacent portion of the surface of the substrate. The dielectric material has a profile tapering downward from adjacent the edge wall toward the substrate. Other electronic devices include a substrate and a solder mask over the substrate. The solder mask defines an opening therethrough. A supplemental mask is within the opening of the solder mask, and has a sidewall that slopes away from the solder mask. A conductive structure is adjacent and in contact with at least one of the solder mask or the supplemental mask.

Methods of processing a semiconductor device include providing a patterned mask over a major surface of a substrate and comprising at least one opening exposing a conductive structure, and depositing particles of material by direct material deposition adjacent and in contact with an edge wall of the mask adjacent the at least one opening to form a supplemental mask over the major surface of the substrate. Other methods of processing semiconductor devices include depositing particles of material by direct material deposition adjacent a conductive structure at an intersection of the conductive structure and a surface of a substrate.

A semiconductor device includes: a conductive structure, a conductive bump extending into the conductive structure and contacting the conductive structure along a first surface, the conductive bump configured to interface with an external semiconductor device at a second surface opposite the first surface, the conductive bump being wider along the first surface than the second surface.

An electronic package is provided, which includes: an electronic element having an active surface with a plurality of electrode pads, an inactive surface opposite to the active surface, and a side surface adjacent to and connecting the active and inactive surfaces; a plurality of conductive elements formed on the electrode pads of the electronic element; and an encapsulant covering the active and side surfaces of the electronic element and portions of side surfaces of the conductive elements and exposing the inactive surface of the electronic element. Therefore, the invention enhances the structural strength of the active surface of the electronic element so as to prevent cracking of the electronic element and hence avoid delamination of the conductive elements from the electronic element.

Various molded chip combinations and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one aspect, a molded chip combination is provided that includes a first semiconductor chip that has a first PHY region, a second semiconductor chip that has a second PHY region, an interconnect chip interconnecting the first PHY region to the second PHY region, and a molding joining together the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip and the interconnect chip.

A process and resultant article of manufacture made by such process comprises forming through vias needed to connect a bottom device layer in a bottom silicon wafer to the one in the top device layer in a top silicon wafer comprising a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. Through vias are disposed in such a way that they extend from the middle of the line (MOL) interconnect of the top wafer to the buried oxide (BOX) layer of the SOI wafer with appropriate insulation provided to isolate them from the SOI device layer.

A chip package and a chip packaging method are provided. The package includes: a chip to be packaged, a reinforcing layer and solder bumps. The chip to be packaged includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other, the first surface includes a sensing region and first contact pads, and the first contact pads are electrically coupled to the sensing region. The reinforcing layer covers the first surface of the chip to be packaged. The solder bumps are provided on the second surface of the chip to be packaged. The solder bump is electrically connected to the first contact pad and is configured to electrically connect with an external circuit.

Highly reliable chip mounting is accomplished by using a substrate having such a shape that a stress exerted on a flip-chip-connected chip can be reduced, so that the stress exerted on the chip is reduced and separation of an interlayer insulating layer having a low dielectric constant (low-k) is minimized. Specifically, in a chip mounting structure, a chip including an interlayer insulating layer having a low dielectric constant (low-k) is flip-chip connected to a substrate via bumps is shown. In the chip mounting structure, the substrate has such a shape that a mechanical stress exerted on the interlayer insulating layer at corner portions of the chip due to a thermal stress is reduced, the thermal stress occurring due to a difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the chip and the substrate.

A process and resultant article of manufacture made by such process comprises forming through vias needed to connect a bottom device layer in a bottom silicon wafer to the one in the top device layer in a top silicon wafer comprising a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. Through vias are disposed in such a way that they extend from the middle of the line (MOL) interconnect of the top wafer to the buried oxide (BOX) layer of the SOI wafer with appropriate insulation provided to isolate them from the SOI device layer.