A 3D semiconductor device comprising: a first level; and a second level, wherein said first level comprises single crystal silicon and a plurality of logic circuits, wherein said plurality of logic circuits each comprise first transistors, wherein said second level is disposed above said first level and comprises a plurality of arrays of memory cells, said second level comprises a plurality of second transistors, wherein each of said memory cells comprises at least one of said second transistors, wherein said first level is bonded to said second level, wherein said bonded comprises regions of oxide to oxide bonds, wherein said bonded comprises regions of metal to metal bonds; and a thermal isolation layer disposed between said first level and said second level, wherein said thermal isolation layer provides a greater than 20° C. differential temperature between said first level and said second level during nominal operation of said device.

In a system for aligning at least two semiconductor structures for coupling, an alignment device includes a mounting structure having at least first and second opposing portions. The alignment device also includes a first mounting portion movably coupled to the first portion of the mounting structure, the first mounting portion configured to couple to a first surface of a first semiconductor structure. The alignment device additionally includes a second mounting portion movably coupled to the second portion of the mounting structure, the second mounting portion configured to couple to a second surface of a second semiconductor structure. The alignment device further includes one or more imaging devices disposed above at least one of the first and second mounting portions of the alignment device, the imaging devices configured to capture and/or or detect alignment marks in at least the first semiconductor structure. A corresponding method for aligning two or more semiconductor structures for coupling is also provided.

A method and an apparatus for determining expansion compensation in a photoetching process, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. A relative vector misalignment value of a first wafer and a second wafer after being bonded is obtained based on a relative position relationship between a first alignment pattern of the first wafer and a second alignment pattern of the second wafer in a boding structure. A relative expansion value of the first wafer and the second wafer is obtained based on the relative vector misalignment value. A developing expansion compensation value in the photoetching process is obtained. The expansion compensation value is used to the photoetching process of a first conductor layer including the first alignment pattern of the first wafer and/or a second conductor layer including the second alignment pattern of the second wafer.

A 3D integrated circuit device, including: a first transistor; a second transistor; and a third transistor, where the third transistor is overlaying the second transistor and the second transistor is overlaying the first transistor, where the first transistor controls the supply of a ground or a power signal to the third transistor, and where the first transistor, the second transistor and the third transistor are aligned to each other with less than 100 nm misalignment.

There is provided a method of bonding substrates to each other, which includes: holding a first substrate on a lower surface of a first holding part; adjusting a temperature of a second substrate by a temperature adjusting part to become higher than a temperature of the first substrate; holding the second substrate on an upper surface of a second holding part; inspecting a state of the second substrate by imaging a plurality of reference points of the second substrate with a first imaging part, measuring positions of the reference points, and comparing a measurement result with a predetermined permissible range; and pressing a central portion of the first substrate with a pressing member, bringing the central portion of the first substrate into contact with a central portion of the second substrate, and sequentially bonding the first substrate and the second substrate.

According to one embodiment, a memory device includes: a first chip including a first insulating layer and a first pad; a plurality of memory units provided in a first area of the first insulating layer and arranged at first intervals in a first direction parallel to a surface of the first chip; a plurality of mark portions provided in a second area of the first insulating layer and arranged at second intervals in the first direction; a second chip including a second pad connected to the first pad and overlapping the first chip in a second direction perpendicular to the surface of the first chip; and a circuit provided in the second 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 method includes placing a first package component. The first package component includes a first alignment mark and a first dummy alignment mark. A second package component is aligned to the first package component. The second package component includes a second alignment mark and a second dummy alignment mark. The aligning is performed using the first alignment mark for positioning the first package component, and using the second alignment mark for position the second package component. The second package component is bonded to the first package component to form a package, with the first alignment mark being bonded to the second dummy alignment mark.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor structure, a second semiconductor structure, a through semiconductor via, and an insulation layer. The first semiconductor structure includes a first circuit layer and a first main bonding layer in the first circuit layer and substantially coplanar with a front face of the first circuit layer. The second semiconductor structure includes a second circuit layer on the first circuit layer and a second main bonding layer in the second circuit layer, and topologically aligned with and contacted to the first main bonding layer. The through semiconductor via is along the second semiconductor structure and the first and second main bonding layer, and extending to the first circuit layer. The insulation layer is positioned on a sidewall of the through semiconductor via.

A production of voids between substrates is prevented when the substrates are bonded together, and the substrates are bonded together at a high positional precision while suppressing a strain. A method for bonding a first substrate and a second substrate includes a step of performing hydrophilization treatment to cause water or an OH containing substance to adhere to bonding surface of the first substrate and the bonding surface of the second substrate, a step of disposing the first substrate and the second substrate with the respective bonding surfaces facing each other, and bowing the first substrate in such a way that a central portion of the bonding surface protrudes toward the second substrate side relative to an outer circumferential portion of the bonding surface, a step of abutting the bonding surface of the first substrate with the bonding surface of the second substrate at the respective central portions, and a step of abutting the bonding surface of the first substrate with the bonding surface of the second substrate across the entirety of the bonding surfaces, decreasing a distance between the outer circumferential portion of the first substrate and an outer circumferential portion of the second substrate with the respective central portions abutting each other at a pressure that maintains a non-bonded condition.