A system and method for preventing cracks in a passivation layer is provided. In an embodiment a contact pad has a first diameter and an opening through the passivation layer has a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter by a first distance of about 10 μm. In another embodiment, an underbump metallization is formed through the opening, and the underbump metallization has a third diameter that is greater than the first diameter by a second distance of about 5 μm. In yet another embodiment, a sum of the first distance and the second distance is greater than about 15 μm. In another embodiment the underbump metallization has a first dimension that is less than a dimension of the contact pad and a second dimension that is greater than a dimension of the contact pad.

A system and method for preventing cracks in a passivation layer is provided. In an embodiment a contact pad has a first diameter and an opening through the passivation layer has a second diameter, wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter by a first distance of about 10 μm. In another embodiment, an underbump metallization is formed through the opening, and the underbump metallization has a third diameter that is greater than the first diameter by a second distance of about 5 μm. In yet another embodiment, a sum of the first distance and the second distance is greater than about 15 μm. In another embodiment the underbump metallization has a first dimension that is less than a dimension of the contact pad and a second dimension that is greater than a dimension of the contact pad.

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of middle interconnections and a plurality of middle plugs, which are disposed in an interlayer insulating layer and on a substrate. An upper insulating layer is disposed on the interlayer insulating layer. A first upper plug, a first upper interconnection, a second upper plug, and a second upper interconnection are disposed in the upper insulating layer. Each of the plurality of middle interconnections has a first thickness. The first upper interconnection has a second thickness that is greater than the first thickness. The second upper interconnection has a third thickness that is greater than the first thickness. The third thickness is twice to 100 times the first thickness. The second upper interconnection includes a material different from the second upper plug.

Layer structures for making direct metal-to-metal bonds at low temperatures and shorter annealing durations in microelectronics are provided. Example bonding interface structures enable direct metal-to-metal bonding of interconnects at low annealing temperatures of 150° C. or below, and at a lower energy budget. The example structures provide a precise metal recess distance for conductive pads and vias being bonded that can be achieved in high volume manufacturing. The example structures provide a vertical stack of conductive layers under the bonding interface, with geometries and thermal expansion features designed to vertically expand the stack at lower temperatures over the precise recess distance to make the direct metal-to-metal bonds. Further enhancements, such as surface nanotexture and copper crystal plane selection, can further actuate the direct metal-to-metal bonding at lowered annealing temperatures and shorter annealing durations.

Layer structures for making direct metal-to-metal bonds at low temperatures and shorter annealing durations in microelectronics are provided. Example bonding interface structures enable direct metal-to-metal bonding of interconnects at low annealing temperatures of 150° C. or below, and at a lower energy budget. The example structures provide a precise metal recess distance for conductive pads and vias being bonded that can be achieved in high volume manufacturing. The example structures provide a vertical stack of conductive layers under the bonding interface, with geometries and thermal expansion features designed to vertically expand the stack at lower temperatures over the precise recess distance to make the direct metal-to-metal bonds. Further enhancements, such as surface nanotexture and copper crystal plane selection, can further actuate the direct metal-to-metal bonding at lowered annealing temperatures and shorter annealing durations.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an intrinsically conductive pad positioned above the substrate, a stress relief structure positioned above the substrate and distant from the intrinsically conductive pad, and an external bonding structure positioned directly above the stress relief structure.

The present application discloses a semiconductor device and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, an intrinsically conductive pad positioned above the substrate, a stress relief structure positioned above the substrate and distant from the intrinsically conductive pad, and an external bonding structure positioned directly above the stress relief structure.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first chip with a first electrode and a second electrode and a second chip with a third electrode and a fourth electrode. The first and second chips are bonded to each other with the first electrode contacting the third electrode and the second electrode contacting the fourth electrode. A thickness of the first electrode in a first direction perpendicular to a bonding interface between the first chip and the second chip is less than a thickness of the second electrode in the first direction. A planar area of the first electrode at the bonding interface is greater than a planar area of the second electrode at the bonding interface.

A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes a conductive structure over the substrate. The semiconductor device structure includes first metal oxide fibers over the conductive structure. The semiconductor device structure includes a dielectric layer over the substrate and covering the conductive structure and the first metal oxide fibers. The dielectric layer fills gaps between the first metal oxide fibers.

Methods and apparatus are described for adding one or more features (e.g., high bandwidth memory (HBM)) to a qualified stacked silicon interconnect (SSI) technology programmable integrated circuit (IC) region by providing an interface (e.g., an HBM buffer region implemented with a hierarchical switch network) between the added feature device and the programmable IC region. One example apparatus generally includes a programmable IC region and an interface region configured to couple the programmable IC region to at least one fixed feature die via a first plurality of ports associated with the at least one fixed feature die and a second plurality of ports associated with the programmable IC region. The interface region is configured as a switch network between the first plurality of ports and the second plurality of ports, and the switch network includes a plurality of full crossbar switch networks.