Devices and techniques including process steps make use of recesses in conductive interconnect structures to form reliable low temperature metallic bonds. A fill layer is deposited into the recesses prior to bonding. First conductive interconnect structures are bonded at ambient temperatures to second metallic interconnect structures using direct bonding techniques, with the fill layers in the recesses in one or both of the first and second interconnect structures.

In a stack type photoelectric conversion apparatus in which a first substrate and a second substrate are bonded with junction electrodes disposed on the respective substrates, a first silicon nitride film disposed on the first substrate and a second silicon nitride film disposed on the second substrate differ in compression stress.

A semiconductor device includes a first substrate having an attaching surface on which first electrodes and a first insulating film are exposed, an insulating thin film that covers the attaching surface of the first substrate, and a second substrate which has an attaching surface on which second electrodes and a second insulating film are exposed and is attached to the first substrate in a state in which the attaching surface of the second substrate and the attaching surface of the first substrate are attached together sandwiching the insulating thin film therebetween, and the first electrodes and the second electrodes deform and break a part of the insulating thin film so as to be directly electrically connected to each other.

A method for making a semiconductor device includes providing a releasable carrier attached to a conductive layer, patterning a conductive circuit on a surface of the conductive layer, applying an insulative material at least partially covering the conductive circuit, releasing the releasable carrier from the conductive layer, and facilitating the releasing with an activating source. A method of fabricating a releasable carrier includes providing a supporting carrier, attaching a releasable tape to the supporting carrier, providing a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer attached to the first conductive layer, and attaching the first conductive layer to the releasable tape, where the releasable tape is configured to release the supporting carrier from the first conductive layer after being exposed to an activating source.

A three-dimensional (3D) bonded semiconductor structure is provided in which a first bonding oxide layer of a first semiconductor structure is bonded to a second bonding oxide layer of a second semiconductor structure. Each of the first and second bonding oxide layers has a metallic bonding structure embedded therein, wherein each metallic bonding structure contains a columnar grain microstructure. Furthermore, at least one columnar grain extends across a bonding interface that is present between the metallic bonding structures. The presence of the columnar grain microstructure in the metallic bonding structures, together with at least one columnar grain microstructure extending across the bonding interface between the two bonded metallic bonding structures, can provide a 3D bonded structure having mechanical bonding strength and electrical performance enhancements.

Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device, including: a first substrate including a first electrode, and a first insulating film configured from a diffusion preventing material for the first electrode and covering a periphery of the first electrode, the first electrode and the first insulating film cooperating with each other to configure a bonding face; and a second substrate bonded to and provided on the first substrate and including a second electrode joined to the first electrode, and a second insulating film configured from a diffusion preventing material for the second electrode and covering a periphery of the second electrode, the second electrode and the second insulating film cooperating with each other to configure a bonding face to the first substrate.

A stacked semiconductor device comprising a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, an insulating medium disposed between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, a plurality of connection pads including a first connection pad and a second connection pad, a first connection pad shield structure, and a second connection pad shield structure. The plurality of connection pads is disposed within the insulating medium and configured to provide one or more electrical connections extending between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate. The first connection pad is disposed between the first connection pad shield structure and the second connection pad shield structure.

A stacked semiconductor device comprising a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, an insulating medium disposed between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, a plurality of connection pads including a first connection pad and a second connection pad adjacent to the first connection pad, and a first connection pad shield structure disposed within the insulating medium between at least the first connection pad and the second connection pad is described. The plurality of connection pads is disposed within the insulating medium and configured to provide one or more electrical connections extending between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate.

A stacked-chip assembly including an IC chip or die that is electrically interconnected to another chip and/or a substrate by one or more traces that are coupled through sidewalls of the chip. Electrical traces extending over a sidewall of the chip may contact metal traces of one or more die interconnect levels that intersect the chip edge. Following chip fabrication, singulation may expose a metal trace that intersects the chip sidewall. Following singulation, a conductive sidewall interconnect trace formed over the chip sidewall is to couple the exposed trace to a top or bottom side of a chip or substrate. The sidewall interconnect trace may be further coupled to a ground, signal, or power rail. The sidewall interconnect trace may terminate with a bond pad to which another chip, substrate, or wire lead is bonded. The sidewall interconnect trace may terminate at another sidewall location on the same chip or another chip.

Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device that includes a semiconductor die and a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. The semiconductor die is attached to the second surface. The substrate includes a layer of insulative material and at least a portion of an embedded conductive circuit in the layer of insulative material. The substrate includes an etched layer of a conductive material attached to the portion of the conductive circuit, the etched layer of the conductive material located on the first surface of the substrate.