A conductive ball includes a copper ball, a nickel layer covering an outer surface of the copper ball, a copper layer covering an outer surface of the nickel layer, and a tin-based solder covering an outer surface of the copper layer. A copper weight of the copper layer relative to a summed weight of the tin-based solder and the copper layer is 0.7 wt % to 3 wt %.

A semiconductor device having a first semiconductor section including a first wiring layer at one side thereof; a second semiconductor section including a second wiring layer at one side thereof, the first and second semiconductor sections being secured together with the respective first and second wiring layer sides of the first and second semiconductor sections facing each other; a conductive material extending through the first semiconductor section to the second wiring layer of the second semiconductor section and by means of which the first and second wiring layers are in electrical communication; and an opening, other than the opening for the conductive material, which extends through the first semiconductor section to the second wiring layer.

A chip package assembly, a package substrate and methods for fabricating the same are disclosed herein. In one example, a chip package assembly includes a package substrate, an IC die and a stiffener. The package substrate includes a first dam projecting from a top surface of the package substrate. The IC die and the stiffener are mounted to the top surface of the package substrate. The stiffener includes a bottom surface that is disposed adjacent to the first dam. At least one surface mounted component is mounted to a region of the package substrate defined between the stiffener and the IC die. An adhesive coupling the stiffener to the package substrate is in contact with the first dam.

A customized seal ring for a semiconductor device is formed of multiple seal ring cells that are selected and arranged to produce a seal ring design. The cells include first cells that are coupled to ground and second cells that are not coupled to ground. The second cells that are not coupled to ground, include a higher density of metal features in an inner portion thereof, than the first seal ring cells. Dummy metal vias and other metal features that may be present in the inner portion of the second seal ring cells are absent from the inner portion of the first seal ring cells that are coupled to ground. The seal ring design may include various arrangements, including alternating and repeating sequences of the different seal ring cells.

A microelectronic device includes a metal layer on a first dielectric layer. An etch stop layer is disposed over the metal layer and on the dielectric layer directly adjacent to the metal layer. The etch stop layer includes a metal oxide, and is less than 10 nanometers thick. A second dielectric layer is disposed over the etch stop layer. The second dielectric layer is removed from an etched region which extends down to the etch stop layer. The etched region extends at least partially over the metal layer. In one version of the microelectronic device, the etch stop layer may extend over the metal layer in the etched region. In another version, the etch stop layer may be removed in the etched region. The microelectronic device is formed by etching the second dielectric layer using a plasma etch process, stopping on the etch stop layer.

The present invention relates to a nitride-based electronic device and a method for manufacturing same, the nitride-based electronic device comprising a substrate, a metal electrode and a plurality of protection layers, wherein, among the protection layers, at least two protection layers covering one portion of the electrode so that one portion of the upper part of the electrode is exposed are configured so that the upper protection layer covers the end part of the lower protection layer so as to prevent the end part of the lower protection layer from being exposed.

A semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate, a conductive pad over the semiconductor substrate, a conductive bump over the conductive pad, a conductive cap over the conductive bump, and a passivation layer over the semiconductor substrate and surrounding the conductive bump. A combination of the conductive bump and the conductive cap has a stepped sidewall profile. The passivation layer has an inner sidewall at least partially facing and spaced apart from an outer sidewall of the conductive bump.

A probe card for integrated circuit testing includes a printed circuit support and a probe head having a first surface mounted to a surface of the printed circuit support. A flexible substrate is positioned adjacent to a second surface of the probe head and includes at least one flexible extension which extends beyond an edge of the probe head and includes a bend to make contact with the surface of the printed circuit support. The flexible substrate further includes a test antenna configured to support a wireless communications channel with an integrated circuit under test. The integrated circuit under test includes at least one conductive structure that extends in the peripheral portion on different planes of metallizations to form an integrated antenna that is coupled for communication and/or power transfer to the test antenna.

An inverse diode die is fast (i.e., has a small peak reverse recovery current) due to the presence of a novel topside P+ type charge carrier extraction region and a lightly-doped bottomside transparent anode. During forward conduction, the number of charge carriers in the N? type drift region is reduced due to holes being continuously extracted by an electric field set up by the P+ type charge carrier extraction region. Electrons are extracted by the transparent anode. When the voltage across the device is then reversed, the magnitude of the peak reverse recovery current is reduced due to there being a smaller number of charge carriers that need to be removed before the diode can begin reverse blocking mode operation. Advantageously, the diode is fast without having to include lifetime killers or otherwise introduce recombination centers. The inverse diode therefore has a desirably small reverse leakage current.

An apparatus relating generally to a substrate is disclosed. In this apparatus, a post extends from the substrate. The post includes a conductor member. An upper portion of the post extends above an upper surface of the substrate. An exterior surface of the post associated with the upper portion is in contact with a dielectric layer. The dielectric layer is disposed on the upper surface of the substrate and adjacent to the post to provide a dielectric collar for the post. An exterior surface of the dielectric collar is in contact with a conductor layer. The conductor layer is disposed adjacent to the dielectric collar to provide a metal collar for the post, where a top surface of each of the conductor member, the dielectric collar and the metal collar have formed thereon a bond structure for interconnection of the metal collar and the conductor member.