A copper pillar bump semiconductor packaging method patterns an organic insulation layer formed under the copper pillar bumps to areas surrounding and in the vicinity of the copper pillar bumps only. The organic insulation layer, typically a thin film polymer layer, acts as a barrier layer for the copper pillar bumps to protect the semiconductor wafer during the copper pillar flip chip bonding process. The copper pillar bump semiconductor packaging method limits the areas where the organic insulation layer is applied to reduce the stress introduced to the semiconductor wafer by the organic insulation layer. In another embodiment, a copper pillar bump semiconductor packaging method patterns an organic insulation layer formed under the copper pillar bumps to areas surrounding the copper pillar bumps and along the path of a redistribution layer without using a large and continuous organic insulation layer.

The present invention makes it possible to improve the reliability of a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device has, over a semiconductor substrate, a pad electrode formed at the uppermost layer of a plurality of wiring layers, a surface protective film having an opening over the pad electrode, a redistribution line being formed over the surface protective film and having an upper surface and a side surface, a sidewall barrier film comprising an insulating film covering the side surface and exposing the upper surface of the redistribution line, and a cap metallic film covering the upper surface of the redistribution line. Then the upper surface and side surface of the redistribution line are covered with the cap metallic film or the sidewall barrier film and the cap metallic film and the sidewall barrier film have an overlapping section.

A semiconductor chip is provided including an integrated circuit on a substrate; pads electrically connected to the integrated circuit; a lower insulating structure defining contact holes exposing the pads, respectively; and first, second and third conductive patterns electrically connected to the pads. The second conductive pattern is between the first conductive pattern and the third conductive pattern when viewed from a plan view. Each of the first to third conductive patterns includes a contact portion filling the contact hole, a first conductive line portion extending in one direction on the lower insulating structure, and a bonding pad portion. Ends of the bonding pad portions of the first and third conductive patterns protrude in the one direction as compared with an end of the bonding pad portion of the second conductive pattern when viewed from a plan view.

A highly reliable semiconductor device which includes an oxide semiconductor is provided. Alternatively, a transistor having normally-off characteristics which includes an oxide semiconductor is provided. The transistor includes a first conductor, a first insulator, a second insulator, a third insulator, a first oxide, an oxide semiconductor, a second conductor, a second oxide, a fourth insulator, a third conductor, a fourth conductor, a fifth insulator, and a sixth insulator. The second conductor is separated from the sixth insulator by the second oxide. The third conductor and the fourth conductor are separated from the sixth insulator by the fifth insulator. The second oxide has a function of suppressing permeation of oxygen as long as oxygen contained in the sixth insulator is sufficiently supplied to the oxide semiconductor through the second oxide. The fifth insulator has a barrier property against oxygen.

A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor body having a bottom side and a top side opposite the bottom side, and passivation arranged on the top side. The semiconductor chip is positioned on the carrier by picking the semiconductor chip and placing the semiconductor chip on the carrier, and pressing the semiconductor chip onto the carrier by a pressing force in a pressing direction, such that the pressing force acts on the semiconductor chip only above one or more continuous chip metallization sections arranged on the top side. Each of the one or more continuous chip metallization sections includes an annularly closed edge section which has a minimum width of more than zero in each direction perpendicular to the pressing direction. The pressing force does not act on the semiconductor chip above any of the edge sections.

Provided is a highly reliable semiconductor device that uses a thick passivation layer. The protective film is formed so as to cover mostly the entire surface of a semiconductor substrate, and is open only in an area of part that is above a metal wiring layer (connection area). The passivation layer includes starting from the bottom side, a first silicon nitride film that includes silicon nitride (Si.sub.3N.sub.4), a silicon oxide film that includes silicon oxide (SiO.sub.2), and an organic film (organic layer) that includes a polyimide. The silicon oxide film and organic film are formed so as to cover the electrode layer (metal wiring layer) except the top of the insulation layer and the connection area, however, the first silicon nitride film is formed only on the insulation layer and not formed on the electrode layer.

A method of manufacturing an electronic device for providing galvanic isolation includes forming a dielectric layer on a semiconductor body and integrating, in the dielectric layer, a galvanic isolation module, the integrating including forming a first metal region at a first height of the dielectric layer. A second metal region is formed at a second height greater than the first height of the dielectric layer, the first and second metal regions being at least one of capacitively and magnetically coupleable together. Forming the second metal region includes etching selective portions of the dielectric layer to form at least one trench having a side wall coupled to a bottom wall through rounded surface portions, and filling each trench with metal material to form the second metal region having rounded edges.

A method of fabricating a contact hole and a fuse hole includes providing a dielectric layer. A conductive pad and a fuse are disposed within the dielectric layer. Then, a first mask is formed to cover the dielectric layer. Later, a first removing process is performed by taking the first mask as a mask to remove part the dielectric layer to form a first trench. The conductive pad is disposed directly under the first trench and does not expose through the first trench. Subsequently, the first mask is removed. After that, a second mask is formed to cover the dielectric layer. Then, a second removing process is performed to remove the dielectric layer directly under the first trench to form a contact hole and to remove the dielectric layer directly above the fuse by taking the second mask as a mask to form a fuse hole.

A method for removing material from a substrate includes providing the substrate with first and second opposing major surfaces. A masking layer is disposed along one of the first major surface and the second major surface, and is provided with a plurality of openings. The substrate is placed within an etching apparatus and material is removed from the substrate through openings using the etching apparatus. The thickness of the substrate is measured within the etching apparatus using a thickness transducer. The measured thickness is compared to a predetermined thickness and the material removal step is terminated responsive to the measured thickness corresponding to the predetermined thickness. In one embodiment, the method is used to more accurately form recessed regions in semiconductor die, which can be used in, for example, stacked device configurations.

As one embodiment, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes the following steps. That is, the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a first step of applying ultrasonic waves to a ball portion of a first wire in contact with a first electrode of the semiconductor chip while pressing the ball portion with a first load. In addition, the method of manufacturing a semiconductor device includes a step of, after the first step, applying the ultrasonic waves to the ball portion while pressing the ball portion with a second load larger than the first load, thereby bonding the ball portion and the first electrode.