Various embodiments provide a semiconductor device, including a final metal layer having a top side and at least one sidewall; and a passivation layer disposed over at least part of at least one of the top side and the at least one sidewall of the final metal layer; wherein the passivation layer has a substantially uniform thickness.

A chip part includes a substrate that has an upper surface, a lower surface positioned on an opposite side of the upper surface, and a sidewall by which the upper surface and the lower surface are connected together and that has a plurality of concavo-convex portions formed on the sidewall from a side of the upper surface toward a side of the lower surface, a functional element formed at the side of the upper surface of the substrate, a first external electrode and a second external electrode that are arranged at the upper surface of the substrate so as to be electrically connected to the functional element, and a sidewall insulating film with which the sidewall of the substrate is coated so as to fill the plurality of concavo-convex portions formed on the sidewall of the substrate with the sidewall insulating film.

In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes one or more metallizations, such as, e.g., Cu-RDL metallizations, provided on a passivation layer over a dielectric layer. A via is provided through the passivation layer and the dielectric layer in the vicinity of the corners of the metallization. The via may be a “dummy” via without electrical connections to an active device and may be provided at a distance between approximately 1 micron (10.sup.−6 m.) and approximately 10 micron (10.sup.−5 m.) from each one of said converging sides landing on an underlying metal layer.

Manufacturing of flip-chip type assemblies is provided, and includes forming one or more contact elements of electrically conductive material on a carrier surface of at least one chip carrier, providing a restrain structure around the contact elements, depositing solder material on the contact elements and/or on one or more terminals of electrically conductive material on a chip surface of at least one integrated circuit chip, and placing the chip with each terminal facing corresponding contact elements. Further, the method includes soldering each terminal to the corresponding contact element by a soldering material, the soldering material being restrained during a soldering of the terminals to the contact elements by the restrain structure, and forming one or more heat dissipation elements of thermally conductive material on the carrier surface for facing the chip surface displaced from the terminals, where the one or more heat dissipation elements are free of any solder mask.

A semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor substrate including a bump region and a non-bump region, a bump on the bump region, and a passivation layer on the bump region and the non-bump region of the semiconductor substrate. No bump is on the non-bump region. A thickness of the passivation layer in the bump region is thicker than a thickness of the passivation layer in the non-bump region. The passivation layer includes a step between the bump region and the non-bump region.

A method of forming a conductive material on a semiconductor device. The method comprises removing at least a portion of a conductive pad within an aperture in a dielectric material over a substrate. The method further comprises forming a seed material at least within a bottom of the aperture and over the dielectric material, forming a protective material over the seed material within the aperture, and forming a conductive pillar in contact with the seed material through an opening in the protective material over surfaces of the seed material within the aperture. A method of forming an electrical connection between adjacent semiconductor devices, and a semiconductor device, are also described.

A method of forming a conductive material on a semiconductor device. The method comprises removing at least a portion of a conductive pad within an aperture in a dielectric material over a substrate. The method further comprises forming a seed material at least within a bottom of the aperture and over the dielectric material, forming a protective material over the seed material within the aperture, and forming a conductive pillar in contact with the seed material through an opening in the protective material over surfaces of the seed material within the aperture. A method of forming an electrical connection between adjacent semiconductor devices, and a semiconductor device, are also described.

A semiconductor device includes an SiC semiconductor substrate including a diffusion layer, a first electrode provided on the SiC semiconductor substrate, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, and a resin section that is substantially the same size in a plan view as the SiC semiconductor substrate, and that is configured to seal in the second electrode.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a semiconductor device structure including a bump structure overlying a bond pad. The bond pad is disposed over a semiconductor substrate. An etch stop layer overlies the bond pad. A buffer layer is disposed over the bond pad and separates the etch stop layer and the bond pad. The bump structure includes a base portion contacting an upper surface of the bond pad and an upper portion extending through the etch stop layer and the buffer layer. The base portion of the bump structure has a first width or diameter and the upper portion of the bump structure has a second width or diameter. The first width or diameter being greater than the second width or diameter.

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.