The disclosed subject matter relates to a structure and method to improve bond pad reliability of semiconductor devices. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a bond pad structure is provided that includes a dielectric layer and at least one bond pad in the dielectric layer, wherein the bond pad has a top surface. A passivation layer has an opening over the bond pad, wherein the opening has sidewalls. A low-k barrier layer is covering the sidewalls of the opening and the top surface of the bond pad. Protective structures are formed over the sidewalls of the opening.

A described example includes: a semiconductor die having a device side surface and an opposing backside surface, the backside surface mounted to a die pad of a lead frame, the lead frame comprising conductive leads spaced from the die pad; a conductor layer overlying the device side surface; bond pads including bond pad conductors formed in the conductor layer, a nickel layer over the bond pad conductors, and a palladium or gold layer over the nickel layer; conductor traces formed in the conductor layer, the conductor traces free from the nickel layer and the palladium or gold layer; bond wires bonded to the bond pads electrically coupling the bond pads to conductive leads; and mold compound covering the semiconductor die, the bond pads, the bond wires, and portions of the lead frame, wherein portions of the conductive leads are exposed from the mold compound to form terminals.

A solution relating to electronic devices of flip-chip type is provided, which includes at least one chip carrier having a carrier surface, the carrier(s) including one or more contact elements of electrically conductive material on the carrier surface, at least one integrated circuit chip having a chip surface, the chip(s) including one or more terminals of electrically conductive material on the chip surface each one facing a corresponding contact element, solder material soldering each terminal to the corresponding contact element, and a restrain structure around the contact elements for restraining the solder material during a soldering of the terminals to the contact elements. The carrier includes one or more heat dissipation elements of thermally conductive material on the carrier surface facing the chip surface displaced from the terminals, the dissipation elements being free of any solder mask.

A semiconductor module includes: a semiconductor device; a bonding layer that is arranged on the semiconductor device, contains nickel or copper, and is electrically connected to the semiconductor device; a solder portion containing gold, disposed on the bonding layer; and a protective layer disposed directly on the bonding layer, covering an outer peripheral edge of the bonding 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.

Methods and semiconductor devices for bonding a first semiconductor device to a second semiconductor device include forming metal pads including a textured microstructure having a columnar grain structure at substantially the same angular direction from the top surface to the bottom surface. The textured crystalline microstructures enables the use of low temperatures and low pressures to effect bonding of the metal pads. Also described are methods of packaging and semiconductor devices.

A semiconductor device includes a surface metal formed on a substrate, a first protective film formed on the surface metal, a second protective film having a first portion provided on the first protective film and a second portion continuing to the first portion and provided on the surface metal and being transparent to light, and a metal film having a main body portion provided on the surface metal and a run-on portion continuing to the main body portion and running onto the first protective film, wherein the main body portion is thicker than the first protective film, the first portion is thicker than the run-on portion, and the second portion is thicker than the main body portion.

A semiconductor module includes: a semiconductor device; a bonding layer that is arranged on the semiconductor device, and contains nickel or copper, an entire back surface of the bonding layer being electrically connected to and in direct contact with an electrode in the semiconductor device; an anti-oxidation layer disposed on the bonding layer; and a protective layer disposed directly on a top surface of a peripheral portion of the bonding layer on which the anti-oxidation layer is absent, covering an outer peripheral edge of the bonding layer, wherein the protective layer is made of an electrically insulating resin.

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.

A portion of a source electrode exposed by an opening in a passivation film is used as a portion of a source pad. A first portion of the source pad includes a plating film formed by a material that is harder than a material of the source electrode. During screening, a probe needle that is a metal contact contacts the plating film that is on the first portion of the source pad. A second portion of the source pad has a layer structure different from that of the first portion of the source pad and in a second direction parallel to the front surface of the semiconductor chip, is disposed adjacently to and electrically connected to the first portion of the source pad. A bonding wire is wire bonded to the second portion of the source pad after an inspection process of the semiconductor chip.