A semiconductor structure is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a first semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device includes a first bonding layer formed below a first substrate, a first bonding via formed through the first oxide layer and the first bonding layer, a first dummy pad formed in the first bonding layer. The semiconductor structure includes a second semiconductor device. The second semiconductor device includes a second bonding layer formed over a second substrate, a second bonding via formed through the second bonding layer, and a second dummy pad formed in the second bonding layer. The semiconductor structure includes a bonding structure between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the bonding structure includes the first bonding via bonded to the second bonding via and the first dummy pad bonded to the second dummy pad.

An integrated circuit structure includes an alignment bump and an active electrical connector. The alignment bump includes a first non-solder metallic bump. The first non-solder metallic bump forms a ring encircling an opening therein. The active electrical connector includes a second non-solder metallic bump. A surface of the first non-solder metallic bump and a surface of the second non-solder metallic bump are substantially coplanar with each other.

Provided is a die stack structure including a first die and a second die. The first die and the second die are bonded together through a hybrid bonding structure. At least one of a first test pad of the first die or a second test pad of the second die has a protrusion of the at least one of the first test pad or the second test pad, and a bonding insulating layer of the hybrid bonding structure covers and contacts with the protrusion, so that the first test pad and the second test pad are electrically isolated from each other.

A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes: forming an interconnect structure over a substrate; forming a pad over the interconnect structure, wherein the pad is electrically connected to the interconnect structure; forming a bonding dielectric layer over the interconnect structure; and forming a bonding metal layer in the bonding dielectric layer to electrically connect to the interconnect structure, wherein the bonding metal layer includes a via plug and a metal feature formed over the via plug, a height of the metal feature is greater than or equal to a height of the via plug.

Embodiments of bonded semiconductor structures and fabrication methods thereof are disclosed. In an example, a semiconductor device includes a first and a second semiconductor structures. The first semiconductor structure includes a first interconnect layer including first interconnects. At least one first interconnect is a first dummy interconnect. The first semiconductor structure further includes a first bonding layer including first bonding contacts. Each first interconnect is in contact with a respective first bonding contact. The second semiconductor structure includes a second interconnect layer including second interconnects. At least one second interconnect is a second dummy interconnect. The second semiconductor structure further includes a second bonding layer including second bonding contacts. Each second interconnect is in contact with a respective second bonding contact. The semiconductor device further includes a bonding interface between the first and second bonding layers. Each first bonding contact is in contact with a respective second bonding contact at the bonding interface.

An imaging device comprises a first chip that includes a first semiconductor substrate including a photoelectric conversion region. The first chip includes a first insulating layer including a first multilayer wiring electrically connected to the photoelectric conversion region. The first multilayer wiring includes a first vertical signal line (VSL1) to output a first pixel signal, and a first wiring. The imaging device includes a second chip including a second semiconductor substrate including a logic circuit. The second chip includes a second insulating layer including a second multilayer wiring electrically connected to the logic circuit. The second multilayer wiring includes a second wiring. The first chip and the second chip are bonded to one another, and, in a plan view, the first wiring and the second wiring overlap with at least a portion of the first vertical signal line (VSL1).

A semiconductor chip including a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface and having an active layer in a region adjacent to the first surface, a first through electrode penetrating at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate and connected to the active layer, a second through electrode located at a greater radial location from the center of the semiconductor substrate than the first through electrode, penetrating at least a portion of the semiconductor substrate, and connected to the active layer. The semiconductor chip also including a first chip connection pad having a first height and a first width, located on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and connected to the first through electrode, and a second chip connection pad having a second height greater than the first height and a second width greater than the first width, located on the second surface of the semiconductor substrate, and connected to the second through electrode.

Microelectronic assemblies, and related devices and methods, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a microelectronic assembly may include a first microelectronic component, having a first surface and an opposing second surface including a first direct bonding region at the second surface with first metal contacts and a first dielectric material between adjacent ones of the first metal contacts; a second microelectronic component, having a first surface and an opposing second surface, including a second direct bonding region at the first surface with second metal contacts and a second dielectric material between adjacent ones of the second metal contacts, wherein the second microelectronic component is coupled to the first microelectronic component by the first and second direct bonding regions; and a shield structure in the first direct bonding dielectric material at least partially surrounding the one or more of the first metal contacts.

A method of manufacturing a die stack structure includes the following steps. A first bonding structure is formed over a front side of a first die. The method of forming the first bonding structure includes the following steps. A first bonding dielectric material is formed on a first test pad of the first die. A first blocking layer is formed over the first bonding dielectric material. A second bonding dielectric material and a first dummy metal layer are formed over the first blocking layer. The first dummy metal layer and the first test pad are electrically isolated from each other by the first blocking layer. Thereafter, a second bonding structure is formed over a front side of a second die. The first die and the second die are bonded through the first bonding structure and the second bonding structure.

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.