A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, and at least one guard structure including a first guard element, a second guard element, and a third guard element. The first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate are bonded to one another at a bonding interface between a surface of the first semiconductor substrate and a surface of the second semiconductor substrate. The first guard element is in the first semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the third guard element by a portion of the first semiconductor substrate. The second guard element is in the second semiconductor substrate and spaced apart from the third guard element by a portion of the second semiconductor substrate, and the third guard element includes portions in the first surface and the second surface to bond the first semiconductor substrate to the second semiconductor substrate.

A method of treatment of an electronic circuit including at a location at least one electrically-conductive test pad having a first exposed surface. The method includes the at least partial etching of the test pad from the first surface, and the forming on the electronic circuit of an interconnection level covering said location and including, on the side opposite to said location, a second planar surface adapted for the performing of a hybrid molecular bonding.

A semiconductor device structure is provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a first semiconductor die, and a second semiconductor die bonded on the first semiconductor die. A through-substrate via penetrates through a semiconductor substrate of the second semiconductor die. A passivation layer is disposed between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die, wherein the passivation layer is directly bonded to the semiconductor substrate of the second semiconductor die. A conductive feature passes through the passivation layer, wherein the conductive feature is bonded to the through-substrate via. A barrier layer is disposed between the conductive feature and the passivation layer. The barrier layer covers sidewalls of the conductive feature and separates the surface of the conductive feature from a nearest neighboring surface of the first or second semiconductor die.

A three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC) is provided. In some embodiments, a second IC die is bonded to a first IC die. A seal-ring structure is arranged in a peripheral region of the 3D IC in the first IC die and the second IC die. The seal-ring structure extends from a first semiconductor substrate of the first IC die to a second semiconductor substrate of the second IC die. A plurality of through silicon via (TSV) coupling structures is arranged at the peripheral region of the 3D IC along an inner perimeter of the seal-ring structure closer to the 3D IC than the seal-ring structure. The plurality of TSV coupling structures respectively comprises a TSV disposed in the second semiconductor substrate and electrically coupling to the 3D IC through a stack of TSV wiring layers and inter-wire vias.

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.

Clamped semiconductor wafers and clamped semiconductor devices include reservoirs filled with a flowable metal which hardens to allow the wafers/devices to be shipped or stored. The hardened metal may also be reflowed to a liquid to allow clamping of the semiconductor wafers together and to allow clamping of the semiconductor packages together. The flowable metal may be filled into the reservoirs as a liquid or paste. Thereafter, the flowable metal may be cooled to harden the flowable metal into a clamping member.

A structure includes a first die and a second die. The first die includes a first bonding layer having a first plurality of bond pads disposed therein and a first seal ring disposed in the first bonding layer. The first bonding layer extends over the first seal ring. The second die includes a second bonding layer having a second plurality of bond pads disposed therein. The first plurality of bond pads is bonded to the second plurality of bond pads. The first bonding layer is bonded to the second bonding layer. An area interposed between the first seal ring and the second bonding layer is free of bond pads.

A semiconductor device assembly includes a die stack, a plurality of thermoset regions, and underfill material. The die stack includes at least first and second dies that each have a plurality of conductive interconnect elements on upper surfaces. A portion of the interconnect elements are connected to through-silicon vias that extend between the upper surfaces and lower surfaces of the associated dies. The plurality of thermoset regions each comprise a thin layer of thermoset material extending from the lower surface of the second die to the upper surface of the first die, and are laterally-spaced and discrete from each other. Each of the thermoset regions extends to fill an area between a plurality of adjacent interconnect elements of the first die. The underfill material fills remaining open areas between the interconnect elements of the first die.

A semiconductor device includes a first chip and a second chip bonded to the first chip. The first chip includes: a substrate; a logic circuit disposed on the substrate; and a plurality of first dummy pads that are disposed above the logic circuit, are disposed on a first bonding surface where the first chip is bonded to the second chip, the plurality of first dummy pads not being electrically connected to the logic circuit. The second chip includes a plurality of second dummy pads disposed on the plurality of first dummy pads and a memory cell array provided above the plurality of second dummy pads. A coverage of the first dummy pads on the first bonding surface is different between a first region and a second region, the first region separated from a first end side of the first chip, the second region disposed between the first end side and the first region.

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).