A first wafer, a method of fabricating thereof and a wafer stack are disclosed. The first wafer includes a first substrate, a first dielectric layer on the first substrate, first metal layers embedded in the first dielectric layer, first switching holes extending partially through the first dielectric layer and exposing the first metal layers, a first interconnection layer filling up the first switching holes and electrically connected to the first metal layers, a first insulating layer residing on surfaces of both the first dielectric layer and the first interconnection layer, first contact holes extending through the first insulating layer and exposing the first interconnection layer, and a second interconnection layer filling up the first contact holes and electrically connected to the first interconnection layer. Filling the first contact holes and the first switching holes with different interconnection layers reduces the difficulty in fabricating interconnection structures for the first metal layers.

A first conductive portion includes a first pad surrounded by a first insulator film in a plane perpendicular to a first direction, and a first via connected to the first pad so that the first via is positioned between the first pad and a first semiconductor layer in the first direction. A second conductive portion includes a second pad surrounded by a second insulator film in a plane perpendicular to the first direction, and a second via connected to the second pad so that the second via is positioned between the second pad and a second semiconductor layer in the first direction. The first and the second conductive portions are different in dimension.

An integrated circuit device (100) and method comprising an IC chip (102) having metal interconnect levels (M1-Mn) including a last copper interconnect level (Mn) and a chip-to-package interconnect (110) overlying and connected to the last copper interconnect level (Mn). The chip-to-package interconnect (110) having a via (112) connected to a first element (306a) of the last copper interconnect level (Mn) and a copper conductive structure (118) (e.g., bump copper). The via (112) includes a barrier material (112a) and a tungsten fill layer (112b), the via coupled between the copper conductive structure (118) and the first element (306a).

Semiconductor devices can be formed over a semiconductor substrate, and interconnect-level dielectric material layers embedding metal interconnect structures can be formed thereupon. In one embodiment, a pad-connection-via-level dielectric material layer, a proximal dielectric diffusion barrier layer, and a pad-level dielectric material layer can be formed. Bonding pads surrounded by dielectric diffusion barrier portions can be formed in the pad-level dielectric material layer. In another embodiment, a layer stack of a proximal dielectric diffusion barrier layer and a pad-and-via-level dielectric material layer can be formed. Integrated pad and via cavities can be formed through the pad-and-via-level dielectric material layer, and can be filled with bonding pads containing dielectric diffusion barrier portions and integrated pad and via structures.

Semiconductor devices can be formed over a semiconductor substrate, and interconnect-level dielectric material layers embedding metal interconnect structures can be formed thereupon. In one embodiment, a pad-connection-via-level dielectric material layer, a proximal dielectric diffusion barrier layer, and a pad-level dielectric material layer can be formed. Bonding pads surrounded by dielectric diffusion barrier portions can be formed in the pad-level dielectric material layer. In another embodiment, a layer stack of a proximal dielectric diffusion barrier layer and a pad-and-via-level dielectric material layer can be formed. Integrated pad and via cavities can be formed through the pad-and-via-level dielectric material layer, and can be filled with bonding pads containing dielectric diffusion barrier portions and integrated pad and via structures.

A method of forming a semiconductor device with a metal pillar overlapping a first top metal interconnect and a second top metal interconnect is disclosed. The metal pillar overlapping the first top metal interconnect and second top metal interconnect is connected to the first top metal interconnect by top metal vias while the second top metal interconnect does not contain top metal vias and remains free of a direct electrical connection to the metal pillar. The metal pillars are attached directly to top metal vias without a bond pad of metal. The elimination of the bond pad layer reduces the mask count, processing, and cost of the device. In addition, the elimination of the bond pad results in reduced die area requirements for the metal pillar.

A bonding pad structure and a method thereof includes: a base metal layer formed on a substrate; first conductive vias arranged in a peripheral region of the base metal layer; an intermediate buffer layer formed above the base metal layer, the intermediate buffer layer spaced from and aligned with the base metal layer, the first conductive vias vertically connecting the base metal layer and the intermediate buffer layer; second conductive vias arranged in a peripheral region of the intermediate buffer layer; a surface bonding layer formed above the intermediate buffer layer, the surface bonding layer spaced from and aligned with the intermediate buffer layer, the second conductive vias vertically connecting the intermediate buffer layer and the surface bonding layer, the intermediate buffer layer comprising a mesh structure, and the first conductive vias and the second conductive vias not vertically aligned with a central region of the intermediate buffer layer.

The present disclosure relates to a semiconductor device with tilted insulating layers and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device with the tilted insulating layers. The semiconductor device includes a substrate, two conductive pillars positioned above the substrate and extended along a vertical axis, a first set of tilted insulating layers parallel to each other and positioned between the two conductive pillars, and a second set of tilted insulating layers parallel to each other and positioned between the two conductive pillars. The first set of tilted insulating layers are extended along a first direction slanted with respect to the vertical axis, the second set of tilted insulating layers are extended along a second direction slanted with respect to the vertical axis, and the first direction and the second direction are crossed.

A method of forming a metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor with copper top and bottom plates may begin with a copper interconnect layer (e.g., Cu MTOP) including a copper structure defining the capacitor bottom plate. A passivation region is formed over the bottom plate, and a wide top plate opening is etched in the passivation region, to expose the bottom plate. A dielectric layer is deposited into the top plate opening and onto the exposed bottom plate. Narrow via opening(s) are then etched in the passivation region. The wide top plate opening and narrow via opening(s) are concurrently filled with copper to define a copper top plate and copper via(s) in contact with the bottom plate. A first aluminum bond pad is formed on the copper top plate, and a second aluminum bond pad is formed in contact with the copper via(s) to provide a conductive coupling to the bottom plate.

The present disclosure provides a chip packaging method and a chip package structure. The chip packaging method comprises: forming wafer conductive traces on a wafer active surface of a wafer; forming a protective layer having material properties on the wafer conductive traces; cutting the wafer to obtain a die and adhering the die onto a carrier; forming a molding layer encapsulating the die and having material properties; stripping off the carrier; and forming a panel-level conductive layer and a dielectric layer. The chip packaging method reduces or eliminates warpage in the panel packaging process, lowers a requirement on an accuracy of aligning the die on the panel, reduces a difficulty in the panel packaging process, and makes the packaged chip structure more durable, and thus the present disclosure is especially suitable for large panel-level package and package of a thin chip with a large electric flux.