Semiconductor devices, methods of manufacture thereof, and semiconductor device packages are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes an insulating material layer having openings on a surface of a substrate. One or more insertion bumps are disposed over the insulating material layer. The semiconductor device includes signal bumps having portions that are not disposed over the insulating material layer.

A method of making an assembly can include juxtaposing a top surface of a first electrically conductive element at a first surface of a first substrate with a top surface of a second electrically conductive element at a major surface of a second substrate. One of: the top surface of the first conductive element can be recessed below the first surface, or the top surface of the second conductive element can be recessed below the major surface. Electrically conductive nanoparticles can be disposed between the top surfaces of the first and second conductive elements. The conductive nanoparticles can have long dimensions smaller than 100 nanometers. The method can also include elevating a temperature at least at interfaces of the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements to a joining temperature at which the conductive nanoparticles can cause metallurgical joints to form between the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements.

A bonding structure is provided, including a first substrate; a second substrate disposed opposite the first substrate; a first bonding layer disposed on the first substrate; a second bonding layer disposed on the second substrate and opposite the first bonding layer; and a silver feature disposed between the first bonding layer and the second bonding layer. The silver feature includes a silver nano-twinned structure including parallel twin boundaries. The silver nano-twinned structure includes 90% or more [111] crystal orientation. A method for forming a bonding structure is also provided. Each of steps of forming a first silver feature and second silver feature includes sputtering or evaporation coating. Negative bias ion bombardment is applied to the first silver feature and second silver feature during sputtering or evaporation.

A semiconductor element includes first/second electrodes on an element obverse surface, an insulating layer on the element obverse surface, and first/second electrode terminals in contact with the first/second electrodes, respectively. The insulating layer includes first/second openings, and first/second overlapping portions adjoining the first/second openings, respectively. The first/second openings expose the first/second electrodes, respectively. The first/second overlapping portions overlap with the first/second electrodes, respectively, as viewed in a thickness direction. The first/second electrode terminals are in contact with the first/second electrodes, respectively, through the first/second openings, while also overlapping with the first/second overlapping portions as viewed in the thickness direction. The first electrode terminals are in a region with a high arrangement density of electrode terminals, whereas the second electrode terminals are in a region with a low arrangement density of electrode terminals. Each first overlapping portion has a greater dimension in the thickness direction than each second overlapping portion.

A terminal structure includes a first wiring layer, an insulation layer covering the first wiring layer, an opening extending through the insulation layer and partially exposing the first wiring layer, a via wiring formed in the opening, a second wiring layer connected to the via wiring on the insulation layer, a protective metal layer on the second wiring layer, a solder layer covering the protective metal layer, and an intermetallic compound layer formed at an interface of the protective metal layer and the solder layer. The protective metal layer includes a projection projecting further outward from a side surface of the second wiring layer. The solder layer covers upper and side surfaces of the protective metal layer through the intermetallic compound layer and exposes a side surface of the second wiring layer. The intermetallic compound layer covers the upper and side surfaces of the protective metal layer.

A wafer includes a substrate and conductive bumps on a surface of the substrate. In a plan view from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate, the area density of the conductive bumps is higher in a first area than in a second area around the first area in the surface of the substrate. The first area has effective chip areas arranged therein.

A method for fabricating a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes: providing a semiconductor chip comprising an active surface; forming a conductive bump over the active surface of the semiconductor chip; and coupling the conductive bump to a substrate. The conductive bump includes a plurality of bump segments including a first group of bump segments and a second group of bump segments. Each bump segment has a same segment thickness in a direction orthogonal to the active surface of the semiconductor chip, and each bump segment has a volume defined by a multiplication of the same segment thickness with an average cross-sectional area of the bump segment in a plane parallel to the active surface of the semiconductor chip. A ratio of a total volume of the first group of bump segments to a total volume of the second group of bump segments is between 0.03 and 0.8.

A method of making an assembly can include juxtaposing a top surface of a first electrically conductive element at a first surface of a first substrate with a top surface of a second electrically conductive element at a major surface of a second substrate. One of: the top surface of the first conductive element can be recessed below the first surface, or the top surface of the second conductive element can be recessed below the major surface. Electrically conductive nanoparticles can be disposed between the top surfaces of the first and second conductive elements. The conductive nanoparticles can have long dimensions smaller than 100 nanometers. The method can also include elevating a temperature at least at interfaces of the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements to a joining temperature at which the conductive nanoparticles can cause metallurgical joints to form between the juxtaposed first and second conductive elements.

A curable resin or adhesive composition includes at least one monomer, a photoinitiator capable of initiating polymerization of the monomer when exposed to light, and at least one energy converting material, preferably a phosphor, capable of producing light when exposed to radiation (typically X-rays). The material is particularly suitable for bonding components at ambient temperature in situations where the bond joint is not accessible to an external light source. An associated method includes: placing a polymerizable adhesive composition, including a photoinitiator and energy converting material, such as a down-converting phosphor, in contact with at least two components to be bonded to form an assembly; and, irradiating the assembly with radiation at a first wavelength, capable of conversion (down-conversion by the phosphor) to a second wavelength capable of activating the photoinitiator, to prepare items such as inkjet cartridges, wafer-to-wafer assemblies, semiconductors, integrated circuits, and the like.

A chip structure is provided. The chip structure includes a substrate. The chip structure includes an interconnect layer over the substrate. The chip structure includes a conductive pad over the interconnect layer. The chip structure includes a conductive bump over the conductive pad. The conductive bump has a first portion, a second portion, and a neck portion between the first portion and the second portion. The first portion is between the neck portion and the conductive pad. The neck portion is narrower than the first portion and narrower than the second portion.