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. The fill layer is composed of noble metal (such as copper) and active metal (such as Zn). Then the fill metal layer is turned into a metal alloy after annealing. A dealloying is performed to the metal alloy to remove the active metal from the metal alloy while the noble metal remains to self-assemble into porous (nanoporous) structure metal. First conductive interconnect structures are bonded at ambient temperatures to second metallic interconnect structures using dielectric-to-dielectric direct bonding techniques, with the fill nanoporous metal layer in the recesses in one of the first and second interconnect structures. After the following batch annealing, the fill nanoporous metal layer turns into pure bulk metal same as conductive interconnect structures due to the heat expansion of conductive interconnect structures and nanoporous metal densification.

A method is disclosed for electrically bonding a first semiconductor component to a second semiconductor component, both components including arrays of contact areas. In one aspect, prior to bonding, layers of an intermetallic compound are formed on the contact areas of the second component. The roughness of the intermetallic layers is such that the intermetallic layers include cavities suitable for insertion of a solder material in the cavities, under the application of a bonding pressure, when the solder is at a temperature below its melting temperature. The components are aligned and bonded, while the solder material is applied between the two. Bonding takes place at a temperature below the melting temperature of the solder. The bond can be established only by the insertion of the solder into the cavities of the intermetallic layers, and without the formation of a second intermetallic layer.

Disclosed is a package and methods for making same. A package includes: a substrate having a first region comprising N number of metallization layers and a second region comprising M number of metallization layers, where M is less than N; a passive component located within the second region on a first surface of the substrate; and a die located within the second region on a second surface of the substrate opposite the first surface of the substrate, the die being electrically coupled to the passive component by at least one of the M number of metallization layers within the second region.

A semiconductor structure includes a wafer having a wafer outer surface; a semiconductor chip; and a plurality of copper pillars on the semiconductor chip. The pillars have curved end portions and pillar outside surfaces. Also included are a plurality of copper pads on the wafer. The pads have end portions aligned with the curved end portions of the plurality of copper pillars on the semiconductor chip, and the curved end portions of the plurality of copper pillars and the end portions of the plurality of copper pads define a plurality of bonding material receiving regions. The pads have pad outside surfaces. A copper bonding layer is on the pillar outside surfaces, the pad outside surfaces, the bonding material receiving regions, and portions of the outer surface of the wafer. The portions have an annular shape about the copper pads when viewed in plan.

A semiconductor structure includes a wafer having a wafer outer surface; a semiconductor chip; and a plurality of copper pillars on the semiconductor chip. The pillars have curved end portions and pillar outside surfaces. Also included are a plurality of copper pads on the wafer. The pads have end portions aligned with the curved end portions of the plurality of copper pillars on the semiconductor chip, and the curved end portions of the plurality of copper pillars and the end portions of the plurality of copper pads define a plurality of bonding material receiving regions. The pads have pad outside surfaces. A copper bonding layer is on the pillar outside surfaces, the pad outside surfaces, the bonding material receiving regions, and portions of the outer surface of the wafer. The portions have an annular shape about the copper pads when viewed in plan.

A method of bonding semiconductor components is described. In one aspect a first component, for example a semiconductor die, is bonded to a second component, for example a semiconductor wafer or another die, by direct metal-metal bonds between metal bumps on one component and corresponding bumps or contact pads on the other component. In addition, a number of solder bumps are provided on one of the components, and corresponding contact areas on the other component, and fast solidified solder connections are established between the solder bumps and the corresponding contact areas, without realizing the metal-metal bonds. The latter metal-metal bonds are established in a heating step performed after the soldering step. This enables a fast bonding process applied to multiple dies bonded on different areas of the wafer and/or stacked one on top of the other, followed by a single heating step for realizing metal-metal bonds between the respective dies and the wafer or between multiple stacked dies. The method allows to improve the throughput of the bonding process, as the heating step takes place only once for a plurality of dies and/or wafers.

Connector structures and methods of forming the same are provided. A method includes forming a first patterned passivation layer on a workpiece, the first patterned passivation layer having a first opening exposing a conductive feature of the workpiece. A seed layer is formed over the first patterned passivation layer and in the first opening. A patterned mask layer is formed over the seed layer, the patterned mask layer having a second opening exposing the seed layer, the second opening overlapping with the first opening. A connector is formed in the second opening. The patterned mask layer is partially removed, an unremoved portion of the patterned mask layer remaining in the first opening. The seed layer is patterned using the unremoved portion of the patterned mask layer as a mask.

Connector structures and methods of forming the same are provided. A method includes forming a first patterned passivation layer on a workpiece, the first patterned passivation layer having a first opening exposing a conductive feature of the workpiece. A seed layer is formed over the first patterned passivation layer and in the first opening. A patterned mask layer is formed over the seed layer, the patterned mask layer having a second opening exposing the seed layer, the second opening overlapping with the first opening. A connector is formed in the second opening. The patterned mask layer is partially removed, an unremoved portion of the patterned mask layer remaining in the first opening. The seed layer is patterned using the unremoved portion of the patterned mask layer as a mask.

A bonded assembly of a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die includes first and second semiconductor dies. The first semiconductor die includes first semiconductor devices, first metal interconnect structures embedded in first dielectric material layers, and first metal bonding pads laterally surrounded by a semiconductor material layer. The second semiconductor die includes second semiconductor devices, second metal interconnect structures embedded in second dielectric material layers, and second metal bonding pads that include primary metal bonding pads and auxiliary metal bonding pads. The auxiliary metal bonding pads are bonded to the semiconductor material layer through metal-semiconductor compound portions formed by reaction of surface portions of the semiconductor material layer and an auxiliary metal bonding pad. The primary metal bonding pads are bonded to the first metal bonding pads by metal-to-metal bonding.

A stacked semiconductor device encompasses a mother-plate having a mounting-main surface and a bottom-main surface, an onboard-element having a connection face facing to the mounting-main surface, a parent bump provided on the mother-plate, having a mother-site wall made of a layer of conductor, mother-site wall is perpendicular to the mounting-main surface, and a repair bump provided on the onboard-element at a side of the connection face, having a repair-site wall made of a layer of conductor having different hardness from the mother-site wall, the repair-site wall is perpendicular to the connection face, configure to bite each other with the parent bump at an intersection between the mother-site wall and the repair-site wall conductor.