Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate (10) with a metallization (111) having an upper terminal layer (22) located at a front side (20) of the substrate. The metallization forms a through-substrate via (23) from the upper terminal layer to a rear terminal layer (13) located opposite to the front side at a rear side (21) of the substrate. The through-substrate via comprises a void (101), which may be filled with air or another gas. A solder ball (100) closes the void without completely filling it. A variety of interconnections for three dimensional integration is offered by this scheme.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate is provided with a through-substrate via comprising a metallization and an opening. A solder ball is placed on the opening. A reflow of the solder ball is performed in such a way that the solder ball closes the through-substrate via and leaves a void in the through-substrate via.

Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a substrate (1) of semiconductor material with a front side (4) and an opposite rear side (7), a wiring layer (5) at the front side (4), a further wiring layer (8) at the rear side (7), and a through-substrate via (3) connecting the wiring layer (5) and the further wiring layer (8). A hot plate (24) is arranged on or in the substrate, and a sensor layer (21) is arranged in the vicinity of the hot plate. A mold compound (14) is arranged on the rear side (7) above the substrate (1), a cavity (17) is formed in the mold compound (14) to accommodate the sensor layer (21), and the cavity (17) is covered with a membrane (15).

Abstract: A wiring (3) comprising electrical conductors (4, 5, 6, 7) is formed in a dielectric layer (2) on or above a semiconductor substrate (1), an opening is formed in the dielectric layer to uncover a contact pad (8), which is formed by one of the conductors, and a further opening is formed in the dielectric layer to uncover an area of a further conductor (5), separate from the contact pad. The further opening is filled with an electrically conductive material (9), and the dielectric layer is thinned from a side opposite the substrate, so that the electrically conductive material protrudes from the dielectric layer.

Abstract: An optical sensor arrangement, in particular an optical proximity sensor arrangement comprises a three-dimensional integrated circuit further comprising a first layer comprising a light-emitting device, a second layer comprising a light-detector and a driver circuit. The driver circuit is electrically connected to the light-emitting device and to the light-detector to control the operation of the light-emitting device and the light-detector. A mold layer comprising a first light-barrier between the light-emitting device and the light-detector configured to block light from being transmitted directly from the light-emitting device to the light-detector.

Abstract: A cutout (11), which penetrates the semiconductor body, is present in the semiconductor body (1). A conductor layer (6), which is electrically conductively connected to a metal plane (3) on or over the semiconductor body, screens the semiconductor body electrically from the cutout. The conductor layer can be metal, optionally with a barrier layer (6a), or a doped region of the semiconductor body.

Abstract: The integrated imaging device comprises a substrate (1) with an integrated circuit (4), a cover (2), a cavity (6) enclosed between the substrate (1) and the cover (2), and a sensor (5) or an array of sensors (5) arranged in the cavity (6). A surface (11, 12) of the substrate (1) or the cover (2) opposite the cavity (6) has a structure (8) directing incident radiation. The surface structure (8) may be a plate zone or a Fresnel lens focusing infrared radiation and may be etched into the surface of the substrate or cover, respectively.

Abstract: The lateral single-photon avalanche diode comprises a semiconductor body comprising a semiconductor material of a first type of electric conductivity, a trench in the semiconductor body, and anode and cathode terminals. A junction region of the first type of electric conductivity is located near the sidewall of the trench, and the electric conductivity is higher in the junction region than at a farther distance from the sidewall. A semiconductor layer of an opposite second type of electric conductivity is arranged at the sidewall of the trench adjacent to the junction region. The anode and cathode terminals are electrically connected with the semiconductor layer and with the junction region, respectively. The junction region may be formed by a sidewall implantation.

Abstract: A relief structure is formed on a surface of a carrier provided for accommodating a wafer, which is fastened to the carrier by a removable adhesive contacting the carrier. The relief structure, which may be spatially confined to the centre of the carrier, reduces the strength of adhesion between the wafer and the carrier. If the adhesive is appropriately selected and maintains the connection between the wafer and the carrier at elevated temperatures, further process steps can be performed at temperatures of typically 300° C. or more. The subsequent mechanical separation of the adhesive joint is facilitated by the relief structure on the carrier.

Abstract: A device wafer having a main surface including an edge region and a carrier having a further main surface including an annular surface region corresponding to the edge region of the device wafer are provided. An adhesive is applied in the edge region and/or in the annular surface region, but not on the remaining areas of the main surfaces. The device wafer is fastened to the carrier by the adhesive. The main surface and the further main surface are brought into contact with one another when the device wafer is fastened to the carrier, while the main surface and the further main surface are fastened to one another only in the edge region. The device wafer is removed from the carrier after further process steps, which may include the formation of through-wafer vias in the device wafer.

Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a substrate of semiconductor material, a dielectric layer on the substrate, an electrically conductive contact pad arranged in the dielectric layer, a hot plate arranged in the dielectric layer, a recess of the substrate at the location of the hot plate, and an integrated circuit, which operates the hot plate. An electrically conductive layer is arranged on a side of the substrate opposite the dielectric layer. The substrate is provided with a via hole above the contact pad, and an electrically conductive material connecting the electrically conductive layer with the contact pad is applied in the via hole. The recess and the via hole are formed in the same process step.

Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a substrate (1) of semiconductor material with a front side (4) and an opposite rear side (7), a wiring layer (5) at the front side (4), a further wiring layer (8) at the rear side (7), and a through-substrate via (3) connecting the wiring layer (5) and the further wiring layer (8). A hot plate (24) is arranged on or in the substrate, and a sensor layer (21) is arranged in the vicinity of the hot plate. A mold compound (14) is arranged on the rear side (7) above the substrate (1), a cavity (17) is formed in the mold compound (14) to accommodate the sensor layer (21), and the cavity (17) is covered with a membrane (15).

Abstract: The interposer-chip-arrangement comprises an interposer (1), metal layers arranged above a main surface (10), a further metal layer arranged above a further main surface (11) opposite the main surface, an electrically conductive interconnection (7) through the interposer, the interconnection connecting one of the metal layers and the further metal layer, a chip (12) arranged at the main surface or at the further main surface, the chip having a contact pad (15), which is electrically conductively connected with the interconnection, a dielectric layer (2) arranged above the main surface with the metal layers embedded in the dielectric layer, a further dielectric layer (3) arranged above the further main surface with the further metal layer embedded in the further dielectric layer, and an integrated circuit (25) in the interposer, the integrated circuit being connected with at least one of the metal layers (5).

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate (1) is provided on a main surface (14) with an intermetal dielectric (4) including metal planes (5) and on an opposite rear surface (15) with an insulation layer (2) and an electrically conductive connection pad (7). An etch stop layer (6) is applied on the intermetal dielectric to prevent a removal of the intermetal dielectric above the metal planes during subsequent method steps. An opening (9) having a side wall (3) and a bottom (13) is formed from the main surface through the substrate above the connection pad. A side wall spacer (10) is formed on the side wall by a production and subsequent partial removal of a dielectric layer (11). The insulation layer is removed from the bottom to uncover an area of the connection pad. A metal layer is applied in the opening and is provided for an interconnect through the substrate.

Abstract: The semiconductor device comprises a semiconductor substrate (10) with a metallization (111) having an upper terminal layer (22) located at a front side (20) of the substrate. The metallization forms a through-substrate via (23) from the upper terminal layer to a rear terminal layer (13) located opposite to the front side at a rear side (21) of the substrate. The through-substrate via comprises a void (101), which may be filled with air or another gas. A solder ball (100) closes the void without completely filling it. A variety of interconnections for three dimensional integration is offered by this scheme.

Abstract: A cutout (11), which penetrates the semiconductor body, is present in the semiconductor body (1). A conductor layer (6), which is electrically conductively connected to a metal plane (3) on or over the semiconductor body, screens the semiconductor body electrically from the cutout. The conductor layer can be metal, optionally with a barrier layer (6a), or a doped region of the semiconductor body.

Abstract: A semiconductor substrate (1) is provided on a main surface (14) with an intermetal dielectric (4) including metal planes (5) and on an opposite rear surface (15) with an insulation layer (2) and an electrically conductive connection pad (7). An etch stop layer (6) is applied on the intermetal dielectric to prevent a removal of the intermetal dielectric above the metal planes during subsequent method steps. An opening (9) having a side wall (3) and a bottom (13) is formed from the main surface through the substrate above the connection pad. A side wall spacer (10) is formed on the side wall by a production and subsequent partial removal of a dielectric layer (11). The insulation layer is removed from the bottom to uncover an area of the connection pad. A metal layer is applied in the opening and is provided for an interconnect through the substrate.

Abstract: A low cost integration method for a plurality of deep isolation trenches on the same chip is provided. The trenches have an additional n-type or p-type doped region surrounding the trench—silicon interface. Providing such variations of doping the trench interface is achieved by using implantation masking layers or doped glass films structured by a simple resist mask. By simple layout variation of the top dimension of the trench various trench depths at the same time can be ensured. Using this method, wider trenches will be deeper and smaller trenches will be shallower.

Abstract: A method, in which a first isolating trench, filled with a dielectric material, and a second conducting trench, filled with an electrically conductive material, can be produced. To this end, the first and second trenches are etched with different trench widths, so that the first trench is filled completely with the dielectric material after a deposition of a dielectric layer over the entire surface with the edges covered, whereas the wider second trench is covered by the dielectric layer only on the inside walls. By anisotropic back-etching of the dielectric layer, the semiconductor substrate is exposed at the bottom of the second trench. Subsequently, the second trench is filled with an electrically conductive material and then represents a low-ohmic connection from the substrate surface to the buried structure located below the second trench.

Abstract: The interlayer connection of the substrate is formed by a contact-hole filling (4) of a semiconductor layer (11) and metallization (17) of a recess (16) in a reverse-side semiconductor layer (13), wherein the semiconductor layers are separated from each other by a buried insulation layer (12), at whose layer position the contact-hole filling or the metallization ends.