Abstract: In a semiconductor device or test structure, appropriate heating elements, for instance in the form of resistive structures, are implemented so as to obtain superior area coverage, thereby enabling a precise evaluation of the thermal conditions within a complex semiconductor device. In particular, the device internal heating elements may allow the evaluation of hot spots and the response of a complex metallization system to specific temperature profiles, in particular at critical areas, such as edge regions in which mechanical stress forces are typically highest in contact regimes in which the package substrate and the metallization system are directly connected.

Abstract: A system and method for creating extension fields for business objects are described. In various embodiments, a system includes modules to display business processes and business objects thereof in graphical user interface screens. In various embodiments, the system propagates created extension fields to other business objects via metadata derived from selections in the graphical user interface. In various embodiments, a method for propagating extension fields from one business object to another business object via a data flow between the two business objects is presented. In various embodiments, the method receives instructions from a graphical user interface for the propagation of an extension field and sends instructions to a backend module to propagate the extension field from the source business object to the other business object.

Abstract: By determining at least one surface characteristic of a passivation layer stack used for forming a bump structure, the situation after the deposition and patterning of a terminal metal layer stack may be “simulated,” thereby providing the potential for using well-established bump manufacturing techniques while nevertheless significantly reducing process complexity by omitting the deposition and patterning of the terminal metal layer stack.

Abstract: When forming complex metallization systems on the basis of copper, the very last metallization layer may receive contact regions on the basis of copper, the surface of which may be passivated on the basis of a dedicated protection layer, which may thus allow the patterning of the passivation layer stack prior to shipping the device to a remote manufacturing site. Hence, the protected contact surface may be efficiently re-exposed in the remote manufacturing site on the basis of an efficient non-masked wet chemical etch process.

Abstract: A system may include presentation, to a user, of a consuming business entity including a reference field of a business object, reception of an instruction from the user to add an extension field to the consuming business entity based on the reference field of the business object, determination of a second consuming business entity including the reference field of the business object, and presentation of the second consuming business entity to the user.

Abstract: Software solutions in a business software framework can expose their data via web services, which can readily provide access to all non-customized fields of objects included as part of the default installation of the software solution. However, customer-added extensions, such as for example custom fields and the like, added to customize the software solution for a specific business or business use can be difficult to add to web services by a typical business user who lacks technical abilities. Described herein are approaches to enabling addition of custom fields to web services via an intuitive interface that does not require technical understanding of the software solution, the business software framework, web services, etc.

Abstract: Transporting of flexibility changes of customer content between tenants in a multi-tenant computing system can be performed by exporting customer content from a first tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, transporting the customer content exported from the first tenant to a second tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, importing the customer content into a staging area in the second tenant to enable a user associated with second tenant to access the customer content via the staging area based on a content extraction trigger, and activating selected customer content from the staging area in a productive component of the second tenant. The content extraction trigger can characterize an extraction of at least some of the customer content from the staging area. Related methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: Integrated circuits with metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors and methods for fabricating such integrated circuits are provided. In an embodiment, an integrated circuit includes a dielectric material layer overlying a semiconductor substrate. A surface conditioning layer overlies the dielectric material layer. Further, a metal layer is formed directly on the surface conditioning layer. A MIM capacitor is positioned on the metal layer. The MIM capacitor includes a first conductive layer formed directly on the metal layer with a smooth upper surface, an insulator layer formed directly on the smooth upper surface of the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer formed directly on the insulator layer with a smooth lower surface.

Abstract: By moderately introducing defects into a highly conductive material, such as copper, the resistance versus temperature behavior may be significantly modified so that enhanced electromigration behavior and/or electrical performance may be obtained in metallization structures of advanced semiconductor devices. The defect-related portion of the resistance may be moderately increased so as to change the slope of the resistance versus temperature curve, thereby allowing the incorporation of impurity atoms for enhancing the electromigration endurance while not unduly increasing the overall resistance at the operating temperature or even reducing the corresponding resistance at the specified operating temperature. Thus, by appropriately designing the electrical resistance for a target operating temperature, both the electromigration behavior and the electrical performance may be enhanced.

Abstract: Bonding wires for sophisticated bonding applications may be efficiently formed on the basis of a corresponding template device that may be formed on the basis of semiconductor material, such as silicon, in combination with associated fabrication techniques, such as lithography and etch techniques. Hence, any appropriate diameter and cross-sectional shape may be obtained with a high degree of accuracy and reliability.

Abstract: A bump structure or pillar structure formed above a metallization system of a complex semiconductor device may include a stress buffer layer, which may efficiently distribute the resulting mechanical stress which may typically occur during the chip package interaction due to a thermal mismatch of these components. The stress buffer layer comprises copper-based buffer regions that cover a significant portion of the overall surface, wherein a thickness of approximately 3-10 ?m may also be used. Moreover, the buffer regions may efficiently replace aluminum as a terminal metal active region.

Abstract: In a reflow process for connecting a semiconductor die and a package substrate, the temperature gradient and thus the thermally induced mechanical forces in a sensitive metallization system of the semiconductor die may be reduced during the cooling phase. To this end, one or more heating intervals may be introduced into the cooling phase, thereby efficiently reducing the temperature difference. In other cases, the central region may additionally be cooled by providing appropriate locally restricted mechanisms, such as a locally restricted gas flow and the like. Consequently, desired short overall process times may be obtain without contributing to increased yield losses when processing sophisticated metallization systems on the basis of a lead-free contact regime.

Abstract: A system may include reception of a definition of an extension field to be added to a business object node, generation of metadata for a data type enhancement object associated with the extension field, and generation of an ABAP dictionary proxy object based on the data type enhancement object, wherein the ABAP dictionary proxy object describes the extension field in a sub-structure of a first field of the ABAP dictionary proxy object.

Abstract: The metallization system of complex semiconductor devices may be evaluated in terms of mechanical integrity on the basis of a measurement system and measurement procedures in which individual contact elements, such as metal pillars or solder bumps, are mechanically stimulated, while the response of the metallization system, for instance in the form of directly measured forces, is determined in order to quantitatively evaluate mechanical status of the metallization system. In this manner, the complex material systems and the mutual interactions thereof may be efficiently assessed.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip and a package substrate may be directly connected on the basis of form closure by providing appropriately shaped complementary contact structures in the semiconductor chip and the package substrate. Consequently, solder material may no longer be required and thus any elevated temperatures during the assembly process may be avoided, which may conventionally result in significant stress forces, thereby creating damage, in particular in very complex metallization systems.

Abstract: A bump structure or pillar structure formed above a metallization system of a complex semiconductor device may include a stress buffer layer, which may efficiently distribute the resulting mechanical stress which may typically occur during the chip package interaction due to a thermal mismatch of these components. The stress buffer layer comprises copper-based buffer regions that cover a significant portion of the overall surface, wherein a thickness of approximately 3-10 ?m may also be used. Moreover, the buffer regions may efficiently replace aluminum as a terminal metal active region.

Abstract: A manufacturing process of a semiconductor device includes generating a less random grain orientation distribution in metal features of a semiconductor device by employing a grain orientation layer. The less random grain orientation, e.g., a grain orientation distribution which has a higher percentage of grains that have a predetermined grain orientation, may lead to improved reliability of the metal features. The grain orientation layer may be deposited on the metal features wherein the desired grain structure of the metal features may be obtained by a subsequent annealing process, during which the metal feature is in contact with the grain orientation layer.

Abstract: Transporting of flexibility changes of customer content between tenants in a multi-tenant computing system can be performed by exporting customer content from a first tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, transporting the customer content exported from the first tenant to a second tenant of the multi-tenant computing system, importing the customer content into a staging area in the second tenant to enable a user associated with second tenant to access the customer content via the staging area based on a content extraction trigger, and activating selected customer content from the staging area in a productive component of the second tenant. The content extraction trigger can characterize an extraction of at least some of the customer content from the staging area. Related methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.

Abstract: By introducing a metallic species into an exposed surface area of a copper region, the electromigration behavior of this surface area may be significantly enhanced. The incorporation of the metallic species may be accomplished in a highly selective manner so as to not unduly affect dielectric material positioned adjacent to the metal region, thereby essentially avoiding undue increase of leakage currents.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a semiconductor device having a novel stress reduction structures that are employed in an effort to eliminate or at least reduce undesirable cracking or chipping of semiconductor die. In one example, the device includes a die comprising a semiconducting substrate, wherein the die includes a cut surface. The device also includes a first die seal that defines a perimeter, and at least one stress reducing structure, at least a portion of which is positioned between the perimeter defined by the first die seal and the cut surface, wherein the cut surface exposes at least a portion of the stress reducing structure.