Abstract: Method and structure for optimizing and controlling diffusional creep at metal contact interfaces are disclosed. Embodiments of the invention accommodate height variations in adjacent contacts, decrease planarization uniformity requirements, and facilitate contact bonding at lower temperatures and pressures by employing shapes and materials that respond predictably to compressive interfacing loads.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a method that includes: providing two wafers; forming raised contacts on the two wafers; aligning the two wafers; bringing together the raised contacts; locally deflecting the two wafers; and bonding the raised contacts. The present invention also discloses a bonded-wafer structure that includes: a first wafer, the first wafer being locally deflected, the first wafer including a first raised contact; and a second wafer, the second wafer being locally deflected, the second wafer including a second raised contact, wherein the second raised contact is bonded to the first raised contact.

Abstract: A method of making a semiconductor device is described. That method comprises forming a conductive layer that contacts a via, such that the conductive layer includes a higher concentration of an electromigration retarding amount of a dopant near the via than away from the via.

Abstract: An integrated electroosmotic pump may be incorporated in the same integrated circuit package with a re-combiner, and an integrated circuit chip to be cooled by fluid pumped by the electroosmotic pump.

Abstract: An improvement in the method of fabricating on chip decoupling capacitors which help prevent L di/dt voltage droop on the power grid for high surge current conditions is disclosed. The inclusion of a hybrid metal/metal nitride top electrode/barrier provides for a low cost and higher performance option to strapping decoupling capacitors.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to microelectronic technology, and more specifically, to an apparatus used for the cooling of active electronic devices utilizing micro-channels or micro-trenches, and a technique for fabricating the same.

Abstract: The invention provides a stacked wafer structure with decreased failures. In one embodiment, there is a barrier layer deposited on exposed surfaces of conductors that extend across a distance between first and second device structures. The barrier layer may prevent diffusion and electromigration of the conductor material, which may decrease incidences of shorts and voids in the stacked wafer structure.

Abstract: A method of vertically stacking wafers is provided to form three-dimensional (3D) wafer stack. Such method comprising: selectively depositing a plurality of metallic lines on opposing surfaces of adjacent wafers; bonding the adjacent wafers, via the metallic lines, to establish electrical connections between active devices on vertically stacked wafers; and forming one or more vias to establish electrical connections between the active devices on the vertically stacked wafers and an external interconnect. Metal bonding areas on opposing surfaces of the adjacent wafers can be increased by using one or more dummy vias, tapered vias, or incorporating an existing copper (Cu) dual damascene process.

Abstract: A method of forming a silicon (Si) via in vertically stacked wafers is provided with a contact plug extending from selected metallic lines of a top wafer and an etch stop layer formed prior to the contact plug. Such a method comprises selectively etching through the silicon (Si) of the top wafer until stopped by the etch stop layer to form the Si via; depositing an oxide layer to insulate a sidewall of the Si via; forming a barrier layer on the oxide layer and on the bottom of the Si via; and depositing a conduction metal into the Si via to provide electrical connection between active IC devices located on vertically stacked wafers and an external interconnect.

Abstract: An apparatus including a capacitor formed between metallization layers on a circuit, the capacitor including a bottom electrode coupled to a metal layer and a top electrode coupled to a metal via wherein the capacitor has a corrugated sidewall profile. A method including forming an interlayer dielectric including alternating layers of dissimilar dielectric materials in a multilayer stack over a metal layer of a device structure; forming a via having a corrugated sidewall; and forming a decoupling capacitor stack in the via that conforms to the sidewall of the via.

Abstract: According to one embodiment a method is disclosed. The method includes applying a photoresist layer to a first wafer, etching the first wafer, bonding the first wafer to a second wafer and thinning the first wafer; wherein an unsupported bevel portion of the first wafer is removed.

Abstract: A closed-loop based timing signal distribution architecture includes at least one signal source coupled to a signal path disposed in a closed loop arrangement to facilitate generation of a standing wave signal within the signal path. In one embodiment, at least one receiver is coupled to the signal path to generate at least one digital clock signal based upon the standing wave signal.

Abstract: A device where the electrodes of an electroosmotic pump are located directly in the flow-producing region of the electroosmotic pump is described as well as methods of forming such a device. Placing the electrodes of an electroosmotic pump directly in the flow-producing region of the electroosmotic pump may increase the flow rate of a cooling fluid that is pumped through the pump. The cooling fluid may then remove a greater amount of heat from the substrate over which it is flowed. The substrate may be the non-device side of a die or a thermal management chip that is placed in direct contact with the non-device side of a die. In these instances the electroosmotic pump may be part of a microelectronic package containing the die or the thermal management chip.

Abstract: A stack of heat generating integrated circuit chips may be provided with intervening cooling integrated circuit chips. The cooling integrated circuit chips may include microchannels for the flow of the cooling fluid. The cooling fluid may be pumped using the integrated electroosmotic pumps. Removal of cooling fluid gases may be accomplished using integrated re-combiners in some embodiments.

Abstract: A method and article to provide a three-dimensional (3-D) IC wafer process flow. In some embodiments, the method and article include bonding a device layer of a multilayer wafer to a device layer of another multilayer wafer to form a bonded pair of device layers, each of the multilayer wafers including a layer of silicon on a layer of porous silicon (SiOPSi) on a silicon substrate where the device layer is formed in the silicon layer, separating the bonded pair of device layers from one of the silicon substrates by splitting one of the porous silicon layers, and separating the bonded pair of device layers from the remaining silicon substrate by splitting the other one of the porous silicon layers to provide a vertically stacked wafer.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3-D) integrated chip system is provided with a first wafer including one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices, metallic lines deposited via an interlevel dielectric (ILD) on a surface, and at least one barrier line deposited on an outer edge of the surface; and a second wafer including one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices, metallic lines deposited via an interlevel dielectric (ILD) on a surface, and at least one barrier line deposited on an outer edge of the surface, wherein the metallic lines and the barrier line deposited on the surface of the second wafer are bonded with the metallic lines and the barrier line deposited on the surface of the first wafer to establish electrical connections between active IC devices on adjacent wafers and to form a barrier structure on the outer edge of the adjacent wafers.

Abstract: Various methods of forming backside connections on a wafer stack are disclosed. To form the backside connections, vias are formed in a first wafer that is to be bonded with a second wafer. The vias used for the backside connections are formed on a side of the first wafer along with an interconnect structure, and the backside connections are formed on an opposing side of the first wafer using these vias.

Abstract: A three-dimensional (3-D) integrated chip system is provided with a first wafer including one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices; a second wafer including one or more integrated circuit (IC) devices; and a metal bonding layer deposited on opposing surfaces of the first and second wafers at designated locations to establish electrical connections between active IC devices on the first and second wafers and to provide metal bonding between the adjacent first and second wafers, when the first wafer is pressed against the second wafer using a flexible bladder press to account for height differences of the metal bonding layer across the opposing surfaces of the first and second wafers.

Abstract: On-chip decoupling capacitor structures, and methods of fabricating such decoupling capacitors are disclosed. On-chip decoupling capacitors help to reduce or prevent L di/dt voltage droop on the power grid for high surge current conditions. The inclusion of one or more decoupling capacitors on a chip, in close proximity to the power grid conductors reduces parasitic inductance and thereby provides improved decoupling performance with respect to high frequency noise. In one embodiment of the present invention, a capacitor stack structure is inserted between metal interconnect layers. Such a capacitor stack may consist of a bottom electrode/barrier; a thin dielectric material having a high dielectric constant; and a top electrode/barrier. In an alternative embodiment, the bottom electrode and/or bottom metal interconnect layer have three dimensional texture to increase the surface area of the capacitor.

Abstract: A microelectronic assembly is provided, having thermoelectric elements formed on a die so as to pump heat away from the die when current flows through the thermoelectric elements. In one embodiment, the thermoelectric elements are integrated between conductive interconnection elements on an active side of the die. In another embodiment, the thermoelectric elements are on a backside of the die and electrically connected to a carrier substrate on a front side of the die. In a further embodiment, the thermoelectric elements are formed on a secondary substrate and transferred to the die.