Abstract: Disclosed are barrier materials between bumps and pads, and related devices and methods. A semiconductor device includes an interconnect, a top material, a pad on the interconnect and at least a portion of the top material, a bump on the pad, and a barrier material between the pad and the bump. The top material defines a via therethrough to the interconnect. The pad includes electrically conductive material. The bump includes electrically conductive material. The bump is configured to electrically connect the interconnect to another device. The barrier material is between the pad and the bump. The barrier material includes a conductive material that is resistant to electromigration, intermetallic compound reaction, or both electromigration and intermetallic compound reaction.

Abstract: A stacked-chip assembly including a plurality of IC chips or die that are stacked, and electrically coupled by solder bonds. In accordance with some embodiments described further below, the solder bonds are to contact a back-side land that includes a diffusion barrier to reduce intermetallic formation and/or other solder-induced reliability issues. The back-side land may include an electrolytic nickel (Ni) barrier layer separating solder from a back-side redistribution layer trace. This electrolytic Ni may be of high purity, which at least in part, may enable the backside metallization stack to be of minimal thickness while still functioning as a diffusion barrier. In some embodiments, the back-side land composition and architecture is distinct from a front-side land composition and/or architecture.