Patent attributes
A method for bonding and interconnecting two or more IC devices arranged on substrates such as silicon wafers is disclosed. In one aspect, the wafers are bonded by a direct bonding technique to form a wafer assembly, and the multiple IC devices are provided with metal contact structures. A TSV (Through Semiconductor Via) is produced through the bonded wafer assembly. The IC device or devices in the upper wafer or wafers have contact structures that serve as masks for the etching of the TSV opening. A conformal isolation liner is deposited in the TSV opening, and subsequently removed from the bottom and any horizontal areas in the TSV opening, while maintaining the liner on the sidewalls, followed by deposition of a TSV plug in the TSV opening. The removal of the liner is done without applying a lithography step.
