# US 10,312,201 B1 · Seal ring for hybrid-bond

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- Number: US 10,312,201 B1
- Document ID: US10312201B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 16/003,654
- Filed: 2018-06-08
- Published: 2019-05-30
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2017-11-30
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Inventors: Chih-Chia Hu; Chun-Chiang Kuo; Sen-Bor Jan; Ming-Fa Chen; Hsien-Wei Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10312201B1

## CPC

- H10W 42/00: Arrangements for protection of devices (arrangements for thermal protection H10W40/00)
- H10D 62/115: {Dielectric isolations, e.g. air gaps}
- H10W 20/42: Vias, e.g. via plugs
- H10W 20/47: comprising two or more dielectric layers having different properties, e.g. different dielectric constants
- H10W 72/019: {of bond pads}
- H10W 72/073: {of die-attach connectors}
- H10W 72/30: Die-attach connectors
- H10W 72/90: Bond pads, in general
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H10W 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
- H10W 42/121: {protecting against mechanical damage (H10W76/00, H10W74/00 take precedence)}
- H10W 46/00: Marks applied to devices, e.g. for alignment or identification
- H10W 72/0198: {batch processes}
- H10W 72/9232: {with additional elements interposed between layers}
- H10W 72/931: {Shapes of bond pads}
- H10W 72/932: {Plan-view shape, i.e. in top view}
- H10W 72/936: {Multiple bond pads having different shapes}
- H10W 72/941: {Dispositions of bond pads}
- H10W 72/9445: {Top-view layouts, e.g. mirror arrays}
- H10W 72/952: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu}
- H10W 72/953: {not comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. polymers, ceramics or liquids}
- H10W 72/963: {Providing mechanical bonding or support, e.g. dummy bond pads}
- H10W 72/967: {Multiple bond pads having different functions}
- H10W 80/301: {Bonding techniques, e.g. hybrid bonding}
- H10W 80/312: {characterised by the direct bonding of electrically conductive pads}
- H10W 80/327: {characterised by the direct bonding of insulating parts, e.g. of silicon oxide layers}
- H10W 80/333: {Compression bonding}
- H10W 90/20: Configurations of stacked chips
- H10W 90/26: the stacked chips being of the same size without any chips being laterally offset, e.g. chip stacks having a rectangular shape
- H10W 90/28: the stacked chips having different sizes, e.g. chip stacks having a pyramidal shape
- H10W 90/722: {between stacked chips}
- H10W 90/792: {between multiple chips}
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES

## Abstract

A structure includes a first die and a second die. The first die includes a first oxide bonding layer having a first plurality of bond pads disposed therein and a first seal ring disposed in the first oxide bonding layer. The first oxide bonding layer extends over the first seal ring. The second die includes a second oxide bonding layer having a second plurality of bond pads disposed therein. The first plurality of bond pads is bonded to the second plurality of bond pads. The first oxide bonding layer is bonded to the second oxide bonding layer. An area interposed between the first seal ring and the second oxide bonding layer is free of bond pads.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A structure comprising:
a first die, the first die comprising:
a first oxide bonding layer having a first plurality of bond pads disposed therein, and
a first seal ring disposed in the first oxide bonding layer, wherein the first oxide bonding layer extends over the first seal ring; and
a second die, the second die comprising:
a second oxide bonding layer having a second plurality of bond pads disposed therein, wherein the first plurality of bond pads is bonded to the second plurality of bond pads, wherein the first oxide bonding layer is bonded to the second oxide bonding layer, and wherein an area interposed between the first seal ring and the second oxide bonding layer is free of bond pads.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The structure of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of bond pads is directly bonded to the second plurality of bond pads in a metal-to-metal bond which is free of a eutectic material, and wherein the first oxide bonding layer is fusion bonded to the second oxide bonding layer.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The structure of claim 1, wherein the second oxide bonding layer extends over a second seal ring, and an area directly aligned with the second seal ring is free of the second plurality of bond pads.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The structure of claim 3, wherein the first seal ring along a first edge of the first die and the second seal ring along a first edge of the second die are aligned.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The structure of claim 4, wherein the first seal ring along a second edge of the first die and the second seal ring are along a second edge of the second die are offset.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The structure of claim 1, wherein each edge of the first die is offset from each respective edge of the second die.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The structure of claim 1, wherein the first die further comprises a semiconductor substrate and an interconnect disposed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first seal ring comprises a first portion in the interconnect coupled to the substrate, and a second portion embedded in the first oxide bonding layer coupled to the first portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The structure of claim 7, wherein a passivation layer is interposed between the first oxide bonding layer and the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first portion of the first seal ring is coupled to the second portion of the first seal ring by a third portion of the first seal ring, the third portion of the first seal ring extending through the passivation layer.

### Claim 9

A method, comprising:
determining an alignment of a first die to a second die by aligning active bond pads of the first die to corresponding active bond pads of the second die, wherein a first area of the first die and a second area of the second die are aligned with a seal ring of the second die;
removing all bond pads in the first area of the first die;
removing all bond pads in the second area of the second die; and
bonding the first die to the second die according to the alignment.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the bonding comprises:
fusion bonding the first area of the first die to the second area of the second die, wherein an interface of the first area and the second area is free of metal features.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
forming first bond pads on the first die, the first bond pads including the active bond pads of the first die and dummy bond pads of the first die; and
forming second bond pads on the second die, the second bond pads including the active bond pads of the second die and dummy bond pads of the second die.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of claim 11, wherein the first bond pads of the first die are formed in a pattern and wherein a width of the first area of the first die is greater than a pitch spacing of the first bond pads of the first die.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the second area of the second die extends around a periphery of the second die.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the first area of the first die corresponds to the second area of the second die, the method further comprising, forming one or more bond pads outside the first area of the first die.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, wherein the determining the alignment further comprises aligning the seal ring of the second die with a portion of a seal ring of the first die.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The method of claim 9, further comprising:
forming a ring-like bonding interface over and coupled to the seal ring of the second die.

### Claim 17

A method comprising:
determining a first device layout of bond pads disposed at a surface of a first device;
determining a second device layout of bond pads disposed at a surface of a second device, the second device having a seal ring;
determining an alignment which aligns a first active bond pad of the first device to a second active bond pad of the second device, wherein the alignment causes the seal ring to align with a first region of the first die;
removing first bond pads in the first region from the first device layout of bond pads;
removing second bond pads in a second region of the second device, wherein the second bond pads align with the first bond pads according to the alignment;
bonding the first active bond pad to the second active bond pad; and
bonding the first region to the second region.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein an interface of the first region and the second region is substantially free of metal features.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
forming a first ring metal in the first region;
forming a second ring metal in the second region; and
bonding the first ring metal to the second ring metal.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising:
coupling the second ring metal to the seal ring.