Semiconductor dies including recesses for facilitating mechanical debonding, and associated systems and devices

A semiconductor device comprising:

• a package substrate;
• and
• a plurality of semiconductor dies positioned on the package substrate and arranged in a stack, wherein each of the semiconductor dies includes—
• a substrate having—
• a lower surface facing toward the package substrate;
• an upper surface opposite the lower surface and facing away from the package substrate;
• a perimeter comprising sidewalls extending between the upper surface and the lower surface;
• and
• a recess formed into the lower surface or the upper surface adjacent to the perimeter such that the recess defines steps in the sidewalls proximate to the lower surface or the upper surface, respectively, wherein the recess has a depth in a direction extending between the lower surface and the upper surface;
• a lower bonding structure on the lower surface and having a first thickness in the direction;
• and
• an upper bonding structure on the upper surface and having a second thickness in the direction, wherein the depth is at least ten times greater than the first thickness and/or the second thickness.

A method of forming a semiconductor die, the method comprising:

• forming a first bonding structure on a first surface of a substrate, wherein the first bonding structure has a thickness in a direction orthogonal to the first surface of a substrate;
• forming a second bonding structure on a second surface of the substrate;
• etching a cavity through the first bonding structure and through a portion of the first surface of the substrate, wherein the cavity has a depth through the substrate in a direction extending between the first surface and the second surface, and wherein the depth is at least ten times greater than the thickness;
• and
• cutting the first bonding structure, the substrate, and the second bonding structure along a singulating lane extending through the cavity in the direction extending between the first surface and the second surface, wherein the singulating lane has a narrower width than the cavity such that the semiconductor die resulting from the cutting includes a recess having the depth adjacent to a perimeter of the semiconductor die such that a sidewall of the substrate includes a step proximate to the first bonding structure.