# US 12,765,429 B2 · Electrical redundancy for bonded structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,765,429 B2 - Document ID: US12765429B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/005,047 - Filed: 2024-12-30 - Published: 2025-08-21 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-12-23 - Assignees: Adeia Semiconductor Bonding Technologies Inc. - Applicants: Adeia Semiconductor Bonding Technologies Inc. - Inventors: Rajesh Katkar; Belgacem Haba - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12765429B2 ## CPC - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H10W 72/0198: {batch processes} - H10W 72/30: Die-attach connectors - H10W 72/90: Bond pads, in general - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract An element that is configured to bond to another element is disclosed. A first element that can include a first plurality of contact pads on a first surface. The first plurality of contact pads includes a first contact pad and a second contact pad that are spaced apart from one another. The first and second contact pads are electrically connected to one another for redundancy. The first element can be prepared for direct bonding. The first element can be bonded to a second element to form a bonded structure. The second element has a second plurality of contact pads on a second surface. At least one of the second plurality of contact pads is bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of contact pads. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A bonded structure, comprising: a first element having a first plurality of metal pads at a first surface, the first plurality of metal pads including a first metal pad and a second metal pad spaced apart from one another, and an intervening metal pad disposed between the first and second metal pads, wherein the first and second metal pads are electrically connected to one another such that the first and second metal pads are electrically redundant, and the intervening metal pad is electrically non-redundant of the first and second metal pads; and a second element stacked on the first element, the second element having a second plurality of metal pads on a second surface, at least one of the second plurality of metal pads bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by at least five times a pitch of the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is in a range of two to 1000 times a pitch of the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is in a range of two to 500 times a pitch of the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the first plurality of metal pads is directly bonded to the at least one of the second plurality of metal pads without an intervening adhesive. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The bonded structure of claim 5, further comprising first and second dielectric field regions on the first and second elements, the first and second dielectric field regions directly bonded to one another without an adhesive. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first metal pad of the first element is disposed opposite a third metal pad of the second element, wherein the second metal pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fourth metal pad of the second element, wherein a void is disposed between at least a portion of the first and third metal pads, and wherein the second and fourth metal pads physically and electrically metal one another. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are spaced apart from one another by at least twice a pitch of the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are electrically connected to one another through a conductive trace. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The bonded structure of claim 9, wherein the conductive trace is formed in a back-end-of line (BEOL) layer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The bonded structure of claim 9, wherein the conductive trace lacks switches and other circuitry between the first and second metal pads. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are signal pads. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by at least 14 microns. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 1 micron to 10 microns. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 2 microns to 100 microns. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The bonded structure of claim 15, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 50 microns to 100 microns. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The bonded structure of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pads disposed between the first and second metal pads, the plurality of pads comprising the intervening metal pad. ### Claim 18 A bonded structure, comprising: a first element having a first dielectric field region and a first set of metal pads spaced apart from one another, the first set of metal pads including a first metal pad, a second metal pad, and a third metal pad positioned between the first and second metal pads, the second metal pad being electrically redundant with the first metal pad, the third metal pad being electrically non-redundant with the first metal pad; and a second element stacked on the first element, the second element having a second dielectric field region directly bonded to the first dielectric field region and a second set of metal pads spaced apart from one another, at least one of the second set of metal pads directly bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first set of metal pads. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The bonded structure of claim 18, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart by at least 10 microns. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The bonded structure of claim 19, wherein the first and second metal pads are spaced apart by 50 microns to 1500 microns. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The bonded structure of claim 18, wherein the first and second metal pads are signal pads. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The bonded structure of claim 18, wherein the first and second metal pads are power or ground pads. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The bonded structure of claim 18, further comprising a circuit coupled between the first metal pad and the second metal pad, the circuit configured to selectively enable electrical shorting the first metal pad to the second metal pad. ### Claim 24 A bonded structure, comprising: a first element having a first surface comprising a first plurality of metal pads and a first nonconductive field region, wherein a shortest distance in a cross-sectional view between two adjacent metal pads of the first plurality of metal pads defines a first spacing; and a second element having a second surface comprising a second plurality of metal pads and a second nonconductive field region, the first nonconductive field region being directly bonded to the second nonconductive field region and at least some of the first plurality of metal pads being directly bonded to metal pads of the second plurality of metal pads, wherein a third plurality of metal pads is defined by metal pads of the first plurality of metal pads that are electrically shorted to one another, and wherein a metal pad of the third plurality of metal pads is separated from its nearest adjacent metal pad in the third plurality of metal pads by a second spacing in the cross-sectional view, the second spacing being greater than the first spacing. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The bonded structure of claim 24, wherein the first plurality of metal pads and the second plurality of metal pads comprise signal metal pads. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The bonded structure of claim 25 wherein the second spacing is in a range between 10 μm and 1000 μm. ### Claim 27 (depends on 25) The bonded structure of claim 25, wherein: the third plurality of metal pads include a first pad and a second pad electrically shorted to one another within the first element; the second plurality of metal pads include a third metal pad and a fourth metal pad electrically shorted to one another within the second element; and the first and second metal pads are directly bonded to the third and fourth metal pads. ### Claim 28 (depends on 24) The bonded structure of claim 24, wherein the second spacing is in a range between 2 μm and 100 μm. ### Claim 29 (depends on 24) The bonded structure of claim 24, wherein the second spacing is greater than twice a minimum pitch among the first plurality of metal pads. ### Claim 30 (depends on 24) The bonded structure of claim 24, wherein the third plurality of metal pads are electrically shorted by at least one conductive line of the first element without intervening switches. ### Claim 31 (depends on 24) The bonded structure of claim 24, wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises an integrated circuit.