Pre-clean and dry sam application to improve hybrid bonding reliability and electrical performance

A patterned device structure comprising:

• a dielectric layer disposed over a substrate, the dielectric layer including a plurality of interconnect structures etched therein;
• an interconnect material disposed within the plurality of interconnect structures forming a plurality of pads within the plurality of interconnect structures;
• and
• a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) capping layer disposed on at least one pad of the plurality of pads.

A method, comprising:

• providing two or more patterned device structures comprising an interconnect material disposed over a dielectric layer disposed over a substrate, the dielectric layer including a plurality of interconnect structures etched therein, wherein the interconnect material fills the plurality of interconnect structures, and is disposed over the plurality of interconnect structures and a field region of the dielectric layer;
• performing a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process to remove portions of the interconnect material disposed on the field region of the dielectric layer and expos a plurality of pads within the plurality of interconnect structures of the two or more patterned device structures;
• exposing the plurality of pads of the two or more patterned device structures to atmosphere;
• exposing the plurality of pads to a plasma treatment process;
• selectively depositing a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) capping layer on the exposed plurality of pads within the interconnect structures of the two or more patterned device structures after exposing the plurality of pads to a plasma treatment process;
• bonding corresponding patterned device structures of the two or more patterned device structures to each other;
• and
• annealing the bonded corresponding patterned device structures.