Semiconductor structures and manufacturing methods

A method for forming a patterned electrode for a mesa-shaped semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

• providing a substrate having a plurality of mesa-shaped semiconductor elements disposed thereon, each element having an electrical contact;
• providing a layer of masking material over the substrate and between the elements
• forming a plurality of apertures in the masking layer, each one of such apertures being aligned with a correspoding contact of such semiconductor elements;
• depositing a conductive layer on the masking layer and on the contact portion of the semiconductor elements
• exposing central portions of the contacts of such semiconductor elements while leaving the conductive layer on peripheral outer portions of the contacts;
• and
• providing such patterned electrodes over each one of such semiconductor elements in contact with the contacts of the semiconductor elements.

A method for forming a semiconductor device having an electrode pattern on one surface thereof interconnecting a cluster of semiconductor elements comprising the steps of:

• providing a masking layer on a substrate having a plurality of clusters of semiconductor devices disposed thereon, with each device having a contact;
• forming a plurality of apertures in the masking layer, each one of such apertures exposing the contact of a corresponding one of such semiconductor devices;
• depositing a conductive layer on the masking layer and over the contacts of the semiconductor devices
• exposing central upper portions of such contacts while leaving the conductive layer on peripheral outer portions of the contacts;
• and
• providing a plurality of patterned electrodes, each electrode interconnecting the contacts of each semiconductor element in a corresponding one of such clusters of semiconductor elements.

A method for forming a semiconductor device having a heat sink and a patterned electrode comprising the steps of:

• plating a thermally conductive material to a predetermined thickness over a first surface of a semiconductor;
• forming a first masking area on a portion of the plated material;
• plating a second layer of material to a second predetermined thickness, such that the second layer of material is deposited in areas not covered by the first masking area;
• removing the first masking area thus forming an aperture in the second plated layer;
• forming a semiconductor device from the substrate of semiconductor material, such semiconductor device being formed from the semiconductor material in the area thereof disposed over the aperture formed in the second plated layer;
• depositing a second masking layer over the second surface of the first plated layer of the semiconductor material having disposed thereon the semiconductor device;
• forming an aperture in the second masking layer, said aperture being aligned with an upper portion of such semiconductor device;
• depositing a conductive layer on the second masking layer and in the aperture formed in such second masking layer;
• and
• forming the patterned electrode over the semiconductor element.

A method for forming a semiconductor element having a heat sink and electrode pattern comprising the steps of:

• providing a semiconductor;
• forming a support layer on a first surface of said semiconductor, said support layer having a plurality of apertures therein;
• forming a plurality of semiconductor elements from the semiconductor, at least one of said semiconductor elements being formed from the semiconductor in each area disposed over the apertures formed in the support layer;
• depositing a first layer of photoresist on the semiconductor;
• forming a plurality of apertures in the first photoresist layer, each one of such apertures being aligned to a corresponding one of such elements;
• and
• providing conductive material in said apertures to provide the electrode pattern.