# US 9,520,370 B2 · Methods of forming semiconductor device assemblies and interconnect structures, and related semiconductor device assemblies and interconnect structures > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,520,370 B2 - Document ID: US9520370B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/282,606 - Filed: 2014-05-20 - Published: 2015-11-26 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-05-20 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Jaspreet S. Gandhi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9520370B2 ## CPC - H10W 90/00: Package configurations - H10W 72/012: {of bump connectors, dummy bumps or thermal bumps} - H10W 72/019: {of bond pads} - H10W 72/072: {of bump connectors} - H10W 72/07236: {Soldering or alloying} - H10W 72/222: {Multilayered bumps, e.g. a coating on top and side surfaces of a bump core} - H10W 72/241: {Dispositions, e.g. layouts} - H10W 72/252: {comprising solid metals or solid metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu} - H10W 72/90: Bond pads, in general - H10W 72/923: {Bond pads having multiple stacked layers} - H10W 72/9415: {relative to the surface, e.g. recessed, protruding} - H10W 72/952: {comprising metals or metalloids, e.g. PbSn, Ag or Cu} - H10W 90/722: {between stacked chips} - H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL} - H10W 95/00: Packaging processes not covered by the other groups of this subclass - H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A method of forming a semiconductor device assembly comprises forming on a first substrate, at least one bond pad comprising a first nickel material over the first substrate, a first copper material on the first nickel material, and a solder-wetting material on the first copper material. On a second substrate is formed at least one conductive pillar comprising a second nickel material, a second copper material directly contacting the second nickel material, and a solder material directly contacting the second copper material. The solder-wetting material is contacted with the solder material. The first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material are converted into a substantially homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure. Additional methods, semiconductor device assemblies, and interconnect structures are also described. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of forming a semiconductor device assembly, comprising: forming on a first substrate, at least one bond pad comprising a first nickel material over the first substrate, a first copper material directly on the first nickel material, and a solder-wetting material directly on the first copper material; forming on a second substrate, at least one conductive pillar comprising a second nickel material, a second copper material directly under the second nickel material, and a solder material directly under the second copper material; contacting the solder-wetting material with the solder material; and completely converting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material into a homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material to collectively comprise amounts of copper and tin for forming the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure through a copper-supply-limited reaction process. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein selecting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material to collectively comprise amounts of copper and tin for forming the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure through a copper-supply-limited reaction process comprises: selecting material compositions of the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material; and selecting thicknesses of the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the material compositions of the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material comprises: selecting the first copper material and the second copper material to each comprise electrolytic copper; and selecting the solder material to comprise greater than or equal to about 90 percent by weight tin. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein selecting thicknesses of the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material comprises selecting the first copper material and the second copper material to exhibit a combined thickness substantially equal to about one-half of a thickness of the solder material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the first copper material and the second copper material to exhibit a combined thickness substantially equal to a thickness of the solder material comprises selecting the first copper material and the second copper material to exhibit substantially the same thickness as one another. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein completely converting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material into a homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure comprises reflowing the solder material to diffuse substantially all of the copper of the first copper material and the second copper material into the solder material. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein reflowing the solder material comprises heating the solder material to a temperature of greater than or equal to about 200° C. while physically contacting the at least one bond pad with the at least one conductive pillar. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein completely converting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material into a homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure comprises forming the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure to comprise a uniform distribution of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic throughout an entire thickness thereof. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising diffusing nickel from the first nickel material and the second nickel material into the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure to form (Ni,Cu)6Sn5 intermetallic uniformly distributed throughout an entire thickness of the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein completely converting the first copper material, the solder-wetting material, the second copper material, and the solder material into a homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure comprises forming the homogeneous intermetallic compound interconnect structure to be free of unreacted tin, unreacted copper, and Cu3Sn intermetallic. ### Claim 12 A method of forming an interconnect structure, comprising: contacting a conductive structure with another conductive structure to form a combined structure comprising a copper material directly on a nickel material, a solder-wetting material directly on the copper material, a tin-containing solder material directly on the solder-wetting material, another copper material directly on the tin-containing solder material, and another nickel material directly on the another copper material; and heating the combined structure to diffuse all of the copper of the copper material and the another copper material into the tin-containing solder material and form a homogeneous distribution of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic directly on and extending completely between the nickel material and the another nickel material. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: forming the conductive structure to comprise the nickel material, the copper material, and the solder-wetting material; and forming the another conductive structure to comprise the tin-containing solder material, the another copper material, and the another nickel material. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising: forming the copper material to comprise electrolytic copper; forming the tin-containing solder material to comprise at least one of substantially pure tin and a tin-silver alloy; and forming the another copper material to comprise additional electrolytic copper. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein heating the combined structure to diffuse all of the copper of the copper material and the another copper material into the tin-containing solder material comprises diffusing the copper into the tin-containing solder material at an average diffusion rate of greater than or equal to about 0.55 micrometer per minute. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising diffusing a portion of the nickel of the nickel material and the another nickel material into the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic to convert the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic into (Ni,Cu)6Sn5 intermetallic. ### Claim 17 An interconnect structure comprising a homogeneous distribution of an intermetallic compound comprising copper and tin directly on and extending completely between a nickel material and another nickel material. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The interconnect structure of claim 17, wherein the intermetallic compound comprises Cu6Sn5 intermetallic. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The interconnect structure of claim 17, wherein the intermetallic compound comprises (Ni,Cu)6Sn5 intermetallic.