Alignment marks in substrate having through-substrate via (TSV)

1. A device comprising:

a substrate comprising two major surfaces on opposite sides of the substrate, wherein the substrate is a semiconductor substrate, and wherein no active device is formed at either one of the two major surfaces of the substrate;

a first alignment mark comprising a first conductive through-substrate via (TSV) penetrating through the substrate and extending from the a first one of the two major surfaces to a second one of the two major surfaces; and

a dielectric layer on a backside of the substrate, wherein the first conductive TSV penetrates through the dielectric layer.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first alignment mark comprises a plurality of first conductive TSVs penetrating through the substrate.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first conductive TSVs are arranged in a rectangular region.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of first conductive TSVs are aligned into two lines crossing each other.

5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a conductive feature over a backside of the substrate, wherein the conductive feature is not electrically coupled to the first conductive TSV.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first conductive TSV is electrically floating.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second alignment mark on a front side of the substrate, wherein the second alignment mark includes a metal layer.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a second conductive TSV penetrating through the substrate and not electrically floating.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive TSV and the second conductive TSV have substantially a same diameter.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive TSV and the second conductive TSV have substantially a same height.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first conductive TSV and the second conductive TSV have substantially a same top-view shape.

12. The device of claim 8 further comprising a conductive feature on a backside of the substrate and electrically coupled to the second conductive TSV, wherein the conductive feature includes at least one of a redistribution line and a metal bump.

13. A method of forming a device, the method comprising:

forming a first and a second conductive through-substrate via (TSV) in a substrate;

performing a backside grinding on a backside of the substrate, wherein the first and the second conductive TSVs are exposed through a back surface of the substrate;

recessing the back surface of the substrate to make the first and the second conductive TSVs to protrude beyond the back surface;

forming a passivation layer on the back surface of the substrate;

removing portions of the passivation layers that overlap the first and the second conductive TSVs to expose the first and the second conductive TSVs; and

forming a conductive feature on a backside of the substrate and electrically coupled to the second conductive TSV by using the first conductive TSV as an alignment mark.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conductive feature comprises at least one of a redistribution line and a metal bump.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the conductive feature is not electrically coupled to the first conductive TSV.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising forming an additional alignment mark on a front side of the substrate.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming an interconnect structure on a front side of the substrate, wherein the interconnect structure is not electrically coupled to the first conductive TSV.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming the conductive feature comprises forming a redistribution line.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the forming the conductive feature comprises forming a metal bump.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the substrate further comprises a front surface opposite to the back surface, wherein a transistor is formed at the front surface of the substrate.