Scheme for connector site spacing and resulting structures

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

a contact pad with a first diameter, wherein the contact pad is circular;

an underbump metallization in electrical connection with the contact pad, characterized in that the underbump metallization has a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter by a first distance of about 10 μm, wherein an interface between the contact pad and the underbump metallization has a second diameter that is less than the first diameter by at least about 10 μm;

a first passivation layer located at least partially between the contact pad and the underbump metallization; and

an external contact formed on the underbump metallization, wherein the external contact is a copper pillar with first sidewalls, wherein the first sidewalls are substantially aligned with second sidewalls of the underbump metallization.

2. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising an opening through the passivation layer, wherein the underbump metallization extends through the opening to contact the contact pad, the opening having a second diameter, wherein a difference between the first diameter and the second diameter is a second distance of about 5 μm.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein a sum of the first distance and the second distance is greater than about 15 μm.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , wherein the contact pad is aluminum.

5. A semiconductor device comprising:

a contact pad on a substrate, the contact pad comprising a first dimension;

a passivation layer at least partially over the contact pad;

an opening through the passivation layer, the opening comprising a second dimension;

an underbump metallization extending through the opening to contact the contact pad, the underbump metallization comprising a third dimension, wherein the third dimension is greater than the first dimension by a first value of greater than about 5 μm, and wherein the first dimension is greater than the second dimension by a second value greater than about 10 μm; and

an external contact over the underbump metallization, wherein the external contact is a copper pillar and has sidewalls that are substantially planar with the underbump metallization.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein a sum of the first value and the second value is greater than about 15 μm.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 5 , wherein the contact pad is aluminum.

8. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

forming a contact pad on a substrate, the contact pad comprising a first diameter;

depositing a passivation layer over the contact pad, wherein a first material extends from a first side of the passivation layer to a second side of the passivation layer opposite the first side of the passivation layer, the first side facing the contact pad;

patterning the passivation layer to form an opening through the passivation layer, the opening having a second diameter smaller than the first diameter; and

forming an underbump metallization extending through the opening, the underbump metallization having a third diameter greater than the first diameter by a first distance greater than about 5 μm, wherein the forming the underbump metallization further comprises:

blanket depositing an underbump metallization layer in physical contact with the second side of the passivation layer;

forming an external contact onto the underbump metallization layer; and

removing portions of the underbump metallization layer using the external contact as a mask.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first diameter is greater than the second diameter by a second distance greater than about 10 μm.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein a sum of the first distance and the second distance is greater than about 15 μm.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming the external contact further comprises forming a copper pillar.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the forming the copper pillar is performed at least in part with an electroplating process.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the forming the contact pad further comprises:

blanket depositing a layer of aluminum; and

removing portions of the layer of aluminum to form the contact pad.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first cap layer over the external contact; and

a second cap layer over the first cap layer, wherein the second cap layer is a different material than the first cap layer.