Semiconductor device and manufacturing method thereof
A semiconductor device having a metal layer at the peripheral area surrounding an element forming area formed on a semiconductor substrate. This metal layer may be connected to the grounding potential or the power potential. The peripheral area is a scribing line area for example. The metal layer may be formed simultaneously with the formation of a bump within the element forming area.
1. A method of manufacturing chip-on-chip structure that includes first and second semiconductor devices, each having an exposed surface for contacting the semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:
forming the first and second semiconductor devices, the first semiconductor device being formed by the steps of
providing a plurality of element forming areas on a semiconductor substrate,
forming a metal layer in a form of a bump at scribing line areas between adjacent element forming areas of the substrate, the metal layer, including the bump, having the exposed surface for contact with a bump of the second semiconductor device, and
cutting the semiconductor substrate along cutting areas in said scribing line areas to obtain the first semiconductor device; and
mating the exposed surfaces of the first and second semiconductor devices with each other, so that the bumps of the first and second semiconductor devices contact with each other.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said metal-layer forming step includes a step of forming said metal layer at areas of said scribing line areas other than said cutting areas.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said metal-layer forming step is conducted simultaneously with a step of forming a surface electrode within said element forming areas.
4. A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising:
a step of providing a plurality of element forming areas on a semiconductor substrate;
a step of forming a metal layer at scribing line areas between adjacent element forming areas; and
a step of cutting said semiconductor substrate along cutting areas in said scribing line areas, so as to obtain a rectangularly-shaped semiconductor device having four side surfaces surrounding the element forming areas, and to expose a cut surface of the metal layer at the side surfaces, the exposed cut surface of the metal layer extending along the entirety of a length of at least one of the side surfaces;
said metal-layer forming step including a step of forming said metal layer, extending along the scribing line areas, at areas of said scribing line areas other than said cutting areas, said metal layer forming step forming the metal layer so as to extend along the cutting areas within the scribing line areas;
whereby the metal layer at the areas of the scribing line areas other than the cutting areas is left on the semiconductor substrate extending along the cutting areas, after said cutting step.
5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said metal-layer forming step is conducted simultaneously with a step of forming a surface electrode within said element forming areas.