{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11978681","patent":{"patent_number":"US-11978681","title":"Mitigating surface damage of probe pads in preparation for direct bonding of a substrate","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2022-05-26T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2024-05-07T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L","H01L"],"num_claims":31,"abstract":"Mitigating surface damage of probe pads in preparation for direct bonding of a substrate is provided. Methods and layer structures prepare a semiconductor substrate for direct bonding processes by restoring a flat direct-bonding surface after disruption of probe pad surfaces during test probing. An example method fills a sequence of metals and oxides over the disrupted probe pad surfaces and builds out a dielectric surface and interconnects for hybrid bonding. The interconnects may be connected to the probe pads, and/or to other electrical contacts of the substrate. A layer structure is described for increasing the yield and reliability of the resulting direct bonding process. Another example process builds the probe pads on a next-to-last metallization layer and then applies a direct bonding dielectric layer and damascene process without increasing the count of mask layers. Another example process and related layer structure recesses the probe pads to a lower metallization layer and allows recess cavities over the probe pads."},"analysis":{"summary":null,"layman_explanation":null,"technical_analysis":null,"business_analysis":null,"faqs":null,"topics":[],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"Mitigating surface damage of probe pads in preparation for direct bonding of a substrate","description":"Mitigating surface damage of probe pads in preparation for direct bonding of a substrate is provided. Methods and layer structures prepare a semiconductor substrate for direct bonding processes by res","keywords":[]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11978681","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11978681","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"Mitigating surface damage of probe pads in preparation for direct bonding of a substrate\" (US-11978681). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11978681","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-11978681","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-11978681","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-05-31T00:18:15.292Z"}