Importance

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Abstract

Dielectric rings to be disposed around contact pads on a surface of a semiconductor device or another substrate and methods of fabricating and disposing the rings on semiconductor devices and other substrates. Semiconductor devices including the rings and having contact pads exposed through the rings are also disclosed. One or more of the rings are disposed around the contact pads of a semiconductor device or other substrate before or after solder balls are secured to the contact pads. Upon connecting the semiconductor device face-down to a higher level substrate and establishing electrical communication between contact pads of the semiconductor device and contacts pads of the substrate, the rings prevent the material of solder balls protruding from the semiconductor device from contacting regions of the surface of the semiconductor device that surround the contact pads thereof. The rings may be preformed structures which are attached to a surface of a semiconductor device or other substrate. Alternatively, the rings can be fabricated on the surface of the semiconductor device or other substrate. A stereolithographic method of fabricating the rings is disclosed. The stereolithographic method may include use of a machine vision system including at least one camera operably associated with a computer controlling a stereolithographic application of material so that the system may recognize the position and orientation of a semiconductor device or other substrate on which the ring is to be fabricated.

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First Claim