Alumina isolation for hybrid bonding

Abstract

A method of preparing a substrate for hybrid bonding by forming an isolation barrier around a metal contact on the substrate prior to performing the hybrid bonding process to separate the metal contact from an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) bonding layer. A method can include forming an aluminum oxide layer on the substrate as a bonding layer for a hybrid bonding process, where the aluminum oxide layer is formed on a dielectric material different from the aluminum oxide layer material, forming a metal contact on the substrate that penetrates the aluminum oxide layer, and forming an isolation barrier around the metal contact, where the isolation barrier prevents an adjacent portion of the aluminum oxide layer proximate to the metal contact from completely covering an uppermost bonding surface of the metal contact during an anneal process of the hybrid bonding process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The embodiments of this disclosure generally relate to semiconductor processing of semiconductor substrates. Background Technology

[0002] Hybrid bonding is a combination or bonding of more than one type of material. In semiconductor manufacturing, hybrid bonding is used to package components by bonding one substrate or die to another, thereby bonding not only dielectric surfaces but also metal interconnects or contacts. Traditionally, dielectrics such as silicon dioxide provide most of the bond strength in hybrid bonding. As the density of interconnects and contacts increases, the dielectric material bonding area decreases. To help ensure successful bonding with dies or substrates with high contact density, dielectric materials with higher bond strength, such as alumina, can be introduced into the manufacturing process. However, the inventors have observed that poor bonding occurs between metal interconnects and contacts during hybrid bonding processes using alumina, resulting in low yields.

[0003] Therefore, the inventors have provided a method for improving the hybrid bonding performance of a substrate having an alumina bonding layer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This paper presents a method for improving hybrid bonding performance by providing an alumina crystal growth barrier layer.

[0005] In some embodiments, a method for processing a substrate may include providing a first substrate for a hybrid bonding process and forming a hybrid bonding layer on the first substrate, the hybrid bonding layer including a dielectric layer, metal contacts, and an isolation barrier layer surrounding the metal contacts, the isolation barrier layer being located between at least a portion of the metal contacts and the dielectric layer.

[0006] In some embodiments, the method may further include hybrid bonding of the first substrate to the second substrate by means of: a hybrid bonding layer, an isolation barrier layer formed of a metal or dielectric material, metal contacts formed of copper, an isolation barrier layer formed of silicon dioxide, a dielectric layer as an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, an aluminum oxide layer formed on the first substrate on a dielectric material different from the aluminum oxide layer material, an isolation barrier layer extending from the uppermost surface of the dielectric material to at least the uppermost surface of the aluminum oxide layer, metal contacts first formed in the dielectric material, grooves formed in the dielectric material at a distance from the metal contacts for receiving aluminum oxide material, aluminum oxide integrally deposited on the substrate, and undergoing chemical mechanical planarization; The CMP (Continuous Metallurgical Process) process involves: a substrate forming an isolation barrier layer around the metal contacts with a width equal to the distance from the metal contacts; a distance greater than the maximum misalignment tolerance of the hybrid bonding process to prevent alumina migration above the metal contacts during subsequent annealing processes of the hybrid bonding process until the maximum misalignment tolerance is reached; an alumina layer first deposited on the dielectric material; metal contacts formed through the alumina layer; a selective etching process to create gaps around the metal contacts; an isolation material deposited bulk to fill the gaps around the metal contacts; and an isolation barrier layer with a width equal to the gaps around the metal contacts. The process includes a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process for the isolation barrier layer, a width greater than the maximum misalignment tolerance of the hybrid bonding process to prevent alumina migration over the metal contacts until the maximum misalignment tolerance is reached during subsequent annealing processes of the hybrid bonding process, a maximum width of the isolation barrier layer determined based on the maximum acceptable leakage current through the dielectric layer between adjacent metal contacts, and / or an isolation barrier layer at a certain distance from the metal contacts, wherein the distance between the isolation barrier layer and the metal contacts includes a portion of the dielectric layer whose volume is insufficient to completely cover the metal contacts during subsequent annealing processes of the hybrid bonding process.

[0007] In some embodiments, the substrate prepared for hybrid bonding may include a dielectric material; a dielectric bonding layer formed on the dielectric material; at least one metal contact, wherein the uppermost surface of the at least one metal contact is exposed through the dielectric bonding layer; and at least one isolation barrier layer formed around the at least one metal contact.

[0008] In some embodiments, the substrate may further include: a dielectric bonding layer as an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, wherein at least one of the at least one metal contact is copper, and wherein an isolation barrier layer is formed of a metal or a dielectric material; an isolation barrier layer extending from the uppermost surface of the dielectric material to at least the uppermost surface of the dielectric bonding layer; and / or elements including the substrate and another substrate bonded to the substrate by a combination of the dielectric bonding layer and at least one metal contact.

[0009] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed, result in a method for processing a substrate, the method including providing a substrate for a hybrid bonding process, and forming a hybrid bonding layer on the substrate, the hybrid bonding layer including a dielectric layer, metal contacts, and an isolation barrier layer surrounding the metal contacts, the isolation barrier layer being between at least a portion of the metal contacts and the dielectric layer, and / or forming a dielectric layer as an alumina (Al2O3) layer formed on a dielectric material on the substrate, and the metal contacts first formed in the dielectric material, and a dielectric layer being formed at a distance of one [missing information] from the metal contacts in the dielectric material. The substrate includes: a groove formed at a fixed distance to receive alumina material; alumina deposited integrally on a substrate; and a substrate subjected to a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to form an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact with a width equal to the distance from the metal contact; or an alumina layer first deposited on a dielectric material; a metal contact formed through the alumina layer; a selective etching process for creating gaps around the metal contact; an isolation material deposited integrally to fill the gaps around the metal contact; and a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process for forming an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact with a width equal to the gaps around the metal contact.

[0010] Other and further implementation methods are disclosed below. Attached Figure Description

[0011] The embodiments of these principles, briefly summarized above and discussed in more detail below, can be understood through the illustrative embodiments depicted in the accompanying drawings. However, the drawings only show typical embodiments of these principles and should therefore not be considered as limiting the scope, as these principles may allow for other equivalent embodiments.

[0012] Figure 1 This is a method for preparing a substrate for hybrid bonding using an alumina isolation barrier layer formed from a substrate material, according to some embodiments of this principle.

[0013] Figure 2 This is a method for preparing a substrate for hybrid bonding according to some embodiments of this principle, wherein an aluminum oxide isolation barrier layer is formed around the metal contacts.

[0014] Figure 3A cross-sectional view of an alumina isolation barrier layer formed from a substrate material is depicted in some embodiments of this principle during preparation of a hybrid bonding process.

[0015] Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of an alumina barrier layer formed on a substrate during preparation of a hybrid bonding process, according to some embodiments of this principle, is depicted.

[0016] Figure 5 A cross-sectional view depicting the effect of the alumina barrier layer on leakage current according to some embodiments of this principle is shown.

[0017] Figure 6 A top view depicts an alumina barrier layer formed at a certain distance from the metal contact, according to some embodiments of this principle.

[0018] Figure 7 A cross-sectional view of an alumina barrier layer formed at a distance from the metal contact is depicted according to some embodiments of this principle.

[0019] Figure 8 A cross-sectional view of a misaligned substrate being joined according to some embodiments of this principle is depicted.

[0020] Figure 9 A cross-sectional view depicting a hybrid bonding process for an alumina barrier layer that does not possess this principle is shown.

[0021] Figure 10 A cross-sectional view is depicted showing some embodiments of a hybrid bonding process using an alumina barrier layer, based on this principle.

[0022] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible to denote common elements in the figures. These figures are not drawn to scale and are simplified for clarity. Elements and features of one embodiment may be advantageously incorporated into other embodiments without further description. Detailed Implementation

[0023] This method provides improved hybrid bonding performance by incorporating an alumina crystal growth barrier layer. The alumina barrier layer surrounds the metal contacts on a substrate used in a hybrid bonding process with an alumina bonding layer. The barrier layer prevents alumina migration over the copper contacts during annealing of the bonding substrate, thereby providing high bonding strength between the dielectric and the contacts. The high bonding strength provided by this method enables increased metal contact density, allowing for the scaling of semiconductor devices. This technique can be performed before or after bonding layer deposition on the substrate, providing processing flexibility and easy integration into existing hybrid bonding preparation processes.

[0024] Traditional dielectrics, such as silicon dioxide, limit the scaling of components due to the bonding strength of dielectric materials. To increase metal contact density, the bonding strength of the dielectric used in hybrid bonding must be increased because the bonding strength of metal contacts is relatively low compared to dielectric bonding strength. Alumina is considered an alternative to dielectric bonding materials such as silicon dioxide. Compared to silicon dioxide, alumina increases bonding strength by 40% to 80%. However, the inventors have discovered that when substrates with alumina and metal contacts are bonded together and subsequently annealed, alumina migrates above the top surface of the metal contacts, preventing metal contact bonding. The inventors believe that the migration of alumina is caused by the low-temperature crystallization of alumina. Typically, alumina crystallizes at a temperature of about 850 degrees Celsius. The annealing temperature for hybrid bonding is typically around 350 degrees Celsius. The inventors believe that the crystals of the metallic material of the metal contacts (e.g., copper, etc.) act as a catalyst for alumina crystallization, which lowers the crystallization temperature to or below the annealing temperature. Subsequently, due to the annealing process performed during substrate / wafer bonding, the crystalline aluminum migrates / diffused over the surface of the metal contacts (e.g., at a given temperature, aluminum oxide has a higher diffusion rate than copper, resulting in aluminum oxide migration).

[0025] The inventors have discovered that, for successful bonding using an alumina bonding layer, alumina crystallization and subsequent migration through the contact copper contacts should be minimized. In this method, suppressing alumina migration during hybrid bonding can be achieved by providing an alumina barrier layer surrounding the metal contacts. In some embodiments, such as Figure 1 In method 100, the substrate 302 can be prepared for hybrid bonding processes by forming an alumina isolation barrier layer from a dielectric material 304 (e.g., silicon dioxide) previously deposited on the substrate 302. Figure 3 View 300A depicts the substrate 302, which may be at least partially formed of a silicon dioxide material. In some embodiments, the substrate 302 may have undergone prior device fabrication and / or packaging processes to prepare it for bonding to another substrate and / or die. Figure 1 In box 102 of method 100, such as Figure 3 As depicted in view 300B, metal contacts 306 are formed in dielectric material 304 on substrate 302. In some cases, metal contacts 306 may be formed to connect to other interconnects 308 and the like embedded in substrate 302. Metal contacts 306 allow for connections to other substrates bonded to substrate 302.

[0026] In frame 104, a groove 322 is formed around the metal contact 306 at a certain distance from the metal contact 306. In some embodiments, the photoresist pattern 310 can be used to protect areas of the substrate 302 from the etching process that forms the groove. Figure 3 As depicted in view 300C, the photoresist pattern 310 may cover the entire metal contact 306 and a portion 318 of the dielectric material 304 surrounding the metal contact 306. In some embodiments, the photoresist pattern 310 may cover only a portion of the metal contact 306 or not cover the metal contact 306 at all, and cover that portion 318 of the dielectric material 304 surrounding the metal contact 306. Since the etching process used to etch the dielectric material 304 can be selective for the dielectric material relative to the metal material, protecting the metal contact 306 by covering it with photoresist is optional. Figure 3 As depicted in view 300D, the etching process removes some dielectric material 304 to a depth 314, which determines the thickness of the subsequently deposited alumina bonding layer. In some embodiments, the thickness of the alumina bonding layer can range from about 30 nanometers to about 50 nanometers.

[0027] The width 312 of the dielectric material 304 surrounding the metal contact 306 is the distance or width of the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 surrounding the metal contact 306. The lower limit of the width 312 is the minimum spacing between the metal contact 306 and the alumina bonding layer 316 to prevent crystallization and subsequent migration of alumina above the surface of the metal contact 306. The lower limit may also be based on an acceptable misalignment tolerance. The width 312 will be greater than the acceptable misalignment tolerance such that, at maximum misalignment, the metal of the metal contact will only contact the alumina isolation barrier layer and not the alumina. The upper limit of the width 312 is the minimum acceptable reduction in bonding strength due to the reduced area of ​​the alumina bonding layer by incorporating the alumina isolation barrier layer.

[0028] In frame 106, an alumina bonding layer 316 is formed on substrate 302 by depositing alumina onto substrate 302. In some embodiments, such as Figure 3 As depicted in view 300E, the alumina deposition process includes depositing alumina monotonically over the entire substrate to fill the recess 322 and cover the metal contacts 306. Subsequently, in block 108, a CMP process is performed to remove excess alumina from the alumina bonding layer 316 on the substrate 302, thereby leaving the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 in place, as shown. Figure 3As depicted in view 300F, the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 prevents the alumina bonding layer 316 from contacting and subsequently interacting with the metal (such as copper) of the metal contact 306, and lowers the crystallization temperature of the alumina. Therefore, the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 prevents alumina from migrating over the top of the metal contact 306 during subsequent annealing processes associated with the hybrid bonding process. Since the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 is formed of dielectric material 304, the alumina isolation barrier layer 320 of method 100 has no leakage current issues. Although alumina has a bonding strength that is 40% to 80% greater than dielectric materials such as silicon dioxide, silicon dioxide and similar materials still provide very good bonding strength. Thus, when the alumina isolation barrier layer is formed from a dielectric material, the minimal reduction in the alumina bonding area only slightly affects the overall hybrid bonding strength of the substrate 302, while preventing alumina crystallization and migration.

[0029] In some embodiments, the alumina barrier layer may be made of a material different from the dielectric material used in the substrate. Figure 2 This is method 200, which involves depositing an alumina barrier layer onto a substrate. In block 202, as... Figure 4 As depicted in view 400A, an alumina bonding layer 416 is deposited onto the dielectric material 304 of the substrate 302. The alumina bonding layer 416 may have a thickness 414 of about 30 nanometers to about 50 nanometers. In frame 204, as... Figure 4 As depicted in view 400B, metal contacts 406 are formed within dielectric material 304 through an alumina bonding layer 416. In some cases, metal contacts 406 may be formed to connect other interconnects 408 and the like embedded in substrate 302. Metal contacts 406 allow connections within substrate 302 to be connected to other connections within other substrates bonded to substrate 302. In block 206, alumina material surrounding the alumina bonding layer 416 of the metal contacts 406 is selectively removed. In some embodiments, such as Figure 4 As depicted in view 400C, the photoresist pattern 418 can be used to protect portions of the alumina bonding layer 416 from selective etching processes (where the alumina material is selective relative to the metal material of the metal contacts). Subsequently, a portion of the alumina bonding layer 416 is removed to expose the surface 428 of the dielectric material 304 beneath the alumina bonding layer 416, forming a gap 420 around the metal contacts 406, as shown. Figure 4The view 400D depicts the gap 420. The width 426 of the gap 420 (or the width of the alumina barrier layer 424) is the distance by which the alumina barrier layer will surround the metal contact 406. In some embodiments, the lower limit of the width 426 will be the necessary width to prevent alumina crystallization and migration during annealing. In some embodiments, the lower limit of the width 426 will be based on the manufacturing process capability presented by using the alumina barrier layer material to fill the gap 420.

[0030] In frame 208, an alumina barrier layer material 422 is deposited on substrate 302, filling the gaps 420 surrounding the metal contacts 406, such as... Figure 4 As depicted in view 400E. Subsequently, in block 210, a CMP process is performed to remove excess alumina barrier layer material 422 on substrate 302, thereby forming an alumina barrier layer 424 in gap 420, as shown. Figure 4 As depicted in view 400F, the alumina barrier layer 424 prevents the alumina bonding layer 416 from contacting and subsequently interacting with the metal (such as copper) of the metal contact 406, and lowers the crystallization temperature of the alumina. The alumina barrier layer 424 also prevents alumina migration over the top of the metal contact 406 during subsequent annealing processes associated with the hybrid bonding process. Because alumina provides a 40% to 80% increase in bonding strength compared to dielectric materials such as silicon dioxide, the minimal reduction in the alumina bonding area during the formation of the alumina barrier layer 424 only slightly affects the overall hybrid bonding strength of the substrate 302 while preventing alumina crystallization and migration. In some embodiments, the alumina barrier layer 424 is formed by depositing a dielectric material, and there are no leakage current issues.

[0031] In some embodiments, the alumina barrier layer 424 may be formed of a material (e.g., tantalum nitride and the like) that has increased conductivity compared to the underlying dielectric material (such as dielectric material 304). In effect, the alumina barrier layer 424 reduces the original insulation distance 502 between metal contacts on the substrate 302 to a reduced insulation distance 504, such as... Figure 5 The view depicted is shown in 500. Figure 5In this example, the original insulation distance 502 has been reduced by 2 times (two times) the width 426 of the alumina barrier layer 424 to produce a reduced insulation distance 504. The width 426 of the alumina barrier layer 424 must be carefully chosen to ensure that it is sufficient to mitigate alumina crystallization and subsequent migration over the metal contacts 406A, 406B. The choice of width 426 must also ensure that the leakage current generated by width 426 is less than the leakage current requirements of the specific application (e.g., high-density contacts, low-density contacts, high leakage current tolerance, low leakage current tolerance, etc.). Metallic materials such as cobalt and the like can be used as alumina barrier layer materials, but they have a significant impact on the leakage current value and are likely only applicable to low-density applications and the like. In some embodiments, the permissible leakage current is less than about 2 times (two times) of the leakage current of alumina or silicon dioxide while still suppressing alumina crystallization. In some embodiments, the permissible leakage current may be about 100 nA / cm. 2 Or smaller.

[0032] The inventors have also discovered that the overall elimination of alumina crystallization and migration is not necessary for successful hybrid bonding. In some embodiments, the alumina isolation barrier layer 424 can be used to limit alumina migration to prevent the upper surface of the metal contact 606 from being completely covered, such as... Figure 6 As depicted in view 600, an alumina barrier layer 424 is formed around the metal contact 606 but is not directly adjacent to it. In some embodiments, the alumina barrier layer 424 surrounds the metal contact and divides the alumina bonding layer 416 into a first portion 416A and a second portion 416B of the alumina bonding layer 416. Figure 7 The diagram depicts a cross-sectional view 700 of the cut line 602. An alumina barrier layer 424 for the metal contact 606 is formed at a distance 702 from the metal contact 606. The volume of alumina in the first portion 416A of the alumina bonding layer 416 retained between the metal contact 606 and the alumina barrier layer 424 should be less than the volume required for complete crystallization and migration above the top surface of the metal contact 606. The inventors have discovered that contact bonding can still occur even though alumina partially crystallizes and migrates on the bonding surface of the metal contact 606. The significance of this discovery is that the high-tolerance formation of the alumina barrier layer 424 around the metal contact 606 is not necessary for interconnect hybrid bonding, thus allowing for some errors and / or defects and the like without significantly affecting bonding yield. In some embodiments, the volume of the first portion 416A of the alumina bonding layer 416 is zero because the alumina barrier layer 424 is formed immediately adjacent to the metal contact 406.

[0033] This method can also be used to resolve misalignment during hybrid bonding processes that leads to alumina migration, such as... Figure 8 As depicted in view 800. Generally, production tolerances for alignment will allow for slight misalignment while still producing high interconnect power. In conventional processes for addressing misalignment, the concern is that if misaligned, contact materials such as copper will migrate into the dielectric of the substrate to which the contacts are being bonded. However, the inventors have discovered that misalignment of the bonding surface using alumina as the bonding layer will cause alumina to crystallize and migrate above the top surface of the metal contacts, resulting in contact bonding failure during bonding. Figure 8 A misalignment tolerance 804 is depicted between two substrates bonded together using an alumina bonding layer 416. When the substrates are brought together 802, the metal of the metal contacts 406 will contact the surface of the substrate (rather than the surface of the metal contacts). If the surface of the substrate contains alumina, the alumina will crystallize and migrate between the contact bonding surfaces, preventing contact bonding. By ensuring that the alumina isolation barrier layer 424 has a width 806 greater than the misalignment tolerance 804, even when the substrates are misaligned, the metal contact surfaces will not contact the alumina, and alumina crystallization and migration will not occur.

[0034] The above methods can be used to enhance the bonding strength and yield of hybrid bonding processes. For example, such as... Figure 9 As depicted in view 900A, substrates 902A and 902B are bonded together. Substrates 902A and 902B have silicon layers 904A and 904B, silicon dioxide layers 906A and 906B, and metal contacts 908A and 908B. The bonding layers are aluminum oxide layers 910A and 910B. Figure 9 As depicted in view 900B, when substrates 902A and 902B having alumina layers 910A and 910B come into contact (bond) with each other, the alumina layers 910A and 910B form a single alumina bonding layer 910. Metal contacts 908A and 908B are not yet bonded together, and a gap 912 exists between metal contacts 908A and 908B due to grooves formed on each metal contact during CMP processing. To close the gap 912 and form continuous contacts, substrates 902A and 902B undergo an annealing process at temperatures up to 400 degrees Celsius. The inventors have discovered that during the annealing process, the alumina material of the alumina layers crystallizes at significantly reduced temperatures (400 degrees Celsius or lower compared to the conventional crystallization temperature of 850 degrees Celsius) due to the material of the metal contacts (e.g., copper, etc.) acting as a crystallization catalyst. Figure 9 As depicted in view 900C, the significantly reduced crystallization temperature allows the individual alumina bonding layer 910 to crystallize during the annealing process and migrate over the surfaces 914A, 914B of the metal contacts 908A, 908B, thereby preventing the metal contacts 908A, 908B from bonding together.

[0035] like Figure 10 As depicted in view 1000A, substrates 1002A and 1002B can be bonded together using the method described above. In some embodiments, substrates 1002A and 1002B may include dielectric layers such as, but not limited to, silicon dioxide and / or silicon carbonitride and the like. In this example, substrates 1002A and 1002B have silicon layers 1004A and 1004B, silicon dioxide layers 1006A and 1006B, and metal contacts 1008A and 1008B. The bonding layers are aluminum oxide layers 1010A and 1010B. The metal contacts 1008A and 1008B are surrounded by aluminum oxide barrier layers 1020A and 1020B. Figure 10 As depicted in view 1000B, when substrates 1002A and 1002B having alumina barrier layers 1020A and 1020B come into contact (bond) with each other, alumina layers 1010A and 1010B form a single alumina bonding layer 1010. Similarly, alumina barrier layers 1020A and 1020B form a single alumina barrier layer 1020 around metal contacts 1008A and 1008B. The metal contacts 1008A and 1008B are not yet bonded together, and a gap 1012 exists between the metal contacts 1008A and 1008B due to grooves formed on each metal contact during CMP processing. To close the gap 1012 and form continuous contacts, substrates 1002A and 1002B undergo an annealing process at temperatures up to approximately 400 degrees Celsius. The inventors have discovered that by forming alumina barrier layers 1020A and 1020B before the annealing process, the alumina material does not crystallize at lower annealing temperatures (approximately 300°C to approximately 400°C). Figure 10 As depicted in view 1000C, during the annealing process, the individual alumina bonding layers 1010 do not crystallize and migrate over the surfaces 1014A, 1014B of the metal contacts 1008A, 1008B, thereby allowing the metal contacts 1008A, 1008B to bond together to form a continuous interconnect 1008.

[0036] Implementations based on this principle may be carried out in hardware, firmware, software, or any combination thereof. Implementations may also be carried out as instructions stored using one or more computer-readable media, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. Computer-readable media may include any mechanism for storing or transferring information in a machine-readable form (e.g., a computing platform or a “virtual machine” running on one or more computing platforms). For example, computer-readable media may include any suitable form of volatile or non-volatile memory. In some implementations, computer-readable media may include non-transitory computer-readable media.

[0037] Although the foregoing describes an implementation of this principle, other and further implementations of this principle may be designed without departing from its basic scope.

Claims

1. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: A first substrate is provided for hybrid bonding processes; and A hybrid bonding layer is formed on the first substrate, the hybrid bonding layer including a dielectric layer, a metal contact, and an isolation barrier layer surrounding the metal contact, the isolation barrier layer being between at least a portion of the metal contact and the dielectric layer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: The first substrate is hybrid-bonded to the second substrate through the hybrid bonding layer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the isolation barrier layer is formed of a metal or a dielectric material.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metal contact is formed of copper.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the isolation barrier layer is formed of silicon dioxide material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the dielectric layer is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alumina layer is formed on a dielectric material on the first substrate, the dielectric material being different from the material of the alumina layer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the isolation barrier layer extends from the uppermost surface of the dielectric material to at least one uppermost surface of the alumina layer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the metal contact is first formed in the dielectric material, a groove is formed at a distance from the metal contact in the dielectric material for receiving alumina material, alumina is then integrally deposited on the first substrate, and the first substrate subsequently undergoes a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to form an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact, the width of the isolation barrier layer being equal to the distance from the metal contact.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the distance is greater than the maximum misalignment tolerance of the hybrid bonding process, such that alumina migration above the metal contacts is avoided during a subsequent annealing process of the hybrid bonding process until the maximum misalignment tolerance is reached.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the alumina layer is first deposited on the dielectric material, the metal contact is then formed through the alumina layer, a gap is then created around the metal contact using a selective etching process, an insulating material is then integrally deposited to fill the gap around the metal contact, and a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is then used to form an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact, the width of the isolation barrier layer being equal to the gap around the metal contact.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the width is greater than the maximum misalignment tolerance of the hybrid bonding process, such that alumina migration above the metal contacts is avoided during a subsequent annealing process of the hybrid bonding process until the maximum misalignment tolerance is reached.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the maximum width of the isolation barrier layer is determined based on the maximum acceptable leakage current through the dielectric layer between adjacent metal contacts.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the isolation barrier layer is at a distance from the metal contact, and wherein the distance between the isolation barrier layer and the metal contact includes a portion of the dielectric layer, the volume of which is insufficient to completely cover the metal contact during a subsequent annealing process of the hybrid bonding process.

15. A substrate prepared for hybrid bonding, the substrate comprising: Dielectric materials; A dielectric bonding layer is formed on the dielectric material; At least one metal contact, wherein the uppermost surface of the at least one metal contact is exposed through the dielectric bonding layer; and At least one isolation barrier layer is formed around the at least one metal contact, the isolation barrier layer surrounding the at least one metal contact.

16. The substrate of claim 15, wherein the dielectric bonding layer is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer, wherein at least one of the at least one metal contact is copper, and wherein the isolation barrier layer is formed of a metal or a dielectric material.

17. The substrate of claim 15, wherein the isolation barrier layer extends from the uppermost surface of the dielectric material to at least one uppermost surface of the dielectric bonding layer.

18. An element comprising: The substrate as described in claim 15; and Another substrate is bonded to the substrate via the dielectric bonding layer and the at least one metal contact in a hybrid manner.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions, when executed, causing a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: Provides substrates for hybrid bonding processes; and A hybrid bonding layer is formed on the substrate, the hybrid bonding layer including a dielectric layer, metal contacts, and an isolation barrier layer surrounding the metal contacts, the isolation barrier layer being between at least a portion of the metal contacts and the dielectric layer.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the method further comprising, wherein the dielectric layer is an aluminum oxide (Al2O3) layer formed on a dielectric material on the substrate, and comprising at least one of (a) or (b): (a) wherein the metal contact is first formed in the dielectric material, a groove is formed in the dielectric material at a distance from the metal contact to receive alumina material, the alumina is then integrally deposited on the substrate, and the substrate subsequently undergoes a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process to form an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact, the width of the isolation barrier layer being equal to the distance from the metal contact; or (b) wherein the aluminum oxide layer is first deposited on the dielectric material, the metal contact is then formed through the aluminum oxide layer, a gap is then created around the metal contact using a selective etching process, an insulating material is then deposited integrally to fill the gap around the metal contact, and a chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) process is then used to form an isolation barrier layer around the metal contact, the width of which is equal to the gap around the metal contact.

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