Semiconductor devices and method with diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric material

Abstract

In certain examples, methods and semiconductor structures are directed to an apparatus, for example, fabricated via dual-damascene processing, to realize a semiconductor device having a diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric material that defines paths to route electricity and / or thermals for and during operation of the semiconductor device. In more specific aspects, the thermal dielectric material is characterized by an average dielectric constant in an approximate range from two to five and by mask layers (of different respective material types) having aligned openings (or window) defined relative to etched walls.

Description

SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES AND METHOD WITH DIAMOND OR DIAMOND-LIKE THERMAL DIELECTRIC MATERIALBACKGROUND[0001 } Aspects of the present disclosure are related generally to semiconductor-based devices in which thermal dielectric materials are used to dissipate heat (e.g., transistor hot spots) from the devices.

[0002] The semiconductor industry has been facing ever-increasing demands for faster switching technology, increased power and increased transistor-based integrated circuit (IC) densities. For example, demands in many electronics-related fields have been requiring more functionality and / or more power than can be accommodated from traditional IC devices. Consequently, there have been significant ongoing efforts into developing more complex IC- device architectures and processes for their manufacture. These efforts have spawned into a variety of different technology types.

[0003] Using one such technology7type for ease of discussion, it has been appreciated that three-dimensional (3D) chips have been implemented to address such demands, especially in terms of handling the increased thermals which ensue from such transistor-based designs. In 3D and other chip-architecture technologies, increasing transistor density and decreasing interconnect pitch (characterizing the distance(s) between adjacent interconnects on a chip or circuit board) can intensify thermal issues that ensue from the increased transistor densities and / or transistors consuming higher power levels for their operation. New methodologies such as those used to manufacture 3D ICs may be advantageous to address higher processing capabilities by permitting more complex ICs that include more features and more-intricate circuit designs. For example, in 3D-type IC designs, traditional monolithic SoCs can be disaggregated into smaller functional chips or ’chiplets." with the chiplets being integrated within a high-performance package.[(K.K)4 j In many applications, it has also been appreciated that higher transistor densities lead to increased power density, generating more heat within the same volume. The high internal (or sometimes inter-layer) thermal resistance in 3D chips hinders effective heat dissipation, and the decrease in interconnect pitch can limit the pathways available for heat to escape, leading to potentially-problematic '‘hotspots.” Additionally, thermal gradients caused by temperature variations across different layers can induce mechanical stresses due to thermal expansion and contraction differences, potentially leading to device failure.Enhancing vertical thermal conduction and using high thermal conductivity insulators can ease management of these thermal challenges.

[0005] For addressing such thermal-related issues, diamond is one of a small group of materials known to possess superior thermal conductivity, ranging from 300-2500 W / m-K compared to copper’s maximum thermal conductivity (TC) of 400 W / m-K. Hence, diamond makes it an excellent material for heat dissipation in 3D chips. High thermal conductivity, such as provided by diamond and certain other material types, helps prevent overheating and ensures stable operation by efficiently spreading heat away from hot spots. Additionally, diamond’s low coefficient of thermal expansion maintains structural integrity and reduces thermal stress.

[0006] Integrating diamond into existing manufacturing processes, unfortunately, poses challenges and can be costly. For instance, use of diamond in IC devices can interfere with many known manufacturing processes. As one example, state-of-the-art manufacturing processes often used dual damascene BEOL (back end of the line) interconnects, in which a semiconductor device fabrication process includes depositing metal interconnect layers onto a wafer that is already patterned with devices. Such BEOL processes rely on low-k organosilicate or polymer-based dielectrics to minimize capacitive delay, whereas diamond has a relatively -high dielectric constant (~5.5-5.7), which convention fabrication processes would reject as being “unsuitable” in light of problems such as signal speed and related resistance-capacitance criteria.[000?] Another hindrance in using diamond in conventional IC-fabrication processes concerns integration (diffusion) barriers in dual damascene processing, which involves patterning the vias and trenches, in such a way that the metal deposition fills both at the same time. Diamond’s extreme hardness and its chemical inertness present significant challenges to the planarization aspects (e.g., CMP or chemical-mechanical planarization) used in such IC- fabrication processes. Further, use of diamond in conventional IC-fabrication processes presents significant challenges with regards to etch selectivity as used in the patterning as part of the damascene process.

[0008] In connection with specialized circuitry configured to implement Al (artificial intelligence), thermal management is also an issue of increasing importance. For example, photonics Al clusters face several heat-related challenges despite their efficiency advantages over traditional electronics. Optical components such as lasers, modulators, and detectors generate heat, and managing this thermal energy is critical. Temperature variations can also impact the performance of optical components, affecting signal precision and systemreliability. In high-density configurations, ensuring effective heat dissipation and preventing hotspots become crucial. Additionally, when integrating photonics with electronics, managing the heat from electronic components can be important to prevent negative interactions with optical elements.

[0009] Certain aspects and examples of the present disclosure are directed to addressing one or more of the above issues.OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS ASPECTS AND EXAMPLES

[0010] Various examples / embodiments presented by the present disclosure are directed to issues such as those addressed above and / or others which may become apparent from the following disclosure. For example, some of these disclosed aspects are directed to methods and devices that use, or leverage from use of diamond (and / or diamond-like) materials integrated or used with composite substrates, such as those compatible with foundry processes, and as may be implemented to address the challenges noted above.

[0011] In certain examples, aspects of the present disclosure are directed to one or more of methods of use, methods of semiconductor fabrication, and semiconductor devices, each involving a semiconductor device having a diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric material that defines paths to route electricity and / or thermals for and during operation of the semiconductor device. In more specific aspects, the thermal dielectric material is characterized by an average dielectric constant in an approximate range from two to five, and (in some instances as an partially-manufactured product) by patterning and with use of mask layers (of different respective material types) having aligned openings (or windows) defined by one or more etched walls in the thermal dielectric material (e.g., a set of one or more etched walls that cooperatively define an opening).

[0012] In certain related more-specific examples, the aligned windows are used to create, via dual-damascene processing, dual-damascene structures (contact, interconnects and / or vias) within the thermal dielectric material to realize a highly -thermally conductive semiconductor that is suitable for largely-conventional processing equipment of high- powered, ultra-fast and / or highly -densified transistor device architectures.

[0013] According to the present disclosure, aspects are directed to methods of manufacturing a semiconductor that has a diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric material that defines paths to route electricity and / or thermals for and during operation of the semiconductor device. One example of such a method comprises steps of forming mask layers and etching the mask layers to provide access to the thermal dielectric material foreffecting dual-damascene (processing) structures on or within the thermal dielectric material. As a more specific example, such steps may include: forming a first mask layer of a first material ty pe on a thermal dielectric that includes diamond; forming at least one routing structure, to route electricity and thermals, within layers of the thermal dielectric (e.g., by opening a first window in the first mask layer, depositing a second mask layer of a second material type, different than the first material type, on or over the first mask layer, opening a second window in the second mask layer, and etching the thermal dielectric layer to form a groove or other opening that is aligned with the first window); and removing at a portion of the first mask layer that is exposed to the second mask layer within the second window. Yet another aspect involves, via portions of the aligned windows, further etching and forming a dual damascene conductor structure located at least partially within the first window and the second window and, as part of the at least one routing structure, on or within of the thermal dielectric layer.

[0014] Also according to the present disclosure, certain aspects are directed to a t pe of semiconductor device that has a diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric material defining paths to route electricity and / or thermals for and during operation of the semiconductor device. One example in this regard concerns an apparatus (e.g., IC package, multiple-chip system, and / or a single chip ) integrated as part of a semiconductor device that comprises the above-characterized thermal dielectric material (e.g., as a set of one or more layers defining routing paths), and in which the thermal dielectric material is characterized by an average dielectric constant in an approximate range from two to five, and by etched walls defining openings in the thermal dielectric material.[00151 Further, another part of the present disclosure is directed to a partially- manufactured product, which is further defined by first and second mask layers. In this type of example, the apparatus or semiconductor device includes; a first mask layer of a first material type; a first set of etched (window) walls defining a first window- in the thermal dielectric material; a second mask layer of a second different material type on a side of the first mask layer opposite the thermal dielectric material; and a second set of etched w alls defining a second window in the thermal dielectric material, the second window and the first window- being at least partially aligned to provide a path within at least a portion of the thermal dielectric material.

[0016] Certain other specific aspects may build on the above-discussed aspects and methods. These aspects are directed to the thermal dielectric material being predominantly composed of diamond, and the routing paths being configured or designed to route electricityconnected to conductive material at or within the semiconductor device, and at least partially- traversing the first and second windows, and to route thermals generated by the semiconductor device through the diamond. Yet other such aspects are directed to the thermal dielectric material including at least one of the following: Diamond with Nitrogen or Boron impurities, intrinsic single-crystal or poly crystalline AIN or with Si or Mg impurities, and combinations thereof; and the thermal dielectric material is associated with or characterized by a thermal conductivity metric in an approximate range from 200 W / m-K to 1200 W / m-K.

[0017] According to another related example implementation, aspects of the present disclosure involve thin intrinsic-diamond being used instead of Cu thermal vias, for heat spreading from buried tiers of 3D chips. Highly boron-doped diamond material may be utilized instead of Cu signal routings and power delivery network to build an all-diamond BEOL structure with a 2x higher heat spreading efficiency.

[0018] In connection with certain specific examples and consistent with the above embodiments (which may build on the above-discussed aspects), other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to the use of a thermal dielectric material, such as impure diamond, having a relatively-high dielectric constant (~5.5-5.7, which is well above ty pical materials having a low dielectric constant from ~2-3), so as to be compatible with many conventional fabrication processes that might otherwise be rejected as being unsuitable given expectations of delayed signal speed and related increases in resistance-capacitance criteria.

[0019] In connection with certain specific examples and consistent with the above embodiments, other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an etching approach that, with the use of a specific slurry chemistry, a barrier adhesion, and etch stop integration, facilitates reliable trench and / or via definition without damage to surrounding features (e.g., immediately-adjacent layers not intended to be etched), thereby7overcoming etch selectivity challenges and providing an integration pathway for dual damascene process flows that contradicts expectations from traditional (e.g., copper / low-k) dual damascene process.

[0020] In connection with yet another type of example embodiment, the present disclosure is directed to a semiconductor apparatus that includes different sections or regions that are designed to cooperate in providing thermal management for one of more circuits secured to or as part of the apparatus. The different sections or regions include a base material, a heat spreading material, an interfacial layer (or surface) between the base material and heat spreading material, and an interlayer material between the heat spreading material and the device layer. In this above context: the base material is characterized as having at least one of, or a combination of, the following attributes: a thickness within a range from50 um to 800 um, a surface characterized by an RMS roughness within a range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm, and at least one lateral dimension within a range from 2 inches to 8 inches; and the heat spreading material is characterized as having at least one of, or a combination of, the following attributes: a thickness within a range from 100 nm to 100 um and a high thermal conductivity within a range from 40 W / m / K to 2200 W / m / K.

[0021] Such aspects may be referred to as thin diamond or diamond-like thermal dielectric technology, according to examples of the present disclosure, that is based on thin film diamond and diamond-like materials. Various such aspects may be utilized as a replacement for copper thermal vias and signal routings, for instance in Back-End-of-Line (BEOL) production.

[0022] The above discussion is not intended to describe each aspect, embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The figures and detailed description that follow also exemplify various embodiments.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES

[0023] Various example embodiments, including experimental examples, may be more completely understood in consideration of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings, each in accordance with the present disclosure, in which:

[0024] Each of FIGs. 1A, IB and 1C is a set of illustrations depicting various stages of exemplary processing for manufacturing semiconductor-type devices;

[0025] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a semiconductor-type device after a significant amount of fabrication, with the illustration of FIG. 2 showing the semiconductor-type device to include a plurality (e.g., three) chiplets integrated onto a common substrate;

[0026] FIG. 3 is a set of illustrations depicting exemplary' fabrication stages of various versions of a semiconductor-type device of which a device layer may be bonded;

[0027] FIG. 4 is a set of illustrations depicting exemplary fabrication stages of various versions of a semiconductor-type device of which a device layer may be bonded to opposing sides of the device;

[0028] FIG. 5A is a set of illustrations depicting exemplary’ stages of yet another semiconductor-type device;

[0029] FIG. 5B is a set of illustrations depicting exemplary' stages of a yet further alternative semiconductor-ty pe device;

[0003] FIG. 5C is an example of a more complex arrangement of multiple chiplets and a stack of layered structures which may be modified to implement aspects illustrated in one or more of FIGs. 4, 5 A and 5B;

[0031] FIG. 6 is a set of illustrations depicting integration of diamond and diamond-like material in different fabrication stages;

[0032] FIG. 7 is a set of illustrations depicting integration of thermal dielectric material into an epi (epitaxial)structure at of an optical (semiconductor) device; and

[0033] FIG. 8 is a set of illustrations depicting integration of thermal dielectric material at the device and system level for a packaged optical device.

[0034] While various embodiments discussed herein are amenable to modifications and alternative forms, aspects thereof have been shown by way of example in the draw ings and will be described in detail. It should be understood, how ever, that the intention is not to limit the disclosure to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the scope of the disclosure including aspects defined in the claims. In addition, the term ‘'example” as used throughout this application is only by w ay of illustration, and not limitation.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Aspects of the present disclosure are believed to be applicable to a variety of different types of apparatuses, systems and methods involving devices characterized at least in part by the use of diamond or diamond-like materials as a thermal dielectric material used in connection with electrically -conductive and thermally-conductive routings (or pathways) as may be realized by way of a fabrication process. As exemplified in various specific examples including electrically-conductive and thermally-conductive routings (in different forms such as one or more of contacts, traces, interconnects, differently-shaped vias). While the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to such aspects and specific examples, an understanding of specific examples in the following description may be understood from discussion in such specific contexts.

[0036] Accordingly, in the following description various specific details are set forth to describe specific examples presented herein. It should be apparent to one skilled in the art, however, that one or more other examples and / or variations of these examples may be practiced without all the specific details given below. In other instances, well known features have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the description of the examples herein. For ease of illustration, the same connotation and / or reference numerals may be used indifferent diagrams to refer to the same elements or additional instances of the same element. Also, although aspects and features may in some cases be described in individual figures, it will be appreciated that features from one figure or embodiment can be combined with features of another figure or embodiment even though the combination is not explicitly shown or explicitly described as a combination.[00.17] Certain examples of the present disclosure are related to the above-discussed thermal dielectric material, as part of a semiconductor or chip, and to the electrically - conductive and thermally-conductive pathways. In one such example, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus integrated with (or configured to be integrated with) a semiconductor device. The apparatus comprises athermal dielectric material that: includes a set of one or more layers defining routing paths to route at least one of electricity and to route at least one of thermals involving operation of the semiconductor device; is characterized by an average dielectric constant in an approximate range from two to five; and includes one or more sets of etched walls, each of the one or more sets respectively defining one or more of the routing paths in the thermal dielectric material. The roughness of the etched vertical and / or bottom wall(s) of the thermal dielectric material (e.g., FIGs. IB and 1C), even using a wet (versus dry ) etching technique, is in an approximate range from a few nanometers to several tens of nanometers.

[0038] Aspects of the present disclosure may be best appreciated with an understanding of a fabrication method for creating a semi conductive structure or device (e.g., a chip by itself or as part of an IC package) having a thermal dielectric material, such as a thermal dielectric material layer, that includes a set of one or more layers defining routing paths to route at least one of electricity and to route at least one of thermals involving operation of the semiconductor device, and that is characterized by an average dielectric constant in an approximate range from two to five. In such examples according to the present disclosure, the routing paths may be located at a surface and / or within the thermal dielectric material itself. Particularly apparent when implemented within the thermal dielectric material, the fabrication process includes etching steps to open portions of the thermal dielectric material for creating each of the routing paths and in some examples according to the present disclosure, the fabrication process also includes doping (e.g., to effect a high concentration of Boron) to convert pathways of the thermal dielectric material from being a dielectric to a conductor path. Such processing steps (etching and / or doping) result in post-manufacture structural attributes in various parts (e.g., layers) of the chip. For instance, when doping thethermal dielectric material, careful examination (e.g., via SEM imaging) shows where the doping occurred, as the dopant material is readily apparent from such imaging.

[0039] Similarly, when etching the thermal dielectric material, after the etching is completed, careful examination (e g., via SEM imaging) shows etched walls (or etched surfaces) where the etching occurred. According to another important aspect of the present disclosure, one or more mask layers may be used as part of the pathway patterning to mask the portions of the diamond and / or diamond-like materials. In a particular examples involving a dual damascene process to implement contacts, vias, interconnects, etc., multiple mask layers (each composed of different materials).

[0040] In one such example according to the present disclosure, the chip fabrication includes applying a first mask layer of a first material type against a surface of the thermal dielectric material and applying a second mask layer of a second different material type on a side of the first mask layer opposite the thermal dielectric material. The mask layers are used, as part of a patterned layout, to protect the thermal dielectric material during etching of the thermal dielectric material. In a post-etching stage (and post-manufacture), such etching manifests structurally along one or more of: etched walls of the thermal dielectric material, a first set of etched window walls defining a first window in the thermal dielectric material, and a second mask layer of a second different material type on a side of the first mask layer opposite the thermal dielectric material. The second window may be opened, via the etching, so as to be aligned with the first window (at least partially aligned) in order to provide a path within the thermal dielectric material. This path may be used, as examples, by depositing conductive material as part of a damascene or dual damascene process. It is appreciated that various materials may be used for the hard mask layers (e.g., the first and second mask layers), and among others these include ALCE, SisIS , or Cr (e.g., for the first mask layer) and Amorphous carbon (a-C), SiON, or TiN (e.g., for the second mask layer).

[0000] Consistent with the above-discussed aspects, FIG. 1A shows exemplary fabrication stages of a semiconductor-type device (e.g., IC chip or simply “chip”), also in accordance with the present disclosure. The stages of the chip are shown in the form of a table, with two rows and three columns. The top row shows three side views, and the bottom row- show s three top views, wherein the top views respectively correspond to the three side views. The first column of FIG. 1A shows a substrate 105 with thermal dielectric material 110 being deposited (e.g., grown) on the substrate. The thermal (low-k) dielectric material may be at least primarily composed of diamond (e.g., intrinsic poly crystalline diamond, impure diamond with impurities being dopants such as may be added during growth of thediamond) or may be diamond-like material each implemented so as to manifest a relatively low-k ("‘k” referring to dielectric constant). The thermal dielectric material may be implemented as a single layer or multiple layers. In some examples, the thermal dielectric material (whether multiple layers collectively or each such layer) may be implemented with a thickness being in a range with approximate boundaries (‘"approximate range”) of 100 nm and 200 um, in certain related examples, the thermal conductivity (TC) of the thermal dielectric material is in an approximate range from 500 as a lower boundary up to 1500 W / m / K (which is substantially higher than the TC of (300-400 W / m / K)). Optionally, the roughness of each diamond layer surface may be defined (e.g., by polishing) to be in an approximate range from 0. 1 nm and 20 nm (nanometers).

[0042] Examples of such low-k diamond-like material include any one or a combination of the following: various types of impure diamond, AIN, and combinations thereof, wherein such examples (diamond, AIN, composites thereof and / or variations of such material(s)) may optionally have the impurities. In this context, such materials may include intrinsic diamond, diamond with Nitrogen and / or Boron impurities (e.g., 1E15 to 1E21 / cmA3), and intrinsic single-crystal or poly crystalline AIN alone and / or with Si or Mg impurities (e.g., 1E15 to 1E21 / cmA3), and any one or more combinations of these materials. In such examples, the thermal conductivity of the thermal (low-k) dielectric material (e.g., diamond, AIN, a combination of diamond and AIN) has a thermal conductivity of 50 W / m / K to 1800 W / m / K, and the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) may change from 0.8 xlOA(-6) [1 / K] to 4.9 xlOA(-6) [1 / K], Other examples of such low-k diamond-like material include diamond, AIN, BN, SiC, the above-noted impurities and combinations thereof.

[0043] The second and third columns of FIG. 1 A pertain to the patterning, via masking using a masks, for etching purposes. The second column shows formation of a first window 120 in the first mask layer 115, and the third column shows formation of a second mask layer 125 of a second different material type (for different selective etching efforts) for fomiation of second window 130. The first window 120 and second window 130 are aligned as discussed above.

[0044] FIG. IB illustrates another table showing further stages of the chip fabrication, and also using similarly-arranged rows for showing side and top-down views. Consistent with the right-most column of FIG. 1A. the left-most column of FIG. IB shows both the first and second windows being formed as a structure defined by a dual-damascene process (aka dualdamascene structure). The middle column of FIG. IB shows a (diffusion) barrier layer 140 such as TaN or TiN being formed before formation of a routing pathway (e.g., interconnect).In this particular example and as consistent with conventional foundry processing, a copper (Cu) seed layer 145 is deposited over or on the barrier layer for development of a copper conductor 145a in the openings (first and second windows 120 and 130) created by the etching.

[0045] In a particular example of the present disclosure, the thermal dielectric material is predominantly composed of diamond, and the routing paths include routing paths to route electricity connected to conductive material within the semiconductor device (e.g., at least partially traversing first and second windows created by the patterning and / or mask layers as above), and to route thermals generated by the semiconductor device through the diamond. In certain examples, the diameter of each thermal (via) pathway through the thermal dielectric material is in an approximate range from 100 nm to 300 um, with the TC of the diamond in the vias being between 500 and 2000 W / m / K.

[0046] Consistent with the above aspects, such a manufactured device or method of such manufacture may involve aspects presented and claimed in U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 63 / 695,256 filed on September 16, 2024 (CMAT. 100P1), to which priority is claimed. To the extent permitted, such subject matter is incorporated by reference in its entirety generally and to the extent that further aspects and examples (such as experimental and / mo re-detailed embodiments) may be useful to supplement and / or clarity.

[0047] Consistent with the present disclosure, such devices and / or methods may be used for producing, among others, traditional electronics-type devices, high-powered and / or fastswitching (transistor) devices, and optical devices. In particular, certain aspects of the present disclosure are directed to such devices that benefit from using diamond or diamond-like materials (e.g., diamond-composite substrates). These include devices compatible with conventional foundry processes, and / or processes that may be implemented to address one or more of the challenges noted above. With certain of these aspects being applicable in a variety of circuit types and implemented using thin film diamond and diamond-like materials, such aspects may be utilized as a replacement for copper thermal vias and signal routings, for instance in Back-End-of-Line (BEOL) production.

[0048] Thin intrinsic diamond technology, which may be used instead of Cu thermal vias, for heat spreading from the buried tiers of the 3D chips. Highly boron-doped diamond material may be utilized instead of Cu signal routings and power delivery network to build an All-Diamond BEOL structure with a 2x higher heat spreading efficiency. For example, in FIG. IB, instead of using Cu seed layer deposition to develop a Cu-type conductor for signal / power routing, the copper seeding and Cu development can be replaced by Boron-doped diamond to be used as signal / power routing. The specially post-processed thin diamond can reach a TC value of >800 W / m / K with only a thickness of ~150 nm. This extremely high TC for such a thin material may be achieved by annealing the thin diamond by using an appropriate gas and temperature to effect fewer grain boundaries on the surface. In one example also according to the present disclosure, this extremely high TC for such a thin material has been achieved by annealing the thin diamond in a special gas (Ar or H2) and temperature condition (localized heating using Ar ion beams, double and triple beams at a temperature range from 200-1000C).

[0049] Especially advantageous for optical devices, a reduction in the number of grain boundaries effects a reduction in phonon scattering and an enhancement of thin diamond thermal conductivity (TC).

[0050] Highly boron-doped diamond material (e.g., at concentrations above ~1020cm ’) permits diamond’s resistivity to be reduced to the 103Q cm range, enabling it to carry substantial current densities while simultaneously spreading heat away from active regions far more efficiently than copper in oxide stacks. Unlike Cu, which requires a separate diffusion barrier and suffers from electromigration at high temperatures, boron doped diamond is chemically inert, mechanically robust, and stable well beyond typical BEOL thermal budgets. Also according to the present disclosure, this allows direct integration into dual damascene structures within a diamond or composite dielectric, creating interconnects that maintain low parasitic capacitance, suppress thermal hotspots, and improve long term reliability in high power or high frequency devices.

[0051] In connection with certain specific examples and consistent with the above embodiments (which may build on the above-discussed aspects), other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to the use of a thermal dielectric material, such as impure diamond, having a relatively -high dielectric constant (~5.5-5.7, which is well above typical materials having a low dielectric constant from ~2-3). Accordingly, such devices according to the present disclosure may be manufactured in a manner that is compatible with many conventional fabrication equipment and related processes that might otherwise be rejected as being unsuitable given expectations of delayed signal speed and related increases in resistance-capacitance criteria. As validated in proof-of-concept experimentation according to the present disclosure, testing revealed that thermal dielectric materials (e.g., impure diamond and others that are set to have a relatively-high dielectric constant) show exceptional thermal conductivity of diamond (500-1800 W / m / K) and thereby enable higher current densitieswithout electromigration failure. These realizations show that such thermal dielectric materials outweigh the modest k-value increase in targeted high-power applications.[00521 As with FIGs. 1A and IB, FIG. 1C depicts another table, but with three rows and three columns, to show stages of exemplary chip fabrication according to the present disclosure. The depicted entries in the table illustrate the fabrication sequence from top row to middle row to bottom row; from left to right. The chip represented in FIG. 1C uses a thin- diamond technology7useful for a dual damascene processing of one of many conductor pathways (e.g., defined by diamond-Cu-SiCOH, diamond-Cu, and diamond-on-diamond combinations). Importantly and as an unexpected discovery, this BEOL processing approach uses a low-dielectric constant diamond as a thin inter-layer dielectric (ILD, aka thermal dielectric material layer) to facilitate heat dissipation efficiency by more than lOOx, relative to conventional processes, without adding parasitic capacitances due to the low dielectric constant of the thin-diamond technology.

[0053] FIG. 2 is an illustration of a semiconductor-type device 200 after a significant amount of fabrication, with the illustration of FIG. 2 showing the semiconductor-type device to include a plurality7(e.g., three) chiplets 201, 202 and 203 integrated onto a common substrate, also according to the present disclosure. Such thin-diamond (ILD) technology maybe used to fabricate substrates that are ready to bond to device layers. For example, these bond ready substrates can be used for Si-based 2.5D, for 3D chips, and also for GaN, AIN, and Ga2C>3-based transistors, high-frequency powder amplifiers, and / or powder modules. As shown, below7the chiplets and above substrate 230 the semiconductor-ty pe device 200 includes thermal (low-k) dielectric material 210 such as diamond and may also include more conventional dielectric material(s) 220. In this example, the semiconductor-type device 200 also include electrically-conductive signal routing and / or powder routing paths (aka pathways or vias) 240. These paths 240 may be formed using the etching-related processing discussed above in connection with FIGs. 1A, IB and 1C.

[0054] In certain examples according to the present disclosure diamond is deposited or bonded on 2”, 4”, 6”, and 8” substrates (depending on their availability). The diamond, or alternative material, acts as a heat spreading material. As show n in FIG. 3 at 310, 315 and 320, the substrate (aka “base material”) may be composed of, or at least predominantly composed of, or include, any one or a combination of Si, SiC, AIN. GaN and Ga2Os. By using such substrate materials, circuitry may be in certain instances included therein. At 310, the substrate is shown w ith a thermal (low-k) dielectric material such as diamond / AIN composite, with the upper surface of the thermal (low-k) dielectric material at 310 showingthe structure being ready for bonding to the device layer (as shown bonding at 315 and bonded at 320). Then, using interface engineering techniques, the surface of the diamond may be covered, to facilitate a secure bonding, with 1-10 nm of SiC, SiCh, AI2O3, or SiNx, as examples, and using PECVD, LPCVD, or MOCVD methods. The choice of the dielectric and its thickness (as well as the roughness of the etched walls defining the openings) may vary based on the device layer material. Before dielectric deposition the surface of the diamond may be polished using a polishing method (e.g., a mixed polishing method including a combination from among CMP, ion-mill, and ICP / RIE), to less than 1 nm RMS value. In order to lower the thermal resistance of the host substrate, diamond-through-vias (or diamond-like-through-vias, both referred to using the acronym "DTV”) may be incorporated in the host substrate with different shapes, as shown in using the vertically-directed strips in each of 310, 315 and 320 of FIG. 3.

[0055] Examples of such differently shaped (diamond-) through- vias are depicted to the right of FIG. 3 at 330, 335 and 340. The structure at 330 has vertically-directed non-tapering DTVs, the structure at 335 has upwardly -tapering (downwardly-expanding) DTVs and the structure at 340 has downwardly-tapering DTVs.

[0056] In a manner similar to FIG. 3, FIG. 4 is another set of illustrations depicting exemplary fabrication stages of various versions of a semiconductor-type device. As shown at 400 and 405 of FIG. 4, however, the initial structure 400 is configured to have opposing sides of the substrate structure being bond ready for securing a first device layer against (directly or indirectly) the upper surface and similarly a second device layer against the opposing (bottom) surface, thereby having device layers bonded to opposing sides of the substrate and with through-vias configured to draw heat out from hot spots generated during operation of one or both device layers (as at 410). The depictions 412a, 412b and 412c to the right of FIG. 4 illustrate examples of such differently shaped (diamond-) through-vias such as disclosed in connection with FIG. 3 at 330, 335 and 340.

[0057] Consistent with the types of semiconductor apparatuses depicted in connection with the examples of FIGs. 3 and 4, another important aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a semiconductor apparatus that includes different sections or regions that are designed to cooperate in providing thermal management for one of more circuits secured to or as part of the apparatus. The different sections or regions include a base material, a heat spreading material, (optionally, an interfacial layer (shown in FIGs. 3 and 4 only by the corresponding demarcation lines) between the base material and heat spreading material), and an interlayer material (which can in some examples incorporate or subsume such aninterfacial layer such as an engineered (e.g., polished and / or doped) surface) between the heat spreading material and the device layer. In this above context: the base material is characterized as having at least one of, or a combination of, the following attributes: a thickness within a range from 50 um to 800 um, a surface characterized by an RMS roughness within a range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm, and at least one lateral dimension within a range from 2 inches to 8 inches; and the heat spreading material is characterized as having at least one of, or a combination of, the following attributes: a thickness within a range from 100 nm to 100 um and a high thermal conductivity within a range from 40 W / m / K to 2200 W / m / K. In these types of semiconductor apparatuses, the heat spreading material can, in different examples, respectively correspond to a thermal low-k dielectric material (as discussed herein) or another type of thermal (e.g., not low-k) dielectric material. In these examples also, the interlayer and / or interfacial layer can be engineered to include one or a combination of: SiC. SiCh. AI2O3, HfCh or SiNx (e.g., with a thickness in a range from 1 nm to 200 nm).

[0058] In more specific examples that may build on any of the above-described example embodiments disclosed hereinabove (e.g., in connection with FIGs. 3 and 4), any one of these example embodiments may be characterized by one or any combination of the following aspects: the heat spreading material, at least predominantly being composed of diamond, being characterized by a thickness within a range from 100 nm to 200 um; the base material being at least predominantly composed of one of the following: Si, SiC, GaN, and Ga2O3; the heat spreading material: being at least predominantly is composed of diamond, and having a surface characterized by a roughness within a range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm; the heat spreading material, and the interlayer material being configured against the heat spreading material and being composed of one or more materials among which is at least one of: SiNx, SiC, SiO2, A12O3, and a combination thereof; the interlayer material thickness being within a range from 1 nm to 20 nm; the interlayer material being associated with a surface roughness that is in within an RMS value range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm; the base material including at least one diamond-through-via that is at least predominantly composed of diamond; the base material including a plurality of diamond-through-vias, at least one being at least predominantly composed of diamond and being configured to correspond to at least one of: a 3D rectangular shape, a 3D triangular shape,; and a trapezoidal, or other four-sided polygonal, shape with sidewall degrees being within a range from 50 degrees to 90 degrees; the base material includes a plurality of diamond-through-vias, each being at least predominantly composed of diamond, that extend from a surface area of the based materialand that are associated with a via density within a range from 1% to 60% of the surface area; the base material includes a plurality of diamond-through-vias, each being at least predominantly composed of diamond and each being associated with a via cross-section that varies within a range from 100 nm to 300 um; and the base material having opposing surface sides, each of which has a lack of roughness characterized as being polish smooth ready and bond-ready for securing to a respective one of a plurality of device layers.

[0059] In certain more specific and / or experimental examples, the thermal dielectric material and / or a substrate attached thereto, has such DTVs. The DTVs may be made by etching trenches (e.g., deep reactive ion etching or wet-based anisotropic etching techniques). Next, the processing involves selective seeding of diamond inside only the trenches, and then depositing diamond in the trenches up to or towards the surface of the structure.

[0060] In connection with certain specific examples and consistent with the above embodiments, other aspects of the present disclosure are directed to an etching approach that, with the use of a specific slurry chemistry, a barrier adhesion, and etch stop integration, facilitates reliable trench and / or via definition without damage to surrounding features (e.g., immediately-adjacent layers not intended to be etched), thereby overcoming etch selectivity challenges and providing an integration pathway for dual damascene process flows that contradicts expectations from traditional (e.g.. copper / low-k) dual damascene process. In a more particular example, such damage mitigation is achieved by high-selectivity diamond etching for dual damascene. This may be achieved, for example, by combining Ch-dominant chemistry, which oxidizes sp1carbon to volatile CO / CO2, with small SFe additions that generate F radicals to fluorinate and passivate Si-based masks, and Ar+bombardment to break C-C bonds and maintain anisotropy; tuning gas ratios (e.g., Ch / SFe / Ar « 80 / 10 / 10 % to 90 / 5 / 5%, or 90 / 10 / 0%, or 90 / 0 / 10%), bias (-100-300 eV), and low pressure (1-20 mTorr) yields diamond etch rates of -50- 300 nm min-1and >10: 1 selectivity to SiCh. Selectivity is further improved by using thick, fluorination-resistant hard masks (e.g., SiCh. SisN4, AI2O3, metals as first and / or second mask layers), bilayer mask stacks, cyclic etch / passivation steps, and substrate cooling to preserve mask integrity, enabling deep, vertical features with minimal mask erosion. In this way, the etched walls of the thermal dielectric material manifest a noticeable degree of roughness (due to the etching), whereas in contrast thermal dielectric material surface portions that are immediately adjacent to the etched walls do not manifest any such etch-roughness damage.

[0061] As further discussed in connection with FIG. 7, the bond ready technology may be extended to a double-sided substrate for bonding device layers. In this type of example asrepresented in FIGs. 3, 4 and 7, oppositely-situated thin diamond layers may be secured (and connected) on either side of the device layer for thermal management of heat generated by the active regions of targeted circuitry7in the device layer with certain of these illustrated examples having using diamond-through- vias (DTVs) to assist in the thermal management.

[0062] Also according to the present disclosure, certain examples are particularly suited for Al applications, and photonics. For example, where circuitry involves Al clusters processing data at high rates, and faster data transmission and faster processing due to the speed and high bandwidth (e.g., of optical signals), such circuitry may be significantly benefited by thermal-management structures of the present disclosure, which render this type of circuitry as being more energy-efficient, generating less heat and reducing operational costs. Additionally, photonics technology may facilitate high-density integration on a single chip, improving scalability and reducing latency with rapid data transfer. Enhanced bandwidth efficiency through techniques like wavelength division multiplexing further boosts their ability to handle large volumes of data effectively. Overall, these benefits make photonics Al clusters a compelling choice for advanced Al applications.

[0063] FIG. 5A is a set of illustrations depicting an exemplary set of several stages of yet another semiconductor-ty pe device at 500, also according to the present disclosure, in the form of a chiplet attached to a package substrate through a thermal-management structure formed as combination of silicon (Si) integrated with a thermal dielectric (diamond) material, with vias extending in an undulating manner from the thermal dielectric material into the Si. In order from the first stage through the sixth stage, this development includes: (i) the initial Si formation on the thermal dielectric material at 501; (ii) Si surface grinding at 502; (iii) using openings by etching into the thermal-management structure, Cu pillars extending as through-vias from the ground Si surface well into the body of the thermal dielectric material at 503; (iv) formation of a redistribution layer (RDL) and under-bump-metallization (UBM) for contacts between circuitry of the to-be-connected chiplet (and later to the package substrate) at 504; (v) grinding and / or etching at the lower portion of the thermal dielectric material to expose the through-via Cu pillars at 505; and (vi) UBM for the contacts of the package substrate at 506. For the last stage, as depicted after the sixth stage, the chiplet and the package substrate are respectively secured to the top and bottom of the thermalmanagement structure.

[0064] FIG. 5B is a set of illustrations depicting exemplary’ stages of the type of chiplet shown in FIG. 5 A, as implemented as a device on a wafer 510, also according to the present disclosure. The first stage at 511 involves SiNxpatterning (with masking on the top andbottom surfaces) before etching for defining undulating via structures of the thermal dielectric material into the Si. The second stage at 512 involves overnight processing for KOH etching (e.g., using a potassium hydroxide solution to etch the silicon). The third stage at 513 involves growth of the diamond as undulating via structures into the Si. The fourth stage at 514 involves grinding the lower side of the diamond to lessen or minimize the roughness. Finally, the fifth stage at 515 in this particular example involves removal of the SiNx and cleaning (for example, with phosphoric acid (H3PO4) or hydrogen fluoride (HF)).

[0065] FIG. 5C is an example of a more complex arrangement of an IC device 518 including multiple chiplets (e.g.. of the types disclosed in the above-discussed examples) and a stack of layered structures, which may be modified to implement aspects illustrated in one or more of FIGs. 4, 5 A and 5B. The stack of layered structures include (beginning at the top) a heat sink 520, a thermal dielectric material (aka “thermal interlayer material” or TIM) 525, a diamond or diamond-like heat spreader 530 in which chiplets 1. 2, etc., may be located for convenient access to thermally-conductive and electrically-conductive pathways (layer 540), via layer 535 which includes Cu pillars, UBMs and RDLs for effecting appropriate connections . As in the above-discussed examples of FIGs. 4, 5a and 5b, similarly constructed through-vias may be formed in layer 540 (not shown in FIG. 5c). Next, layer 550 includes a set of one or more build-up layers as may be needed for networks of thermally-conductive and / or electrically-conductive pathways. Between layer 540 and layer 550 is layer 545 including ubumps and UBMs for connections between layers 540 and 550. Below layer 550, there is a layer 555 including a diamond or diamond-like enhanced package substrate with through-vias (e.g., diamond pillars as in the examples of FIGs. 4, 5a and 5b) extending vertically (and / or optionally in non-vertical directions - not shown) to assist in thermal management during operation of the circuitry in the chiplets. Next, at 560 there is another set of one or more build-up layers, constructed in a manner similar to that show n at 550. Next, at 570 the device include C4 bumps and underfill for connecting to a printed circuit board (PCB) 580.

[0066] Accordingly and as exemplified in the more complex arrangement shown in FIG. 5C, thermal (low-k) dielectric material (e.g., as at 540 and 555) may be used in various manners to help with management of heat generated by (e.g., hot spots in) circuitry in various IC configurations, even in one or more the chiplets relatively distal from the thermal (low-k) dielectric material regions.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a set of illustrations depicting an example process of integrating diamond, and / or diamond-like material, into a laser diode in different fabrication stages, alsoaccording to the present disclosure, including both wafer-level 605 and system-level integration 610. As shown at the upper left of FIG. 6, the wafer level integration 605 includes metalization 605a, integration of diamond at 605b for which diamond may be deposited on top of a low-dose (LD) w afer 605c (acting as a substrate). The LD wafer 605c may be formed by use of low dose of ion implantation to achieve electrical properties as specified for each afer chip. The thermal dielectric (diamond) material is configured between p-type and n- type layers. The metalization 605a is used to form the (top and bottom) contacts such as 620.

[0068] In FIG. 6, the example system-level integration 605 is depicted with a representative one 620 of the wafer chips being implemented as part of the laser diode device 630. The laser diode device, as shown in this example, includes a pair of heat sinks thermally coupled to the contacts by bonded wires, and a lens for directing light transmitted from the laser diode device.

[0069] Using a particular optical device as an example circuit having diamond or diamond-like material as thermal dielectric material according to the present disclosure, FIG. 7 is a set of related illustrations depicting thermal-conductive interlayer integrated into an epi structure of a III-V laser diode. The laser diode is configured to operate with p-type and n-type GaN terminals on either side of a MQW (Multiple Quantum Well). As electrons are injected from the n-type layer and holes are injected from the p-type layer into the quantum wells, electrons and holes recombine in the quantum wells, thereby releasing energy in the form of photons (light) thermal dielectric. As depicted in the first two images 710 and 720 of FIG. 7, these layers are formed on a Sapphire substrate with the thermal dielectric material, in the form of elongated (or columnar) structures, extending from the Sapphire substrate through the p-type layer to an upper thermal layer, which may be composed of diamond, diamond-like material or as the same type of thermal dielectric material used to implement the columnar structures. Alternative substrate materials include SiC, Si, GaN, GaAs, and InP (alone, or in combination with each other, and / or in combination with Sapphire). While the MQW-based structure enhances the optical gain and the GaN materials provide good thermal stability, the columnar structures and the upper thermal layer are configured to provide thermal management.

[0070] As depicted in FIG. 7, the upper thermal layer can be implemented as a matrix that includes thermalty-conductive and electrically-conductive pathways (e.g., in 3D or X, Y and Z directions) with the electrically-conductive pathways connecting to one or more contacts of the p-type upper layer for connecting to the p-type GaN terminal and, through one or more of the columnar structures, to one or more contacts of n-type lower layer forconnecting to the n-type GaN terminal. Optionally and as depicted in the next sequential image 730 of FIG. 7, the Sapphire substrate may be removed for growth or bonded attachment of another thermal dielectric material as at 740. In this alternative structure, the form of columnar structures extend from through the p-type layer, the MQW layer and the n- type layer, with both an upper thermal layer and / or lower thermal layer carrying out the function of thermal management and, optionally, also implemented as a matrix that includes thermally-conductive and electrically-conductive pathways. The lower thermal layer may also be composed of diamond, diamond-like material or as the same type of thermal dielectric material used to implement the columnar structures.

[0071] The final sequential image 750 of FIG. 7 is a cut-away view of the laser diode chip with the substrate replaced as in the immediately -preceding image and with an outer (package) housing upon which an optical lens is attached. Within the housing, the laser diode chip has one of the thermal management layers of the layers (implemented as a thermal dielectric material) attached to a silicon submount which, in turn is secured to a thermal heatsink. Bond wires may be used for connecting terminals the laser diode chip to respective package leads, with FIG. 7 depicting one bond wire connecting to a respective one of the package leads.

[0072] In various other embodiments, thermal management according to the present disclosure may be used for thermal management of optical transceivers. Customers for optical transceivers include large technology companies, telecommunications providers, and data center operators. These companies use optical transceivers primarily in data centers to support high-speed data transmission and handle the grow ing amount of digital information. They are also useful in telecommunications networks for providing reliable and high- performance internet and broadband services. Additionally, the expansion of cloud computing services and the rollout of 5G technology7are driving the demand for optical transceivers. Newer generations of Optics Ethernet transceivers are used to create high-speed, 100G-400G links supporting every configuration, reach, and speed in networks requiring detachable optical connectors. These transceivers are designed to create high-speed 25G- 400G optical links in Ethernet switching networks, Ethernet storage fabrics (ESF) linking hard-disk-drive (HDD) and flash memory subsystems, and NVIDIA GPU-based, end-to-end Al systems. While the enhanced transport speed has traditionally been problematic due to heat management issues, as described herein, many embodiments of the present disclosure may include aspects for addressing and overcoming these issues.

[0073] Various related (and more-specific) embodiments are directed to addressing thermal issues in optical transceivers that can otherwise degrade performance and reliability due to the sensitivity of components like lasers and photodiodes to excessive heat. Maintaining the specified operating temperature range (typically -5°C to 70°C) is useful. Effective thermal management techniques, such as heat dissipation designs, active cooling methods, and efficient component integration, help mitigate these issues. Environmental factors like ambient temperature and airflow, as well as network load, also play significant roles in managing transceiver temperatures. Proper heat spreader design and efficient integration can ensure the longevity and reliability’ of optical transceivers.

[0074] Another important aspect of the present disclosure is directed to co-packaged optical transceivers (CPO) that, accordingly to certain embodiments (for example, pluggable optical transceivers), utilize thermal and / or conductor pathways integrated with thermal dielectric material as disclosed herein. For instance, CPOs can significantly reduce power consumption by bringing the optics closer to the host switching ASIC, eliminating the need for high-power I / O drivers. This proximity also enhances bandwidth scalability' and system density', allowing for higher I / O port counts. Additionally, CPOs may improve thermal management and reliability by distributing the signal among multiple independent laser sources, reducing the risk of system failure due to a single laser malfunction. The shorter electrical interfaces in CPOs lead to lower latency and better electrical performance. These benefits make CPOs particularly suitable for data centers and high-performance computing environments where efficiency and performance are important.

[0075] Various embodiments are directed to mitigating thermal crosstalk issues as may relate to the placement of a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) inside an electrical package. While the thermal power from heaters and laser sources in the photonic die will affect the temperature map of the package, the heat generated in the electrical dies and the cooling mechanism of the overall system will affect the thermal behavior of the PIC.

[0076] More specifically, FIG. 8 depicts an optical transceiver with inter-layer dielectric (e g., using impure diamond) as disclosed hereinabove, with the optical transceiver being shown at both the device-level and the system level. FIG. 8 shows the optical device at the device-level as a top-down view 810 in the upper left and as a side or cutaw ay view' 820 in the upper right. FIG. 8 shows the optical device at the system level in the form of copackaged optical transceiver.

[0077] In the example of FIG. 8, thermal management 830 for the electrical dies and the optical transceiver is implemented using the interlayer dielectric material (e.g., diamond) tospread the heat at a high heat transfer rate, which is approximately one-hundred times higher than previously-known the state-of-the-art heat spreading structures.

[0078] Accordingly, many different types of processes (e.g., damascene and dual damascene, highly -doped boron instead of Cu (by using a further layer of the thermal dielectric material deposited or bonded to the surface of the opened region), etc.) and a variety of semiconductor-directed devices may be advantaged by such aspects as exemplified in the present disclosure as well as others (including the related examples in the aboveidentified U.S. Provisional Application).

[0079] As disclosed in connection with the above-discussed figures, specific (e.g.. experimental) examples consistent with the present disclosure, thermal (low-k) dielectric materials can be configured as exemplified herein so as to be integrated into a fabrication (e.g., dual damascene) process for diamond-Cu-SiCOH, diamond-Cu, and diamonddiamond interconnect architectures. Unlike conventional BEOL dielectrics such as S1O2 or SiCOH, which have thermal conductivities within an approximate range from 0.3 to 1.5 W / m K, the thermal (low-k) dielectric materials of the present disclosure exhibit thermal conductivities exceeding 65-1000 W / m K. This represents over two orders of magnitude improvement in heat spreading capability, enabling rapid extraction of heat from localized hotspots in advanced logic and photonic devices. Diamond implemented to have a low dielectric constant (e.g., within an approximate range from 2 to 3, and which is comparable to or better than many low k organosilicates) is used to realize a significant thermal enhancement that can be achieved without increasing parasitic capacitance or degrading signal integrity. In specific experimental examples, replacing the conventional ILD with Thin DTM diamond reduces interconnect thermal resistance by more than 100x, allowing higher current densities, improved device reliability, and extended performance scaling in dense BEOL stacks. This comparison, for example, involves a combination of porous SiCOH and Copper, and the case the porous SiCOH is replaced with diamond in the BEOL process (redistribution layers).

[0080] As the present disclosure present specific implementations as examples, the above-characterized figures and discussion are provided to help illustrate certain aspects (and advantages in some instances) which may be used in the manufacture of such structures and devices. These structures and devices include the exemplary structures and devices described in connection with each of the figures as well as other devices, as each such described embodiment has one or more related aspects which may be modified and / or combined withthe other such devices and examples as described hereinabove may also be found in the above-referenced Provisional.

[0081] The skilled artisan would also recognize various terminology' as used in the present disclosure by way of their plain meaning. As examples, the Specification may describe and / or illustrates aspects useful for implementing the examples by way of various semiconductor materials / circuits which may be illustrated as or using terms such as layers, blocks, modules, device, system, unit, controller, optical-type structures elements and / or other circuit-type depictions. Also, in connection with such descriptions, the term "source" may refer to source and / or drain interchangeably in the case of a transistor structure. Such semiconductor and / or semi conductive materials (including portions of semiconductor structure), circuits, circuit elements, optical elements, materials and related processes may be used together with other elements to exemplify how certain embodiments may be carried out in the form of structures, steps, functions, operations, activities, etc. It would also be appreciated that terms to exemplify orientation, such as upper / lower, left / right, top / bottom and above / below, may be used herein to refer to relative positions of elements as shown in the figures. It should be understood that the terminology' is used for notational convenience only and that in actual use the disclosed structures may be oriented different from the orientation shown in the figures. Thus, the terms should not be construed in a limiting manner.

[0082] The skilled artisan would also recognize various terminology7as used in the present disclosure by w ay of their plain meaning. As examples, the Specification may describe and / or illustrates aspects useful for implementing the examples by way of various semiconductor materials / circuits which may be illustrated as or may use terms such as layers, blocks, modules, device, system, unit, controller, and / or other circuit-ty pe depictions. As other examples, reference to a noun in the singular may refer to one from among one or more of, unless otherwise indicated (e.g., "set" in various contexts is the same as referring to one or more in the set), “comprising” is open ended and synonymous with “including”, and reference to “example” is not intended to be limiting (e.g., “example” and “non-limiting example” are synonymous). Also, in connection 'ith such descriptions, the term “set of ... ” (e.g., set of servers) refers to a set of one or more such items. Such aspects and circuit elements and / or related materials may be used together with other aspects to exemplify how certain examples may be earned out in the form or structures, steps, functions, operations, activities, etc. It should be understood that the terminology is used for notational convenience only and that in actual use the disclosed structures may be oriented and / or ordered differentfrom the orientation or ordering shown in the figures. Thus, the terms should not be construed in a limiting manner.

[0083] Based upon the above discussion and illustrations, those skilled in the art will readily recognize that various modifications and changes may be made to the various embodiments without strictly following the exemplary embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein. For example, methods as exemplified in the Figures may involve steps carried out in various orders, with one or more aspects of the embodiments herein retained, or may involve fewer or more steps. Such modifications do not depart from the true spirit and scope of various aspects of the disclosure, including aspects set forth in the claims.

Claims

What is Claimed:

1. An apparatus integrated with a semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising: a thermal dielectric material including a set of one or more layers defining routing paths to route at least one of electricity and to route at least one of thermals involving operation of the semiconductor device; characterized by an average dielectric constant within an approximate range from two to five; and including one or more sets of etched walls, each of the one or more sets respectively defining one or more of the routing paths in the thermal dielectric material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the semiconductor device being integrated with the thermal dielectric material to dissipate heat, during operation of the apparatus, away from the semiconductor device, wherein the thermal dielectric material is predominantly composed of diamond, and the routing paths include routing paths to route electricity connected to conductive material at or within the semiconductor device, and at least partially traversing a first window and a second window through the thermal dielectric material, and to route thermals generated by the semiconductor device through the diamond.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material includes at least one of the following: diamond with Nitrogen or Boron impurities, intrinsic single-crystal diamond; poly crystalline diamond; poly crystalline AIN; Si impurities; Mg impurities, and combinations thereof; and the thermal dielectric material is associated with or characterized by a thermal conductivity' metric within an approximate range from 200 W / m-K to 1200 W / m-K.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material includes diamond, and at least one of the routing paths includes copper as an electrically conductive path, wherein the electrically conductive path is connected to the semiconductor device and is to route electricity for operation of the semiconductor device with regards to powering the semiconductor device or carrying signals on behalf of the semiconductor device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is associated with or characterized by a thermal conductivity metric within an approximate range from 500 W / m-K to 1200 W / m-K.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is characterized by an average dielectric constant within an approximate range from two to three.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is characterized by a Mohs scale hardness metric in an approximate range from five to ten and by an average dielectric constant within an approximate range from three to five.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the routing paths include define conductive pathways through the thermal dielectric material and configured to: provide a power delivery’ network and a signal delivery network, for signals involving the semiconductor device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is a layer characterized by a thickness within a range from 100 nm to 1000 nm10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is at least predominantly composed of diamond, and includes an inner surface, characterized by a roughness metric, in terms of RMS (root mean square), that is not greater than 10 nm.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more sets of etched walls includes a first set of etched walls that define a first window and a second set of etched walls that define a second window, wherein the first window and the second window are different from one another in terms of direction and shape, with one of the first and second windows including a linearly- shaped trench.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal dielectric material is associated with a thermal coefficient within a range from 200 W / m-K to 1000 W / m-K.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including one of more columnar thermally - conductive dielectric structures oriented non-planar relative to a plane along which the one or more layers defining routing paths are oriented.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further including the semiconductor device implemented as an optical light-emitting device having p-type and n-type layers on opposing sides of the thermal dielectric material.

15. An apparatus integrated with a semiconductor device, the apparatus comprising: a thermal dielectric material including a set of one or more layers defining routing paths to route at least one of electricity and to route at least one of thermals involving operation of the semiconductor device, and characterized by an average dielectric constant within an approximate range from two to five; a first mask layer of a first material ty pe; a first set of etched window walls defining a first window in the thermal dielectric material; a second mask layer of a second different material type on a side of the first mask layer opposite the thermal dielectric material; and a second set of etched window walls defining a second window in the thermal dielectric material, the second window and the first window being at least partially aligned to provide a path within the thermal dielectric material.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second window and the first window are at least partially aligned with regards to a portion of the second set of etched window walls being commonly aligned with a portion of the first set of etched window walls.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second window and the first window are at least partially aligned with regards to oppositely-facing portions of the second set of etched window walls being commonly aligned with oppositely -facing portions of the first set of etched window walls.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further including a barrier layer against the thermal dielectric material, wherein the set of one or more etched walls manifest etch-roughness damage whereas immediately -adjacent surface portions of the thermal dielectric material do not manifest etch-roughness damage.

19. A semiconductor apparatus comprising: a base material having a thickness within a range from 50 um to 800 um, and a surface characterized by an RMS roughness within a range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm, and with at least one lateral dimension within a range from 2 inches to 8 inches; a heat spreading material having a thickness within a range from 100 nm to 100 um and having a high thermal conductivity within a range from 40 W / m / K to 2200 W / m / K; an interfacial layer or surface between the base material and heat spreading material; and an interlayer material between the heat spreading material and a device layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the heat spreading material, at least predominantly is composed of diamond, is characterized by a thickness within a range from 100 nm to200 um.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the base material is at least predominantly composed of one of the following: Si, SiC, GaN, and Ga2O3.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the heat spreading material: is at least predominantly composed of diamond, and has a surface characterized by a roughness within a range from 0.1 nm to 20 nm.

23. The apparatus of claim 19. wherein the heat spreading matenal. at least predominantly is composed of diamond, and the interlayer material is configured against the heat spreading material and is composed of one or more materials among w hich is at least one of: SiNx, SiC, SiO2, A12O3, and a combination thereof.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the interlayer material has a thickness within a range from 1 nm to 20 nm.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the interlayer material is associated with a surface roughness that is in within an RMS value range from 0. 1 nm to 20 nm.

26. The apparatus of claim 19. wherein the base material includes at least one diamond- through- via that is at least predominantly composed of diamond.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the base material includes a plurality of diamond- through-vias. at least one being at least predominantly composed of diamond and being configured to correspond to at least one of: a 3D rectangular shape, a 3D triangular shape; and a trapezoidal, or other four-sided polygonal, shape with sidewall degrees being within a range from 50 degrees to 90 degrees.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the base material includes a plurality of diamond- through-vias, each being at least predominantly composed of diamond, that extend from a surface area of the based material and that are associated with a via density within a range from 1% to 60% of the surface area.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the base material includes a plurality of diamond- through-vias, each being at least predominantly composed of diamond and each being associated with a via cross-section that varies within a range from 100 nm to 300 um.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the base material has opposing surface sides, each of which has a lack of roughness characterized as being polish smooth ready and bond-ready for securing to a respective one of a plurality' of device layers.

31. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, the method comprising: forming a first mask layer of a first material type on a thermal dielectric that includes diamond; forming at least one routing structure, to route electricity' and thermals, on or within the thermal dielectric by opening a first window in the first mask layer, depositing a second mask layer of a second material type, different than the first material type, on or over the first mask layer, opening a second window in the second mask layer, etching the thermal dielectric to form a groove aligned with the first windoyv; andremoving at a portion of the first mask layer that is exposed to the second mask layer within the second window.

32. The method of claim 31, further including: another etching step and forming a dual damascene conductor structure on or within the thermal dielectric, located at least partially within the first window and the second window, and as part of the at least one routing structure; and wherein forming at least one routing path includes forming, within layers of the thermal dielectric, a plurality of electricity routing paths and a plurality of thermal routing paths; and forming the thermal dielectric to include at least one of the following: Diamond with Nitrogen or Boron impurities, Intrinsic single-crystal or poly crystalline AIN or with Si or Mg impurities, and combinations thereof; and wherein the thermal dielectric is associated with or characterized by a thermal conductivity metric within a range from 200 W / m-K to 1000 W / m-K.

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