A method of forming bump sites on bond-pads in the manufacturing of microelectronic devices, comprising: providing a microelectronic workpiece having a plurality of dies, wherein individual dies include integrated circuitry and bond-pads electrically coupled to the integrated circuitry; constructing a dielectric structure such that the dielectric structure has openings aligned with corresponding bond-pads and the openings have sidewalls arranged to at least partially expose the bond-pads and shoulders projecting transversely relative to the sidewalls, wherein constructing a dielectric structure comprises: forming a passivation structure by depositing a first dielectric layer over the workpiece; depositing a second dielectric layer onto the first dielectric layer; depositing a photo-active third dielectric layer onto the second dielectric layer; developing the third dielectric layer to have holes aligned with the bond-pads; etching through the first and second dielectric layers to form the openings, wherein the sidewalls of the openings extend through the first, second and third dielectric layers and project from the bond-pads; and forming the shoulders by using a plasma clean-up to erode the third dielectric layer such that an upper surface of the second dielectric layer projects laterally inward into the openings beyond a lower surface of the third dielectric layer; depositing a metal layer (430, 440) over the dielectric structure and the bond-pads, wherein metal layer has steps seated with the shoulders in the openings; and removing portions of the metal layer from upper portions of the dielectric structure to form self-aligned caps over the bond-pads by placing the workpiece against a planarizing medium and moving the workpiece and/or the planarizing medium relative to each other. providing a microelectronic workpiece having a plurality of dies, wherein individual dies include integrated circuitry and bond-pads electrically coupled to the integrated circuitry; constructing a dielectric structure such that the dielectric structure has openings aligned with corresponding bond-pads and the openings have sidewalls arranged to at least partially expose the bond-pads and shoulders projecting transversely relative to the sidewalls, wherein constructing a dielectric structure comprises: forming a passivation structure by depositing a first dielectric layer over the workpiece; depositing a second dielectric layer onto the first dielectric layer; depositing a photo-active third dielectric layer onto the second dielectric layer; developing the third dielectric layer to have holes aligned with the bond-pads; etching through the first and second dielectric layers to form the openings, wherein the sidewalls of the openings extend through the first, second and third dielectric layers and project from the bond-pads; and forming the shoulders by using a plasma clean-up to erode the third dielectric layer such that an upper surface of the second dielectric layer projects laterally inward into the openings beyond a lower surface of the third dielectric layer; depositing a metal layer (430, 440) over the dielectric structure and the bond-pads, wherein metal layer has steps seated with the shoulders in the openings; and removing portions of the metal layer from upper portions of the dielectric structure to form self-aligned caps over the bond-pads by placing the workpiece against a planarizing medium and moving the workpiece and/or the planarizing medium relative to each other. forming a passivation structure by depositing a first dielectric layer over the workpiece; depositing a second dielectric layer onto the first dielectric layer; depositing a photo-active third dielectric layer onto the second dielectric layer; developing the third dielectric layer to have holes aligned with the bond-pads; etching through the first and second dielectric layers to form the openings, wherein the sidewalls of the openings extend through the first, second and third dielectric layers and project from the bond-pads; and forming the shoulders by using a plasma clean-up to erode the third dielectric layer such that an upper surface of the second dielectric layer projects laterally inward into the openings beyond a lower surface of the third dielectric layer; depositing a metal layer (430, 440) over the dielectric structure and the bond-pads, wherein metal layer has steps seated with the shoulders in the openings; and removing portions of the metal layer from upper portions of the dielectric structure to form self-aligned caps over the bond-pads by placing the workpiece against a planarizing medium and moving the workpiece and/or the planarizing medium relative to each other.