Patent ID: 8034713

Claim:
A method, comprising: providing first and second substrates; for each substrate: forming in the substrate a recess delineating a closed perimeter in the substrate; filling the recess with an insulating material; forming, in the substrate, an integrated circuit and a first conductive area coupled to the integrated circuit; and forming in the substrate an electrically insulated region within the closed perimeter delineated by the recess, the forming including thinning the substrate from a bottom side of the substrate until reaching at least a bottom of the recess; after forming the insulated region in each substrate, forming a stack of the substrates by bonding the substrates together; after forming the insulated region in each substrate, making a hole at least partially through the first conductive areas and passing through the insulated region of each substrate; and obtaining a first conductive column which is in lateral electrical contact with the first conductive areas by filling the hole with an electrically conductive material.