Patent ID: 6936913

Claim:
A semiconductor device comprising: first and second semicondutor dies, each having a substrate with integrated circuitry formed on a front side of the substrate; a metal bonding pad overlying each of the substrates on the front side thereof and electrically connected to the integrated circuitry; at least one solder bump on the metal bonding pad of at least one of the semiconductor dies; and at least one electrically conductive via electrically connected with the metal bonding pad of at least one of the semiconductor dies and extending through the substrate from the metal bonding pad to a back side of the subtrate where the electrically conductive via forms a side wall of a via hole; wherein the size of the opening of the via hole in the back side of the substrate is approximately equal to the diameter of a meniscus on the solder bump; wherein the meniscus projects into the opening of the via hole when the first and second semiconductor dies are stacked with the via hole and solder bump in approximate lateral registration; and wherein the via hole and solder bump facilitate lateral self-alignment and assembly of the first and second semiconductor dies when the solder bump is reflowed into the via hole.