Patent ID: 8021926

Claim:
A method for forming an electronic element, comprising: providing an initial substrate comprising a semiconductor and of an initial thickness between an initial first surface and an opposed initial second surface; forming one or more pipes or trenches extending into the initial substrate from the initial first surface by a distance less than the initial thickness; substantially filling the pipes or trenches with a conductor to form conductor filled pipes or trenches; forming a semiconductor layer over the initial first surface and the conductor filled pipes or trenches wherein the semiconductor layer comprises a region adapted for device formation and having a new first surface; forming one or more semiconductor devices in the device region; thinning the initial substrate by removing material from the initial second surface thereby providing a thinned substrate with a new second surface with one or more lower faces of the conductor in the conductor filled pipes or trenches exposed thereon; and providing a conductor supported by the new second surface making Ohmic contact to the one or more lower faces of the conductor in the conductor filled pipes or trenches.