A three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor based on TSV and a temperature detection method

Abstract

The embodiment of the application discloses a TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor and a temperature detection method, which can realize accurate detection of the internal temperature of a three-dimensional integrated chip, improve the device utilization rate of the three-dimensional integrated chip, realize differential detection architecture through differential voltage measurement of two TSV temperature sensing units by using a differential readout circuit, can improve the temperature detection precision, the TSV temperature sensing unit composed of a plurality of TSVs in series has good temperature sensitivity, can improve the minimum temperature change signal that can be detected, increase the effective value of the resistance temperature coefficient, and the temperature detection method of the three-dimensional integrated chip can significantly improve the sensitivity of temperature measurement by using the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor; therefore, the application can realize high-precision and high-sensitivity temperature monitoring, and is suitable for real-time response and adjustment to a complex thermal management environment. The application is widely applied in the field of chip thermal management technology.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of chip thermal management technology, and in particular to a three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor and temperature detection method based on TSV (Through Silicon Via). Background Technology

[0002] 3D integrated circuits (3D ICs) enable vertical interconnection of multi-layer chips, significantly improving system integration, performance, and energy efficiency. They can significantly reduce interconnect latency, shrink package size, and increase bandwidth, making them a crucial technology direction in the post-Moore's Law era, widely used in high-performance computing, mobile terminals, and AI chips. However, high-density integration and stacking lead to a sharp increase in power density per unit volume. Combined with factors such as mismatched coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) and TSV thermal resistance among the layers, significant non-uniform temperature distribution and thermal stress occur within the 3D IC (especially in interlayer regions). These "hot spots" and temperature gradients severely threaten chip reliability (e.g., electromigration, hot carrier degradation, timing failures), reducing system lifetime. Therefore, real-time, accurate, and three-dimensional spatial distribution monitoring within 3D ICs is a key prerequisite for achieving efficient dynamic thermal management (DTM) and improving chip reliability.

[0003] 3D integrated chips face challenges such as limited internal space and lack of direct interlayer access. Traditional infrared thermal imagers and surface thermal sensors (e.g., thermocouples, resistance temperature detectors (RTDs)) can only measure the temperature of the chip surface or package, and are difficult to integrate into 3D IC chips, failing to reflect the true internal and interlayer temperature distribution. They also have limitations in thermal response speed and spatial resolution. Traditional on-chip temperature sensors (DTSs) based on principles such as PN junctions and ring oscillators are typically located in the functional core or I / O area, with limited spatial resolution (a chip typically has only a few to dozens of sensors), making them difficult to deploy at interlayer interfaces in chip stacks or to accurately capture local hotspots near TSVs. Their wiring is complex and occupies valuable chip area. In 3D chip stacking scenarios, placing sensors within functional layers also increases design complexity and thermal crosstalk. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the technical challenges of accurately detecting the internal temperature of three-dimensional integrated chips, which is crucial, this invention aims to provide a three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor and temperature detection method based on TSV.

[0005] On one hand, embodiments of the present invention include a three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor based on TSV, wherein...

[0006] Multiple TSV temperature sensing units; each TSV temperature sensing unit includes at least one TSV, or multiple TSVs and at least one connecting device, each TSV is disposed in a three-dimensional integrated chip, and each connecting device is connected in series with each TSV;

[0007] Differential readout circuit; the differential readout circuit is used to detect the differential voltage between any two of the TSV temperature sensing units, and determine the temperature information based on the differential voltage.

[0008] Furthermore, each TSV in the same TSV temperature sensing unit is located on the same chip layer in the three-dimensional integrated chip, and each TSV temperature sensing unit is distributed in different chip layers in the three-dimensional integrated chip.

[0009] Furthermore, the TSV is a redundant via in the three-dimensional integrated chip.

[0010] Furthermore, in the TSV temperature sensing unit, the end of the TSV not connected to the connecting device forms a first end and a second end; the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor further includes:

[0011] A multiplexer; the multiplexer includes an output terminal and multiple connection terminals, the output terminal is connected to the differential readout circuit, and the connection terminals are connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of a corresponding TSV temperature sensing unit; the multiplexer is used to select and connect the output terminal to any two of the connection terminals.

[0012] Furthermore, the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor also includes:

[0013] An analog-to-digital converter; the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the differential readout circuit, and the analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the temperature information in analog format into digital format;

[0014] A thermal management unit; the thermal management unit is connected to the analog-to-digital converter, and the thermal management unit is used to receive the temperature information in digital format and perform thermal management based on the temperature information.

[0015] Furthermore, each of the TSV temperature sensing units is configured through the following steps:

[0016] Extract the position information of the TSV in the three-dimensional integrated chip;

[0017] Identify hotspot regions in the three-dimensional integrated chip;

[0018] Each TSV located in the same hotspot area is identified as a TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit;

[0019] For each TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit, determine the series connection order;

[0020] The connecting devices are placed in series according to the series connection sequence.

[0021] Furthermore, determining the series connection order includes the following steps:

[0022] A graph structure is obtained by modeling based on the location information of the TSV; the graph structure includes multiple nodes and weighted edges between the nodes, the nodes represent the TSV, and the weight of the edge represents the path resistance between the two TSVs corresponding to the two connected nodes;

[0023] With the goal of maximizing the total path resistance, a path-finding algorithm is executed on the graph structure to obtain the path information output by the path-finding algorithm;

[0024] The serial connection order is determined based on the path information.

[0025] On the other hand, embodiments of the present invention also include a temperature detection method, the temperature detection method comprising:

[0026] Obtain the three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in the embodiment;

[0027] The TSV temperature sensing units are combined to obtain multiple TSV temperature sensing groups; each TSV temperature sensing group includes a TSV temperature sensing unit located in the low-heat area of ​​the three-dimensional integrated chip and a TSV temperature sensing unit located in the high-heat area of ​​the three-dimensional integrated chip.

[0028] Poll each of the TSV temperature sensor groups;

[0029] For the polled TSV temperature sensor group, the differential readout circuit detects the differential voltage between the two TSV temperature sensor units in the TSV temperature sensor group, and determines the temperature information based on the differential voltage.

[0030] Further, determining the temperature information based on the differential voltage includes the following steps:

[0031] The temperature difference is determined based on the differential voltage.

[0032] The temperature distribution of the three-dimensional integrated chip is determined based on the temperature difference corresponding to each of the TSV temperature sensing groups.

[0033] Further, determining the temperature information based on the differential voltage includes the following steps:

[0034] The temperature difference is determined based on the differential voltage.

[0035] The temperature of the low-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensor group is obtained as a reference temperature.

[0036] The temperature of the high-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensing group is determined based on the reference temperature and the temperature difference.

[0037] The beneficial effects of the embodiments of the present invention are as follows: In the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor of the embodiments, TSVs in the three-dimensional integrated chip are used to form a TSV temperature sensing unit, which can realize accurate detection of the internal temperature of the three-dimensional integrated chip and improve the device utilization rate of the three-dimensional integrated chip; by using a differential readout circuit to perform differential voltage measurement on two TSV temperature sensing units, a differential detection architecture is realized, which can reduce the influence of TSV manufacturing process fluctuations, TSV electromigration degradation, resistance drift, etc. on the measurement results and improve temperature detection accuracy; moreover, the TSV temperature sensing unit composed of multiple TSVs connected in series has good temperature sensitivity, which can improve the minimum detectable temperature change signal and increase the effective value of the temperature coefficient of resistance without changing the TSV material. Using the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor to perform the temperature detection method of the three-dimensional integrated chip can significantly improve the sensitivity of temperature measurement; therefore, the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor and temperature detection method of the embodiments can achieve high-precision and high-sensitivity temperature monitoring, which is suitable for real-time response and adjustment in complex thermal management environments. Attached Figure Description

[0038] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in the embodiment;

[0039] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the TSV temperature sensing unit in the embodiment and its position in the three-dimensional integrated chip.

[0040] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the differential readout circuit in the embodiment;

[0041] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the temperature sensitivity of the TSV temperature sensing unit in the embodiment.

[0042] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the steps of the temperature detection method in the embodiment;

[0043] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working principle of the multiplexer in the embodiment;

[0044] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the internal temperature distribution of a three-dimensional integrated chip detected by a TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in the embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Terminology Explanation:

[0046] 3D integrated circuits (ICs) are integrated circuit devices that vertically stack and package multiple chip layers or functional layers. If we compare traditional chips to bungalows (single-layer designs), then traditional chips are like all the rooms (transistors) crammed onto the same floor, resulting in a large area and congested wiring. 3D integrated circuits are like chip skyscrapers, stacking multiple functional layers (such as CPU layers and memory layers) like building blocks, connected by TSV elevators.

[0047] TSV: Through-Silicon Via, is a vertical conductive channel that penetrates the silicon wafer of a 3D integrated chip. Specifically, it can be made by drilling micro-holes inside the silicon wafer and filling them with metal (such as copper). If a 3D integrated chip is likened to an office building, then the traditional floors (chip layers in a 3D integrated chip) can only be connected by external stairs (wires), which is slow and takes up space. TSV is like a high-speed elevator in an office building, which allows data and power to be transmitted directly vertically between different floors.

[0048] Multiplexer (MUX): A circuit that selects one output from multiple input signals.

[0049] Chip unit: The technology of breaking down a large chip into multiple small functional units, manufacturing them independently, and then packaging and integrating them.

[0050] TCR (Temperature Coefficient of Resistance) is the ratio of resistance to temperature change.

[0051] Since 3D integrated chips contain TSVs (Thermoresistive Voltage Spectrometers), and TSVs exhibit the thermal resistance effect (meaning the resistance between the two ends of the TSV is related to its temperature), it's possible to calculate the temperature of the TSV by detecting its resistance, thereby obtaining the temperature at the location of the TSV within the 3D integrated chip. However, TSVs in 3D integrated chips present the following problems:

[0052] 1. Low accuracy of single TSV sensing: For example, although copper-filled TSVs are temperature dependent, the resistance of a single TSV is small (usually <100mΩ) and the temperature coefficient is low, making it difficult to achieve precise temperature measurement; at the same time, relying on the resistance value of a single point is easily affected by process changes, and the calibration workload is large.

[0053] 2. Redundant TSVs are not fully utilized: In the design and manufacturing of 3D integrated chips, TSVs are generally set up for purposes such as communication, power supply, and grounding between different chip layers in the 3D integrated chip. However, a certain number of TSVs are also set up for purposes such as improving reliability, dealing with manufacturing defects, improving yield, or reducing thermal resistance and improving heat dissipation. Such TSVs are not mainly for realizing functions related to electrical signal transmission such as communication, power supply, and grounding, so they can be called redundant TSVs (redundant vias). Most of these redundant TSVs are not fully utilized.

[0054] Based on the above principles, this embodiment provides a TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor, which can be used to detect the internal temperature of a three-dimensional integrated chip. The basic structure of the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 1 As shown, it includes a differential readout circuit and multiple TSV temperature sensing units.

[0055] In this embodiment, these TSV temperature sensing units are integrated into a three-dimensional integrated chip. Specifically, as shown... Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 The right side shows the structure of a three-dimensional integrated chip, which includes multiple chip layers such as the first, second, third, and fourth chip layers. Each chip layer includes a BEOL layer and a connection layer. Adjacent chip layers are connected by multiple TSVs, including both redundant and non-redundant TSVs. In this embodiment, redundant TSVs can be selected to form a TSV temperature sensing unit. Alternatively, non-redundant TSVs, or a combination of non-redundant and redundant TSVs, can be used to form the TSV temperature sensing unit.

[0056] Figure 2 The left side shows the structure of a TSV temperature sensing unit. The TSV temperature sensing unit includes multiple (specifically 3-10) TSVs and multiple connecting devices, where the connecting devices can be structures made of conductive materials such as copper. In this embodiment, each TSV in the same TSV temperature sensing unit is located in the same chip layer of the three-dimensional integrated chip, and each TSV has approximately the same length. Therefore, one end of each TSV is located on the same horizontal plane, and the other end of each TSV is located on another horizontal plane.

[0057] Reference Figure 2In a TSV temperature sensing unit, various connecting devices connect the various TSVs in series. Generally, a TSV temperature sensing unit contains n TSVs, so n-1 connecting devices can be set, and these connecting devices are distributed on two horizontal planes at both ends of each TSV. Each connecting device connects the ends of two corresponding TSVs located on the same horizontal plane together. Specifically, refer to... Figure 2 If both ends of a TSV are connected to a connector, the two connectors can be located on different horizontal planes. By connecting individual TSVs in series using connectors, a TSV temperature sensing unit (TSV_de) is formed.

[0058] Reference Figure 2 In each TSV temperature sensing unit (TSV_de), only two TSVs may be retained, with one end of each not connected to the connecting device. In this embodiment, these two ends of the TSV temperature sensing unit (TSV_de) are referred to as the first end and the second end, respectively.

[0059] Reference Figure 2 The first end and the second end may not be on the same plane.

[0060] Reference Figure 2 On the right side, a three-dimensional integrated chip can contain multiple TSV temperature sensing units (TSV_de), distributed across different chip layers. For example, multiple TSV temperature sensing units (TSV_de) can be distributed across the plane of the first chip layer, forming a distribution of multiple TSV temperature sensing units in the XY plane; similarly, multiple TSV temperature sensing units (TSV_de) can be distributed across the plane of the second chip layer, forming a distribution of multiple TSV temperature sensing units in the Z direction.

[0061] In this embodiment, the array of multiple TSVs is connected in series to obtain a TSV temperature sensing unit with a large resistance value, thereby alleviating the gain requirements of subsequent circuits for signal amplification. The series connection method of multiple TSVs forming a TSV temperature sensing unit is already determined during chip fabrication. The series connection method and connection relationship are generated by generating a mask through the layout design file, and then fabricated through semiconductor process.

[0062] In this embodiment, when the manufacturing process of a single TSV is good and the voltage amplification from the single TSV can meet the minimum accuracy requirements of a typical analog-to-digital converter, or when the number of redundant TSVs is small, a single TSV can be used to form a TSV temperature sensing unit. In this case, one end of the single TSV is the first end of the TSV temperature sensing unit, and the other end is the second end. When using a single TSV, no connecting devices are required in the TSV temperature sensing unit.

[0063] In this embodiment, each TSV temperature sensing unit is configured through the following steps:

[0064] P1. Extract the location information of TSV in the 3D integrated chip;

[0065] P2. Identify hotspot areas in 3D integrated chips;

[0066] P3. Identify each TSV located in the same hot spot area as belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit;

[0067] P4. Determine the series connection order for each TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit;

[0068] P5. Place the connecting devices in series according to the series connection sequence.

[0069] Steps P1-P5 can be performed during the design and manufacturing phase of a 3D integrated chip.

[0070] In step P1, files such as the layout of the 3D integrated chip can be obtained, and the location information of the TSVs contained therein can be extracted. Specifically, redundant TSVs can be selected as targets, and their location information can be extracted. The TSV location information indicates the position of the TSV in the 3D integrated chip, for example... Figure 2 The position on the XY plane.

[0071] In step P2, electrothermal coupling or multiphysics simulation tools such as Siemens Calibre 3D Thermal and Cadence Celsius ThermalSolver / Celsius Studio can be used to identify key regions such as hot spots in the 3D integrated chip. A 3D integrated chip typically contains multiple such key regions, with a scale at the μm level, and each key region contains multiple redundant TSVs.

[0072] In step P3, each redundant TSV in each hot spot area is identified as a TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit, that is, these TSVs are connected to the same TSV temperature sensing unit using a connecting device.

[0073] In step P4, before connecting multiple redundant TSVs into the same TSV temperature sensing unit, the series connection order, that is, the connection relationship between the various TSVs, must be determined. Specifically, the following steps can be performed when executing step P4:

[0074] P401. Model based on the location information of TSV to obtain the graph structure;

[0075] P402. To maximize the total path resistance, perform a pathfinding algorithm on the graph structure and obtain the path information output by the pathfinding algorithm;

[0076] P403. Determine the sequence of cascade connections based on the path information.

[0077] In this embodiment, steps P401-P403 are performed for each TSV temperature sensing unit.

[0078] In step P401, the TSVs belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit are located on the plane of the chip layer (e.g., Figure 2 Each TSV corresponds to a node in the XY plane, so each TSV can be mapped to a node in the graph structure; any two nodes in the graph structure can be connected by an edge, and the weight of each edge can be set as the path resistance between the two TSVs corresponding to the two nodes connected by the edge.

[0079] For the graph structure obtained in step P401, a pathfinding algorithm can be executed to determine a path that traverses all nodes from a given node. Each path corresponds to a total path resistance. In step P402, a pathfinding algorithm such as Dijkstra's algorithm or A* algorithm can be executed on the graph structure, with the objective of maximizing the total path resistance. High-resistance paths (such as long wiring) are prioritized, while the total connection length is constrained to avoid low-resistance shortcuts (such as direct connections between adjacent TSVs). The path information that meets the objective is obtained from the pathfinding algorithm output, and the resistance stability under process fluctuations is verified through simulation. The path information represents the order of traversing all nodes from a given node, that is, the order of traversing all TSVs within the same hotspot area from a given TSV. In step P403, this is used as the series connection order of the various TSVs in the same TSV temperature sensing unit.

[0080] By executing the series connection sequence obtained in step S402, the final fabricated TSV temperature sensing unit can have a higher overall resistance, thereby enhancing its sensitivity to temperature changes. This design aims to improve the performance of the TSV temperature sensing unit and ensure accurate response under different temperature conditions.

[0081] In step P5, according to the series connection order determined in step P4, the connecting devices are placed in the layout file, and each TSV is connected in series to obtain the TSV temperature sensing unit.

[0082] By executing steps P1-P5, TSV temperature sensing units can be designed on a large scale and automatically. The temperature detection resolution of the obtained TSV temperature sensing units can reach the μm level, which can ensure that the designed TSV temperature sensing units can effectively monitor temperature changes in the hot spot area and optimize the sensor layout to improve performance.

[0083] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 3 The differential readout circuit is connected to the first and second terminals of any two TSV temperature sensing units (TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2), and outputs a constant current I generated by a constant current source to TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2 respectively. constant For TSV temperature sensing unit 1, the constant current I constant The voltage flows into the first terminal of TSV temperature sensing unit 1, passes through multiple TSVs within it, and exits from the second terminal. Due to the resistance of each TSV in TSV temperature sensing unit 1, a voltage drop occurs, which is detected by the differential readout circuit as the voltage V1 between the two terminals of TSV temperature sensing unit 1. Similarly, for TSV temperature sensing unit 2, the differential readout circuit detects the voltage V2 between its two terminals. The differential readout circuit outputs the differential voltage ΔV = V1 - V2 for these two TSV temperature sensing units.

[0084] In this embodiment, the working principle of the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor is as follows: the TSV temperature sensing unit has temperature sensitivity (thermal resistance effect, manifested as the relationship between the resistance of the TSV temperature sensing unit and its temperature). Figure 4 The linear relationship shown (where the slope of the linear relationship is equal to the temperature coefficient of resistance) can be achieved by outputting a constant current to the TSV temperature sensing unit. The TSV temperature sensing unit receives a constant current I. constantThe system then generates two voltages, V1 and V2, which contain resistance information for TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2, respectively. The resistances of TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2 are calculated using V1 and V2, respectively. The temperature at the location of TSV temperature sensing unit 1 is then calculated using the resistance and temperature sensitivity of TSV temperature sensing unit 1, and the temperature at the location of TSV temperature sensing unit 2 is calculated using the resistance and temperature sensitivity of TSV temperature sensing unit 2. Furthermore, differential voltage measurement is performed on TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2. Specifically, the differential voltage ΔV generated by the current flowing through these two TSV temperature sensing units under the same constant current source (or equivalent method) is measured. This differential voltage ΔV contains the temperature difference information at the locations of TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2, thus realizing a differential detection architecture. This reduces the impact of TSV manufacturing process fluctuations, TSV electromigration degradation, and resistance drift on the measurement results, improving temperature detection accuracy.

[0085] Furthermore, the TSV temperature sensing unit is composed of multiple TSVs connected in series. Even if the temperature sensitivity of a single TSV is poor, a TSV temperature sensing unit composed of multiple (N, N≥2) TSVs connected in series can achieve a multiplied resistance, thereby multiplying the absolute value change of resistance. This can improve the minimum detectable temperature change signal, making the TSV temperature sensing unit as a whole have strong temperature sensitivity, increasing the effective value of the temperature coefficient of resistance without changing the TSV material. For example, TSVs are generally made of copper, belonging to Cu-TSV, which has the disadvantage of a small temperature coefficient of resistance and insufficient temperature sensitivity. Therefore, the TSV temperature sensing unit in this embodiment can compensate for the insufficient temperature sensitivity of Cu-TSV, has strong applicability to commonly used materials with low temperature coefficients of resistance such as copper, and can significantly improve the sensitivity of temperature measurement.

[0086] Figure 3 This illustrates the detection principle of a differential readout circuit for any two TSV temperature sensing units. In this embodiment, when multiple TSV temperature sensing units are provided, a multiplexer (MUX) can be configured. The multiplexer includes an output terminal and multiple connection terminals, wherein the output terminal is connected to the differential readout circuit, and each connection terminal is connected to the first and second terminals of a corresponding TSV temperature sensing unit. The multiplexer can be controlled by the differential readout circuit to selectively connect the output terminal to two of the connection terminals, that is, to selectively connect any two TSV temperature sensing units (e.g., TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2) to the differential readout circuit, thereby forming a... Figure 3The connection relationship shown allows the differential readout circuit to detect the differential voltage between TSV temperature sensing unit 1 and TSV temperature sensing unit 2. The differential readout circuit can send a switching command to the multiplexer to select and connect the output terminal to two other connection terminals (e.g., TSV temperature sensing unit 3 and TSV temperature sensing unit 4), thereby enabling the differential readout circuit to detect the differential voltage between TSV temperature sensing unit 3 and TSV temperature sensing unit 4.

[0087] By setting up a multiplexer, the interface of the differential readout circuit can be expanded, so that even when a large number of TSV temperature sensing units are set up, a single differential readout circuit can be used to detect the differential voltage of any two TSV temperature sensing units. The TSV temperature sensing units are distributed in different positions in the 3D integrated chip, thereby realizing multi-point temperature measurement of the 3D integrated chip.

[0088] In this embodiment, a three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor can be used to perform a temperature detection method for a three-dimensional integrated chip. (Refer to...) Figure 5 The temperature detection method includes the following steps:

[0089] S1. Combine each TSV temperature sensing unit to obtain multiple TSV temperature sensing groups;

[0090] S2. Poll each TSV temperature sensor group;

[0091] S3. For the polled TSV temperature sensor group, the differential voltage between the two TSV temperature sensor units in the TSV temperature sensor group is detected by the differential readout circuit, and the temperature information is determined based on the differential voltage.

[0092] In step S1, a low-heat zone and a high-heat zone can be pre-defined on the 3D integrated chip, and TSV temperature sensing units located in the low-heat zone and the high-heat zone can be identified. The low-heat zone is the area where the 3D integrated chip generates less heat and has a lower temperature (e.g., below the temperature threshold) when it is working normally, while the high-heat zone is the area where the 3D integrated chip generates more heat and has a higher temperature (e.g., above the temperature threshold) when it is working normally.

[0093] Specifically, the division between low-heat and high-heat areas can be fixed. For example, in the layout file of a 3D integrated chip, low-heat and high-heat areas are divided, and TSV temperature sensing units located in the low-heat area and TSV temperature sensing units located in the high-heat area are identified.

[0094] The division of low-heat and high-heat zones can be dynamic. For example, the differential readout circuit can periodically and independently read the resistance of each TSV temperature sensing unit, thereby independently detecting the temperature of each TSV temperature sensing unit. The half of the TSV temperature sensing units with the highest temperature can be classified as belonging to the high-heat zone, and the half of the TSV temperature sensing units with the lowest temperature can be classified as belonging to the low-heat zone. Alternatively, the differential readout circuit can periodically and randomly reclassify the TSV temperature sensing units belonging to the low-heat zone and the TSV temperature sensing units belonging to the high-heat zone. For example, at the end of each period, the differential readout circuit randomly selects some TSV temperature sensing units to be classified as belonging to the low-heat zone and correspondingly selects some TSV temperature sensing units to be classified as belonging to the high-heat zone. By dynamically dividing the low-heat zone and the high-heat zone, each TSV temperature sensing unit can be classified as either a TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the low-heat zone or a TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone, thereby generating a richer variety of different combinations of TSV temperature sensing units and achieving better error reduction.

[0095] For example, refer to Figure 6 TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1), TSV temperature sensing unit 3 (TSV_de3), and TSV temperature sensing unit 5 (TSV_de5) are TSV temperature sensing units located in the low-heat zone, while TSV temperature sensing unit 2 (TSV_de2), TSV temperature sensing unit 4 (TSV_de4), and TSV temperature sensing unit 6 (TSV_de6) are TSV temperature sensing units located in the high-heat zone.

[0096] In step S1, based on the attribute of each TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the low-heat zone or the high-heat zone, the TSV temperature sensing units are combined to obtain multiple TSV temperature sensing groups, such that each TSV temperature sensing group contains one TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the low-heat zone and one TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone.

[0097] For example, refer to Figure 6 By executing step S1, multiple TSV temperature sensing groups such as TSV temperature sensing group 1, TSV temperature sensing group 2 and TSV temperature sensing group 3 can be obtained. Among them, TSV temperature sensing group 1 includes TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1) belonging to the low heat zone and TSV temperature sensing unit 2 (TSV_de2) belonging to the high heat zone.

[0098] In this embodiment, the division method of the TSV temperature sensor group can be fixed, for example, it can be according to Figure 6The division is carried out in the manner shown, that is, regardless of when the division is carried out, TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1) and TSV temperature sensing unit 2 (TSV_de2) are divided into TSV temperature sensing group 1, etc.

[0099] In this embodiment, the division of the TSV temperature sensor group can be dynamic, for example... Figure 6 The method shown is one of the divisions. In the next division, other division methods can be used, such as dividing TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1) and TSV temperature sensing unit 4 (TSV_de4) into TSV temperature sensing group 1, etc.

[0100] When dynamically dividing TSV temperature sensing groups, the differential readout circuit can control the multiplexer to traverse all combinations of TSV temperature sensing units. That is, any TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the low-heat zone has been combined with any TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone to form a TSV temperature sensing group.

[0101] In step S2, the differential readout circuit polls each TSV temperature sensor group by controlling the multiplexer MUX. Specifically, the polling can be performed in the order of TSV temperature sensor group 1, TSV temperature sensor group 2, TSV temperature sensor group 3, etc. Step S3 is executed for each polled TSV temperature sensor group.

[0102] Taking the polled TSV temperature sensor group as TSV temperature sensor group 1 as an example, refer to Figure 6 During step S3, the differential readout circuit controls the multiplexer MUX, connecting the multiplexer MUX to the TSV temperature sensing group 1. Specifically, the multiplexer MUX connects terminal 1 to TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1), terminal 2 to TSV temperature sensing unit 2 (TSV_de2), and the output terminal, thus forming a connection between the differential readout circuit and TSV temperature sensing units 1 (TSV_de1) and 2 (TSV_de2). Figure 3 The connection shown enables the differential readout circuit to detect the differential voltage ΔV between TSV temperature sensing unit 1 (TSV_de1) and TSV temperature sensing unit 2 (TSV_de2), and determine the temperature information based on the differential voltage ΔV.

[0103] In this embodiment, when performing step S3, which is to determine the temperature information based on the differential voltage, the following steps can be specifically performed:

[0104] S301A. Determine the temperature difference based on the differential voltage;

[0105] S302A. Determine the temperature distribution of the three-dimensional integrated chip based on the temperature difference corresponding to each TSV temperature sensor group.

[0106] Steps S301A-S302A are the first execution method of step S3.

[0107] In step S301A, according to Figure 3 The detection principle shown can be based on the temperature difference between TSV temperature sensing units belonging to the high-heat zone and those belonging to the low-heat zone within a TSV temperature sensing group. By polling all TSV temperature sensing groups, the temperature difference between any TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone and those belonging to the low-heat zone can be obtained, thus obtaining the temperature difference between two locations in the 3D integrated chip where TSV temperature sensing units are located. Therefore, in step S302A, the temperature distribution of the 3D integrated chip can be generated based on these temperature differences. The temperature distribution can be... Figure 7 The image shown is in the form of an image.

[0108] In this embodiment, when performing step S3, which is to determine the temperature information based on the differential voltage, the following steps can be specifically performed:

[0109] S301B. Determine the temperature difference based on the differential voltage;

[0110] S302B. Obtain the temperature of the low-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensor group as a reference temperature;

[0111] S303B. Determine the temperature of the high-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensor group based on the reference temperature and temperature difference.

[0112] Steps S301B-S303B are the second execution method of step S3.

[0113] The principle of step S301B is the same as that of step S301A.

[0114] In step S302B, for any TSV temperature sensing group, the temperature of the low-heat zone of this TSV temperature sensing group can be calculated based on the voltage information of the TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the low-heat zone, and used as a reference temperature.

[0115] When performing step S302B, the temperature of the low-heat zone can also be considered to be close to the ambient temperature of the environment where the three-dimensional integrated chip is located, and the ambient temperature of the environment where the three-dimensional integrated chip is located can be directly detected as the reference temperature.

[0116] In step S303B, since the reference temperature and the temperature difference between the TSV temperature sensing unit in the low-heat zone and the TSV temperature sensing unit in the high-heat zone of the TSV temperature sensing group are known, the sum of the reference temperature and the temperature difference can be calculated to obtain the temperature of the high-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensing group.

[0117] In this embodiment, the principle of executing steps S301B-S302B is as follows: the temperature of the TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone is relatively high. Considering the influence of process deviations in the three-dimensional integrated chip, the temperature sensitivity of the TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone may deviate from the linear relationship. Therefore, directly detecting the temperature of the TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone is prone to distortion. However, by executing steps S301B-S302B, the differential voltage of the two TSV temperature sensing units belonging to the low-heat zone and the high-heat zone respectively can be used to weaken or even eliminate the influence of process deviations, thereby obtaining an accurate temperature difference. Then, the temperature of the high-heat zone is calculated based on the accurate reference temperature, which is beneficial to obtaining the accurate temperature of the TSV temperature sensing unit belonging to the high-heat zone.

[0118] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 6 The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a thermal management unit. The ADC is connected to a differential readout circuit, and the thermal management unit is connected to the ADC. The ADC converts the analog temperature information into digital format and sends it to the thermal management unit, which then performs thermal management based on the temperature information.

[0119] In this embodiment, the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) can also perform a calibration step. The ADC reads the initial voltage difference of the TSV groups to eliminate resistance differences caused by factors such as process errors and aging. This calibration step is crucial for ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the measurement system, laying the foundation for subsequent data analysis.

[0120] Specifically, when performing thermal management, the thermal management unit can generate data based on temperature information. Figure 7 The temperature distribution of the 3D integrated chip shown can detect the temperature at various locations within the chip. When the temperature at a certain location is detected to be too high (e.g., above a temperature threshold), the thermal management unit can control the device at that location to stop working, or control the entire 3D integrated chip to stop working, thereby preventing the chip from overheating and being damaged, and ensuring its normal operation.

[0121] In summary, the TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in this embodiment aims to overcome the challenges of low sensing accuracy of single TSVs, underutilization of redundant TSVs, and difficulties in integrating traditional temperature sensors. By introducing multi-point differential measurement technology, the accuracy of temperature measurement is effectively improved, interference from process variations is reduced, and calibration workload is decreased. Furthermore, this invention fully utilizes the potential of redundant TSVs, significantly reducing the space occupied by the thermal sensor and simplifying system integration. It also enables the capture of the temperature at the interlayer interfaces of 3D IC chip stacks, improving the blind spots in chip temperature distribution detection. This innovative solution not only enhances system reliability and design flexibility but also more accurately monitors the temperature status at 3D IC connections, providing an efficient and reliable temperature management solution for modern high-performance electronic devices. The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor in this embodiment has the following effects:

[0122] 1. Significantly improves measurement accuracy: Based on the spatial resolution and accuracy requirements of the measurement, the temperature distribution in the three-dimensional stacked chip is monitored by multiple TSVs in series. At the same time, the tiny temperature change of individual TSV resistance is amplified by N times, which effectively improves the sensor output signal strength, making it easier to measure accurately. It is suitable for TSV filling materials with low temperature coefficient of resistance, has stronger noise resistance, and achieves higher temperature measurement resolution and absolute accuracy.

[0123] 2. Enhanced Process Stability (Robustness): Compared to existing solutions that rely on absolute resistance values ​​or small-range resistance variations, the differential voltage measurement method of this invention naturally offsets the common initial resistance differences caused by process fluctuations (such as TSV diameter and copper filling uniformity) by subtracting the response of a process-dependent reference cell in the low-temperature region, greatly reducing sensitivity to process fluctuations. This makes the sensor design more robust, simplifies post-process calibration (focusing more on the scaling factor), and significantly improves mass production consistency.

[0124] 3. Process-compatible 3D interlayer distributed monitoring: By fully utilizing the natural characteristics of TSVs in different spatial locations and vertical stacking layers, this invention can achieve distributed deployment of sensors in 3D space at low cost and low complexity, breaking through the limitations of single-point or sparse point monitoring. It can generate detailed 3D IC internal temperature field maps in real time, providing unprecedented data support for accurate, spatially based dynamic thermal management. At the same time, it can be migrated to TGV (Through Glass Via) based 3D integration technology thermal monitoring, with good process compatibility.

[0125] 4. Efficient utilization of redundant resources: The method proposes to utilize process redundancy TSVs, giving them new sensing functions. This eliminates the need for additional specially designed TSVs for temperature measurement or to occupy the area of ​​the core functional area, thereby improving the resource utilization efficiency of 3D integrated chip design.

[0126] It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, when a feature is referred to as "fixed" or "connected" to another feature, it can be directly fixed or connected to the other feature, or indirectly fixed or connected to the other feature. Furthermore, the descriptions of "upper," "lower," "left," and "right" used in this disclosure are only relative to the relative positional relationships of the components of this disclosure in the accompanying drawings. The singular forms "a" and "the" used in this disclosure are also intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Moreover, unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this embodiment have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this embodiment specification is only for describing specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the invention. The term "and / or" as used in this embodiment includes any combination of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0127] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc., may be used to describe various elements in this disclosure, these elements should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish elements of the same type from each other. For example, a first element may also be referred to as a second element without departing from the scope of this disclosure, and similarly, a second element may also be referred to as a first element. The use of any and all instances or exemplary language (“e.g.,” “such as,” etc.) provided in this embodiment is intended only to better illustrate embodiments of the invention and, unless otherwise required, does not impose a limitation on the scope of embodiments of the invention.

[0128] It should be recognized that embodiments of the present invention can be implemented or carried out by computer hardware, a combination of hardware and software, or by computer instructions stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The method can be implemented using standard programming techniques—including a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured with a computer program, wherein such a storage medium causes the computer to operate in a specific and predefined manner—according to the methods and drawings described in the specific embodiments. Each program can be implemented in a high-level procedural or object-oriented programming language to communicate with the computer system. However, if desired, the program can be implemented in assembly or machine language. In any case, the language can be a compiled or interpreted language. Furthermore, for this purpose, the program can run on a programmed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

[0129] Furthermore, the procedures described in this embodiment can be performed in any suitable order, unless otherwise indicated by this embodiment or otherwise obviously contradictory to the context. The procedures (or variations and / or combinations thereof) described in this embodiment can be executed under the control of one or more computer systems configured with executable instructions, and can be implemented by hardware or a combination thereof as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) that commonly executes on one or more processors. A computer program includes multiple instructions executable by one or more processors.

[0130] Furthermore, the method can be implemented in any suitable type of computing platform, including but not limited to personal computers, minicomputers, mainframes, workstations, networked or distributed computing environments, standalone or integrated computer platforms, or in communication with charged particle tools or other imaging devices, etc. Aspects of embodiments of the invention can be implemented as machine-readable code stored on a non-transitory storage medium or device, whether removable or integrated into a computing platform, such as a hard disk, optical read and / or write storage medium, RAM, ROM, etc., such that it is readable by a programmable computer, and when the storage medium or device is read by the computer, it can be used to configure and operate the computer to perform the processes described herein. Furthermore, the machine-readable code, or portions thereof, can be transmitted via wired or wireless networks. The invention of this embodiment includes these and other different types of non-transitory computer-readable storage media when such media comprises instructions or programs that implement the steps above in conjunction with a microprocessor or other data processor. Embodiments of the invention also include the computer itself when programmed according to the methods and techniques of embodiments of the invention.

[0131] A computer program can be applied to input data to perform the functions of this embodiment, thereby transforming the input data to generate output data stored in non-volatile memory. The output information can also be applied to one or more output devices, such as a display. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the transformed data represents physical and tangible objects, including a specific visual depiction of physical and tangible objects generated on the display.

[0132] The above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described implementations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the embodiments of the present invention, as long as they achieve the same technical effects, should be included within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention. Within the scope of protection of the embodiments of the present invention, the technical solutions and / or implementation methods can have various modifications and variations.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor based on TSV, characterized in that, The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor includes: Multiple TSV temperature sensing units; each TSV temperature sensing unit includes at least one TSV, or multiple TSVs and at least one connecting device, each TSV is disposed in a three-dimensional integrated chip, and each connecting device is connected in series with each TSV; each TSV in the same TSV temperature sensing unit is located on the same chip layer in the three-dimensional integrated chip, and each TSV temperature sensing unit is distributed in each chip layer in the three-dimensional integrated chip; in each TSV temperature sensing unit, the ends of the TSVs not connected to the connecting device form a first end and a second end; Differential readout circuit; the differential readout circuit is used to detect the differential voltage between any two of the TSV temperature sensing units, and determine temperature information based on the differential voltage; A multiplexer; the multiplexer includes an output terminal and multiple connection terminals, the output terminal is connected to the differential readout circuit, and the connection terminals are connected to the first terminal and the second terminal of a corresponding TSV temperature sensing unit; the multiplexer is used to selectively connect the output terminal to any two of the connection terminals; Each of the TSV temperature sensing units is configured through the following steps: Extract the position information of the TSV in the three-dimensional integrated chip; Identify hotspot regions in the three-dimensional integrated chip; Each TSV located in the same hot spot area is identified as a TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit; For each TSV belonging to the same TSV temperature sensing unit, determine the series connection order; The connecting devices are placed in series according to the series connection sequence.

2. The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TSV is a redundant through-hole in the three-dimensional integrated chip.

3. The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor also includes: An analog-to-digital converter; the analog-to-digital converter is connected to the differential readout circuit, and the analog-to-digital converter is used to convert the temperature information in analog format into digital format; A thermal management unit; the thermal management unit is connected to the analog-to-digital converter, and the thermal management unit is used to receive the temperature information in digital format and perform thermal management based on the temperature information.

4. The TSV-based three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, Determining the series connection order includes the following steps: A graph structure is obtained by modeling based on the location information of the TSV; the graph structure includes multiple nodes and weighted edges between the nodes, the nodes represent the TSV, and the weight of the edge represents the path resistance between the two TSVs corresponding to the two connected nodes; With the goal of maximizing the total path resistance, a path-finding algorithm is executed on the graph structure to obtain the path information output by the path-finding algorithm; The serial connection order is determined based on the path information.

5. A temperature detection method, characterized in that, The temperature detection method includes: Obtain the three-dimensional distributed temperature sensor according to any one of claims 1-4; The TSV temperature sensing units are combined to obtain multiple TSV temperature sensing groups; each TSV temperature sensing group includes a TSV temperature sensing unit located in the low-heat area of ​​the three-dimensional integrated chip and a TSV temperature sensing unit located in the high-heat area of ​​the three-dimensional integrated chip. Poll each of the TSV temperature sensor groups; For the polled TSV temperature sensor group, the differential readout circuit detects the differential voltage between the two TSV temperature sensor units in the TSV temperature sensor group, and determines the temperature information based on the differential voltage.

6. The temperature detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Determining the temperature information based on the differential voltage includes the following steps: The temperature difference is determined based on the differential voltage. The temperature distribution of the three-dimensional integrated chip is determined based on the temperature difference corresponding to each of the TSV temperature sensing groups.

7. The temperature detection method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Determining the temperature information based on the differential voltage includes the following steps: The temperature difference is determined based on the differential voltage. The temperature of the low-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensor group is obtained as a reference temperature. The temperature of the high-heat zone corresponding to the TSV temperature sensing group is determined based on the reference temperature and the temperature difference.

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