3DIC Heat Spreader Backside Power Plane for TSV Area Relief
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional computing systems with silicon dies face challenges due to power versus performance tradeoffs and thermal management issues, particularly with high-density through-silicon vias (TSVs) that increase parasitic capacitance and require significant silicon area for keep-out-zones, limiting the use of active circuitry.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) system with a heat spreader configured as a backside power plane using through-dielectric vias (TDVs) to deliver power and dissipate heat, reducing the need for TSVs in the bottom die and freeing up silicon area for active components, while maintaining signal and ground connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-density TSVs are used to connect power and ground to stacked dies, then power and ground connectivity is improved, but parasitic capacitance increases and silicon area is consumed by keep-out-zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power and ground delivery function from the TSVs in the bottom die and relocates it to the heat spreader. The heat spreader now serves as a backside power plane that delivers power and ground to the top die through TDVs, separating this function from the signal-interconnection function of TSVs and thereby reducing parasitic capacitance in the TSVs.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader is given multiple functions: it continues to serve as a thermal management component while simultaneously acting as a backside power plane for delivering power and ground to the top die. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate power delivery structures and reduces the TSV burden.
2Reliability
If high-density TSVs are used to provide power and ground connectivity, then connectivity is improved, but silicon area is reduced due to keep-out-zones
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the power delivery function from the TSVs and relocates it to the heat spreader structure. By forming TDVs in the heat spreader rather than increasing TSV density in the bottom die, the keep-out-zone area around TSVs is reduced, freeing up silicon area for active circuitry.
3Power
If TSVs are used to deliver power to top die through bottom die, then power delivery is achieved, but thermal management becomes more difficult with stacked dies
Solution Approach 1:
The heat spreader is given multiple functions: it continues to serve as a thermal management component while simultaneously acting as a backside power plane for delivering power and ground to the top die. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate power delivery structures and reduces the TSV burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader acts as an intermediary structure between the bottom die and top die, providing both thermal management and power delivery functions. The TDVs formed in the heat spreader serve as the intermediary pathway for power delivery, avoiding the need for power-carrying TSVs through the bottom die.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The 3DIC system improves power distribution and thermal management by using TDVs to deliver power and ground to the top die, reducing parasitic capacitance and increasing silicon area availability for active circuitry, thus enhancing overall system performance and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the heat spreader is configured to not only dissipate heat associated with the 3DIC system
Implementation Method 2
the heat spreader is configured to not only dissipate heat associated with the 3DIC system
Data Source
AI summary
Three-dimensional integrated circuit (3DIC) systems with the heat spreader configured as a backside power plane are described. An example 3DIC system includes a top die having a first set of through-silicon vias (TSVs) and a bottom die having a second set of TSVs for providing power, signal, and ground connectivity for components formed within the top die and the bottom die, respectively. The 3DIC system further includes a heat spreader, formed above the top die, which is configured to not only dissipate heat associated with the 3DIC system but also to deliver power to the top die using through-dielectric vias (TDVs). The TDVs are formed in an area surrounding both the bottom die and the top die. In addition, none of the second set of TSVs formed in the bottom die is configured to deliver power to the components formed within the top die.