Intra-Connect Bridge Dies Reroute Signals Around Keep-Out Zones
Solution Overview
Problem
In electronic circuit packaging, the tall metal stacks required for high routing density are not efficiently utilized due to bottlenecks like 'keep-out zones' for voltage regulators, leading to increased costs and power delivery issues, and existing solutions like SerDes circuits add complexity and latency.
Innovation Solution
The introduction of intra-connect 'jump over' bridge dies (JOD) that reroute electrical connections through conductive pathways located proximate to the periphery of blocked regions, using hybrid bond interconnects with sub-10 micrometer pitch, allowing additional routing without adding metal layers or increasing die area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If tall metal stacks are used to increase routing density, then routing capacity is improved, but manufacturing cost increases and power delivery efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces bridge dies that extend routing paths in the vertical dimension (through die-to-die interconnects) rather than only in the planar metal layers. This allows signals to bypass blocked regions by transitioning to adjacent dies, effectively adding a third dimension to the routing topology and eliminating the need for excessively tall metal stacks.
Solution Approach 2:
The routing function is segmented across multiple separate dies rather than being confined to a single large die. The bridge die acts as an intermediate segment that connects otherwise isolated routing regions, distributing the routing burden across multiple components and avoiding the need for a single monolithic tall metal stack.
2Reliability
If keep-out zones are created for voltage regulators, then power regulation is improved, but routing flexibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge die serves as an intermediary component that mediates between the keep-out zone and the routing requirements. Signals that would otherwise need to pass through the keep-out zone are instead routed to the bridge die, which provides alternative interconnect paths, thus preserving both the integrity of the power regulation zone and the flexibility of signal routing.
3Speed
If SerDes circuits are added to mitigate routing bottlenecks, then signal transmission is improved, but device complexity and latency increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electronic solution (SerDes circuits) with a structural/physical solution (bridge dies with interconnects). Instead of using complex high-speed serialization/deserialization circuits to overcome routing limitations, the invention uses physical bridge structures with direct interconnects to provide efficient signal paths, thereby reducing both circuit complexity and transmission latency.
Data Source
AI summary
An Integrated Circuit (IC), comprising a first conductive trace on a first die, a second conductive trace on a second die, and a conductive pathway electrically coupling the first conductive trace with the second conductive trace. The second die is coupled to the first die with interconnects. The conductive pathway comprises a portion of the interconnects located proximate to a periphery of a region in the first die through which the first conductive trace is not routable. In some embodiments, the conductive pathway reroutes electrical connections away from the region. The region comprises a high congestion zone having high routing density in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the region comprises a “keep-out” zone.