Chip Source Grounding Layout for Low Parasitic Inductance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Parasitic inductance in transistor sources due to conductive wire bonding increases, reducing transistor gain and requiring larger chip areas and higher costs when grounded through substrate back holes.

Innovation Solution

A chip preparation method using front-side lithography to form epitaxial layers and source conducting layers in a stacked manner, ensuring full contact and reducing layout areas by using high-precision etching to avoid over-etching and incorrect etching of source conducting layers.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Device complexity

If the source is grounded through conductive wire bonding, then the transistor structure is simple, but parasitic inductance increases and transistor gain is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetransistor structureVSAvoidtransistor gain
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transitions from planar wire bonding to three-dimensional vertical grounding through back holes. The source is grounded by forming conductive paths through the substrate thickness direction, creating a vertical connection that eliminates parasitic inductance while maintaining structural simplicity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces back holes as intermediary structures to establish the grounding path. These holes filled with conductive material serve as mediators between the source and ground plane, providing a low-inductance connection without requiring external wire bonds.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If the back hole is designed right below the source metal, then parasitic parameters are reduced, but the source metal width increases and chip area increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveparasitic parameterVSAvoidchip area
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSArea of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by concentrating the grounding function specifically in the regions where back holes are formed beneath the source metal. The source metal pattern is locally optimized to align with the back hole positions, allowing narrow source metal widths while maintaining effective grounding where needed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The back holes are formed and filled with conductive material before the source metal is deposited. This preliminary preparation of grounding paths allows the source metal to be deposited in narrow patterns that precisely align with the pre-formed conductive pillars, minimizing chip area while ensuring low parasitic parameters.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If front-side lithography is used to etch the epitaxial layer, then lithography precision is improved and over-etching is avoided, but the process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelithography precisionVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of performing etching from the back side of the substrate, the patent inverts the approach by etching the epitaxial layer from the front side. This reversal of the etching direction enables precise lithographic control and alignment, preventing over-etching while maintaining process efficiency.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

Data Source

PatentEP4428901B1Chip and manufacturing method therefor
Publication Date: 2025.08.27 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP4428901B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4428901B1 patent drawingFigure 3a~4b
  • EP4428901B1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

Embodiments of this application provide a chip, a chip preparation method, a radio frequency power amplifier, and a terminal, and relate to the field of semiconductor technologies, to ensure that an epitaxial layer is in full contact with a source conducting layer. The chip includes a first transistor and a second transistor, and the method includes: forming, on a substrate (10), an epitaxial layer (11) and a source conducting layer (21) that are sequentially disposed in a stacked manner, where the epitaxial layer includes a first via, to form a first epitaxial layer (101) of the first transistor and a second epitaxial layer (102) of the second transistor; the source conducting layer includes a first source (211) of the first transistor and a second source (212) of the second transistor; and an edge of the first source (211) is flush with an edge of the first epitaxial layer (101) close to a side of the first via, and an edge of the second source (212) is flush with an edge of the second epitaxial layer (102) close to a side of the first via; forming a first conducting layer (13) in the first via, where the first conducting layer (13) is in contact with the first source (211) and the second source (212); forming a second via; and forming a second conducting layer (14) in the second via, where the second conducting layer (14) is in contact with the first conducting layer (13) and is grounded.