Diagonal Through-Via Rerouting for Stacked Semiconductor Integrity
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing 3D semiconductor apparatuses face challenges in efficiently coupling and repairing through-vias within stacked chips, leading to potential defects and reduced integrity in data transmission across channels.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor apparatus incorporates a plurality of stacked chips with through-vias that are electrically coupled in a diagonal direction, including input/output circuits and data transmission sections that can reroute data based on repair information, allowing for the selection and rerouting of through-vias to maintain channel data transmission even if some through-vias become defective.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If through-vias are used to electrically couple stacked chips, then the package size is reduced and integration is improved, but the reliability and integrity of data transmission are compromised due to potential defects in through-vias
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic rerouting capability where the data transmission section can change the path of data transmission based on repair information. When a through-via is detected as defective, the system dynamically switches to use alternative through-vias, making the data transmission path adaptable rather than fixed. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliability through dynamic path selection while preserving the compact through-via structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operational parameters of the through-via system by introducing repair information that identifies defective through-vias and enables alternative routing. The data transmission section modifies its behavior based on these parameters, selecting different through-vias for data transmission. This allows the system to maintain high reliability by avoiding defective paths while keeping the compact through-via architecture.
2Reliability
If multiple through-vias are implemented for data transmission, then channel coupling is improved, but the complexity of detecting and repairing defective through-vias increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-establishing repair information that identifies which through-vias are defective before normal data transmission begins. The repair information is generated and stored in advance, allowing the data transmission section to immediately use alternative paths when needed without performing complex real-time detection. This resolves the contradiction by simplifying the detection process through pre-characterization of through-via status.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces repair information as an intermediary that mediates between the physical through-vias and the data transmission process. Instead of directly detecting and responding to defective through-vias during operation, the system uses pre-generated repair information to guide data routing decisions. This intermediary layer simplifies the detection and repair complexity by providing ready-made routing guidance.
3Ease of manufacture
If through-vias are vertically aligned for simple routing, then manufacturing is simplified, but the ability to reroute around defects is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent maintains simple vertical through-via alignment for ease of manufacture while adding dynamic rerouting capability through software-controlled data transmission sections. The physical structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but the system dynamically adapts by selecting different through-vias based on repair information. This resolves the contradiction by separating the simplicity of physical manufacturing from the complexity of adaptive routing logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the data transmission function from the physical through-via structure. The through-vias themselves remain simple vertical conduits easy to manufacture, while the data transmission section is divided into multiple independent paths that can be selectively activated. This segmentation allows the physical structure to remain simple while the system as a whole gains rerouting versatility through logical division of transmission paths.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of stacked chips. Each of the plurality of stacked chips may include a plurality of through-vias, each formed at a corresponding location in the plurality of through-vias, and each of the plurality of through-vias is electrically coupled with a through-via in a neighboring stacked chip in a diagonal direction. The semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of through-via arrays, and performs repair operation with a unit of the through-via array.