Semiconductor Die Trench Insulation for Power-Peripheral Heat Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-density integration of power devices and peripheral circuitry in GaN-based semiconductor devices is hindered by thermal management issues, as excessive heat from power devices can cause malfunctioning or burning of peripheral circuitry, especially when cooling solutions are inadequate due to increased integration density and reduced distances between components.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor die with a thermal-insulation region comprising trenches filled with dielectric materials, which intercepts and redirects heat away from low-voltage peripheral devices, combined with a package that includes a thermally conductive base plate for efficient heat dissipation, allowing for increased integration density without overheating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If power devices and peripheral circuitry are integrated in the same chip with high density, then integration density is improved, but thermal management deteriorates due to excessive heat from power devices affecting peripheral circuitry
Solution Approach 1:
The chip is divided into distinct first and second regions separated by an intermediate region. The first region houses power devices while the second region houses peripheral circuitry, with the intermediate region acting as a thermal barrier to prevent heat transfer between them. This spatial segmentation resolves the contradiction by allowing high integration density while maintaining thermal management through regional isolation.
Solution Approach 2:
An intermediate region is introduced between the power device region and peripheral circuitry region. This intermediate region serves as a thermal mediator that blocks heat flow from the high-power area to the sensitive peripheral circuits, enabling both high integration density and effective thermal management by decoupling the thermal environments of the two functional regions.
2Loss of energy
If cooling solutions are used at package level, then heat dissipation is improved, but effectiveness deteriorates when integration density increases and component distances are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on package-level cooling (external dimension), the solution introduces thermal management at the chip internal level by creating an intermediate region between power devices and peripheral circuitry. This internal thermal barrier operates in the dimensional space within the chip substrate, providing heat dissipation effectiveness that is independent of external cooling solutions and maintains efficacy even as integration density increases.
3Productivity
If distance between power devices and peripheral circuitry is reduced to increase integration density, then integration density is improved, but thermal isolation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The intermediate region is strategically positioned locally between the power device region and peripheral circuitry region to provide targeted thermal isolation. This local thermal barrier creates a quality difference in the thermal properties of different chip regions, allowing heat to be managed effectively at the interface between regions while maintaining short distances overall for high integration density.
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 solution effectively decouples thermal loads from low-power CMOS circuitry, enabling higher integration density without malfunctions due to heat, by using trenches for both electrical insulation and thermal management, and a package design that facilitates efficient heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
a dielectric layer (6), made, for example, of silicon oxide (SiO2), which extends over a top face (4a) of the epitaxial layer (4)
Implementation Method 2
a package that includes a thermally conductive base plate for efficient heat dissipation
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor die includes a structural body that has a power region and a peripheral region surrounding the power region. At least one power device is positioned in the power region. Trench-insulation means extend in the structural body starting from the front side towards the back side along a first direction, adapted to hinder conduction of heat from the power region towards the peripheral region along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The trench-insulation means have an extension, in the second direction, greater than the thickness of the structural body along the first direction.