Embedded Deep Trench Capacitor Stacks for Stable Package Power
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power semiconductor dies require stable voltage supply, and existing capacitors placed near the dies often occupy valuable real estate and can cause mechanical instability due to mismatched heights and thermal expansion.
Innovation Solution
Embed deep trench capacitors within the substrate core of a circuit board, stacking them to match the core's height, providing a stable voltage supply while reducing space usage and mechanical instability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If capacitors are placed near the semiconductor dies on the same package, then power delivery performance is improved, but valuable real estate is occupied and mechanical instability occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar capacitor placement on the package surface to three-dimensional embedding within the substrate core. Deep trench capacitors are formed by etching vertical trenches into the substrate, utilizing the depth dimension (z-axis) rather than only the surface area (x-y plane). This dimensional transition allows capacitors to be positioned near the dies while occupying minimal surface area, resolving the contradiction between power delivery performance and space usage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent embeds capacitors within the substrate core structure, nesting the capacitor elements inside the existing substrate architecture. The deep trench capacitors are integrated into the substrate layers, with capacitor plates and dielectric materials nested within the substrate thickness. This nesting approach allows capacitors to coexist with the substrate structure without requiring additional surface area, maintaining both power delivery performance and compact form factor.
2Reliability
If capacitors are placed near the semiconductor dies on the same package, then power delivery performance is improved, but mechanical instability occurs due to mismatched heights and thermal expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the substrate core material itself as the encapsulating medium for the embedded capacitors, ensuring homogeneous material composition throughout the structure. The substrate material provides uniform mechanical and thermal properties across the entire assembly, eliminating interfaces between dissimilar materials that would cause differential thermal expansion. This homogeneity ensures that capacitors and substrate expand and contract together during thermal cycling, preventing mechanical instability while maintaining improved power delivery performance.
3Area of stationary object
If deep trench capacitors are embedded in the substrate core, then space usage is reduced and mechanical stability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs capacitor formation as a preliminary step during substrate fabrication, before final assembly. Deep trenches are etched and capacitor structures are formed within the substrate core during the substrate manufacturing process itself. By completing capacitor fabrication in advance, the patent eliminates the need for separate capacitor assembly steps, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the three-dimensional embedding approach. This preliminary action integrates capacitor fabrication into the existing substrate production workflow.
Data Source
AI summary
Technologies for components embedded in a substrate core are disclosed. In one embodiment, power components such as deep trench capacitors are disposed in a cavity defined in a substrate core for a circuit board of an integrated circuit package, such as a processor. The power components are stacked on top of each other, allowing for the stack of power components to match the height of the substrate core, even when the height of the individual power components is less than the height of the substrate core. Configuring the power components in this manner can provide mechanical stability to the power components and substrate core and provide power to a semiconductor die mounted on the circuit board.