Intra-conductor Insulating Structures for Stacked Microelectronic Packages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional microelectronic packaging techniques face challenges in achieving a fine pitch between package sidewall conductors while maintaining electrical isolation, leading to potential shorting or high resistance leakage, which limits the compactness and efficiency of stacked microelectronic packages.

Innovation Solution

The formation of package sidewall conductors with intra-conductor insulating structures allows for a reduced pitch between conductors, ensuring electrical isolation through the use of conductive materials and insulating structures deposited on the package sidewall surfaces, enabling efficient electrical coupling of microelectronic devices in stacked packages.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of moving object

If the pitch between package sidewall conductors is reduced to achieve higher density, then the compactness and integration density improve, but electrical isolation deteriorates leading to potential shorting or high resistance leakage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepitch between conductorsVSAvoidelectrical isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the conductor structure into isolated segments by inserting intra-conductor insulating structures between adjacent conductors. This segmentation prevents electrical leakage and shorting between closely spaced conductors, enabling reduced pitch while maintaining reliable electrical isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The intra-conductor insulating structures serve as intermediary elements positioned between adjacent conductors. These insulating intermediaries provide the necessary electrical isolation barrier, allowing conductors to be placed closer together without compromising electrical isolation reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If conventional packaging techniques are used without intra-conductor insulating structures, then the manufacturing process is simpler, but electrical isolation between closely spaced conductors cannot be maintained

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing process complexityVSAvoidelectrical isolation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the conductor formation and electrical isolation functions into a single integrated structure. The intra-conductor insulating structures are formed simultaneously with the conductors through a unified manufacturing process, eliminating the need for separate isolation steps and maintaining manufacturing simplicity while ensuring reliable electrical isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Volume of moving object

If multiple microelectronic devices are stacked vertically to reduce package size, then the compactness improves, but the complexity of maintaining electrical isolation between adjacent conductors increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage sizeVSAvoidelectrical isolation structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent addresses the electrical isolation challenge in the vertical stacking dimension by extending insulating structures along the length of conductors in the vertical direction. This dimensional approach to isolation allows multiple devices to be stacked closely without increasing structural complexity, as the insulating structures naturally follow the conductor geometry in three-dimensional space.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentUS9036363B2Devices and stacked microelectronic packages with parallel conductors and intra-conductor isolator structures and methods of their fabrication

Publication Date: 2015.05.19 NXP USA INC

AI summary

Embodiments of devices and methods of their manufacture include coupling first and second package surface conductors to a package surface with an intra-conductor insulating structure between the package surface conductors. The package surface conductors extend between and electrically couple sets of pads that are exposed at the package surface. Elongated portions of the package surface conductors are parallel with and adjacent to each other. The intra-conductor insulating structure is coupled between the package surface conductors along an entirety of the parallel and adjacent elongated portions, and the intra-conductor insulating structure electrically insulates the elongated portions of the package surface conductors from each other. Some embodiments may be implemented in conjunction with a stacked microelectronic package that includes sidewall conductors and an intra-conductor insulating structure between and electrically insulating the sidewall conductors from each other.