Magnetic Package Substrate Layout for Lower Interconnect Loss

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing high-density packaging technologies for semiconductor devices face challenges with high insertion loss due to fine-pitch interconnects and thin dielectric layers, leading to increased costs and reduced competitiveness, as well as limitations in design density and crosstalk issues.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating magnetic layers made of materials like manganese ferrite, zinc/manganese ferrite, and nickel/zinc ferrite into the package substrates to surround or embed signal traces, which increases inductance and allows for wider traces with the same impedance target, reducing conductor loss and enabling lower-cost platform solutions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If fine-pitch interconnects and thin dielectric layers are used to achieve high-density packaging, then packaging density and bandwidth are improved, but insertion loss increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackaging densityVSAvoidinsertion loss

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the electromagnetic parameters of the dielectric material by incorporating magnetic particles (ferrite, magnetite, or other magnetic materials) to achieve a relative permeability greater than 1. This parameter change allows the trace width to be increased while maintaining the same impedance, which directly reduces conductor loss and insertion loss while preserving the high-density packaging structure

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses composite dielectric materials consisting of conventional dielectric material combined with magnetic particles (ferrite, magnetite, or other magnetic materials). This composite material provides both the required dielectric properties and enhanced magnetic permeability, enabling wider traces with lower loss while maintaining high packaging density

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Loss of energy

If dielectric layer thickness is increased to reduce insertion loss, then conductor loss decreases, but package substrate density is severely limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconductor lossVSAvoidpackage substrate density

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the electromagnetic parameters of the dielectric material by incorporating magnetic particles to achieve higher relative permeability. This allows maintaining thin dielectric layers (preserving high density) while achieving lower effective impedance that enables wider traces and reduced conductor loss

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If low Df and Dk dielectric materials are used to reduce loss, then dielectric loss decreases, but trace width must increase which limits design density

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedielectric lossVSAvoiddesign density

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the magnetic permeability parameter of the dielectric material by adding magnetic particles, which allows maintaining smaller trace widths (preserving design density) while achieving the required impedance and loss performance through the enhanced magnetic properties

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 use of magnetic materials in package substrates significantly reduces conductor loss and insertion loss, improves signal routing performance, and allows for more cost-effective solutions by enabling wider traces with greater current flow, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of semiconductor packages.

Implementation Method 1

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectElectromagnetic induction: Electromagnetic Induction

Data Source

PatentUS12009320B2Interconnect loss of high density package with magnetic material

Publication Date: 2024.06.11 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Embodiments include package substrates and a semiconductor package with such package substrates. A package substrate includes a first conductive layer in a first magnetic layer, and a second magnetic layer over the first magnetic layer, where the first and second magnetic layers include magnetic materials. The package substrate also includes a second conductive layer in the second magnetic layer. The second conductive layer includes a plurality of first traces fully surrounded by the first and second magnetic layers. The package substrate includes a third conductive layer over the second magnetic layer. The magnetic materials may include manganese Mn ferrite materials, Zn/Mn ferrite materials, or Ni/Zn ferrite materials. The magnetic materials include material properties with a low constant value, a magnetic tangent value, a frequency, a base filler chemistry, a filler shape, a filler orientation, a filler percentage, a loading fraction value, a permeability, an insertion loss, and a resin formulation.