Multi-Die IC Thermal Analysis Using Segmented Preconditioners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal analysis tools for integrated circuits (ICs) primarily focus on IC packages and neglect on-chip thermal properties, leading to inadequate heat management in multi-die IC designs, which can result in malfunction or damage due to heat constraints.
Innovation Solution
A method for performing thermal analysis of multi-die IC designs by modeling internal and boundary thermal elements to derive an overall heat flow equation, using preconditioners to efficiently solve for temperature distributions across dies, and determining optimal configurations for heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If prior thermal analysis tools focus on IC packages and treat the IC as a lumped heat source, then the package thermal properties are well-modeled, but the on-chip thermal properties are neglected leading to inadequate heat management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the IC into multiple discrete dies, each with its own thermal characteristics and heat generation patterns. This segmentation allows the thermal analysis to capture on-chip thermal properties that were previously neglected when treating the IC as a single lumped heat source, thereby improving heat management adequacy while maintaining package thermal modeling accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by modeling thermal properties specifically for on-chip regions (dies) rather than uniformly across the entire package. This enables differentiated thermal analysis for different die locations and configurations, allowing precise capture of local thermal effects that contribute to overall heat management
2Productivity
If multi-die IC designs incorporate two or more dies within a single package to provide greater functionality in smaller space, then functionality and speed are improved, but thermal interactions between dies create complex heat management challenges
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the multi-die system into individual die components, each with separate thermal models. This segmentation approach allows the complex thermal interactions between multiple dies to be analyzed systematically by considering each die's contribution to the overall thermal profile, making the complexity manageable while preserving the functionality density benefits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the individual thermal models of multiple dies into an integrated thermal analysis framework. This combining approach captures the thermal interactions between dies while maintaining the ability to analyze each die's specific thermal behavior, thereby managing the complexity of multi-die thermal systems
3Reliability
If leakage current increases with temperature, then power dissipation increases, but this creates a runaway feedback loop where temperature continually increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms by modeling the circular dependency between temperature, leakage current, and power dissipation. This feedback modeling allows the thermal analysis to predict thermal runaway conditions and evaluate their impact on operational stability, enabling designers to mitigate thermal risks in multi-die configurations
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
This approach allows for accurate thermal modeling and efficient heat management in multi-die IC designs, identifying thermal issues early and enabling optimal configuration selection to prevent overheating and ensure operational viability.
Implementation Method 1
modeling internal and boundary thermal elements to derive an overall heat flow equation
Implementation Method 2
A major contributor to the resulting heat generated by the design is the amount of leakage current
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments of the invention provide a method for performing thermal analysis of a multi-die integrated circuit (IC) design layout. The thermal analysis produces a temperature distribution for analyzing internal properties of each die within the multi-die design and for analyzing thermal interactions between two or more dies of the design based on an internal configuration of the two or more dies. Therefore, in some embodiments, the temperature distribution shows a temperature distribution for each die and the individual temperature distributions show varying temperature across each of the dies. Some embodiments reduce the number of iteration required to perform the thermal analysis by constructing a high quality preconditioner based on thermal conducting segments introduced to model thermal effects at the boundaries between two dies.