Nanophotonic Crack Stop Waveguide for Smaller Chip Footprints
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crack stop structures in semiconductor chips occupy valuable real estate, especially in small form factor dies, and are bulky, which reduces the usable footprint for transistor arrays and logic nets.
Innovation Solution
A nanophotonic semiconductor design that uses a high refractive index material sandwiched between low refractive index material to create an optical waveguide, which acts as a crack stop and reduces the footprint of crack stop structures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional crack stop structures are used, then crack propagation is prevented, but valuable real estate is occupied reducing usable footprint
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional electrical/mechanical crack stop structures with an optical waveguide-based system. The waveguide uses light propagation to detect cracks, substituting the mechanical/electrical sensing approach with optical sensing, thereby reducing the footprint while maintaining crack detection and prevention functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the operating parameter from electrical signals to optical signals (light wavelength, refractive index). By using optical parameters instead of electrical parameters, the crack stop structure achieves smaller dimensions while maintaining effectiveness, directly addressing the footprint reduction goal.
2Reliability
If conventional crack stop structures are used, then crack propagation is prevented, but device complexity increases due to contact pad array
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electrical contact pad array with an optical waveguide system. Instead of using multiple electrical contacts to sense cracks, a single optical waveguide can detect cracks along its entire length through light propagation, significantly reducing device complexity while maintaining crack prevention functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical waveguide serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as both the crack detection sensor and the signal transmission medium. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate contact pads and complex electrical connections, reducing overall device complexity.
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 nanophotonic design effectively reduces the footprint of crack stop structures, allowing for increased usable area on semiconductor chips for transistor arrays and logic nets, while also providing a built-in self-test capability using light.
Implementation Method 1
a high refractive index material sandwiched in low refractive index material. This structure may act as an optical waveguide
Implementation Method 2
a high refractive index material sandwiched in low refractive index material
Implementation Method 3
the waveguide directs light along the perimeter of the semiconductor chip
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor design that uses high refractive index material between low refractive index material. This structure may act as an optical waveguide.