Programmable Die Address Bus for Stacked IC Flexibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in integrated circuit design is to enhance performance beyond the limitations of scaling individual semiconductor dies due to power density and interconnect constraints, while also reducing production costs associated with manufacturing and configuring stacked die designs for various applications.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a stacked die integrated circuit with a programmable die address bus and through-silicon vias (TSVs) that allow for flexible data bus configurations, enabling the same dies to be used in different configurations without the need for redesign, by adjusting the orientation and connection of TSVs to form various data bus widths and address bus widths.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multiple dies are stacked on top of each other to improve performance, then footprint and yield are improved, but manufacturing and production costs increase due to the need to configure each die to work with every other die
Solution Approach 1:
The die address bus is designed with programmable width capability, allowing the same die to function in multiple configurations (individually addressable or paired/grouped). This universality enables a single die design to work across different stack configurations, reducing the need for specialized dies and lowering manufacturing costs while maintaining improved performance benefits
2Ease of manufacture
If the die address bus width is fixed to support specific configurations, then manufacturing is simplified, but adaptability to different applications is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The die address bus width is made dynamically programmable rather than fixed, allowing it to be configured post-manufacturing based on the specific application requirements. This dynamic capability enables the same hardware to adapt to different configurations (individual addressing or paired/grouped addressing) without requiring manufacturing changes, thus maintaining manufacturing simplicity while maximizing adaptability
Data Source
AI summary
The dies of a stacked die integrated circuit (IC) employ the address bus to indicate the particular die, or set of dies, targeted by data on a data bus. During manufacture of the stacked die IC, the IC is programmed with information indicating a width of the address bus. During operation, each die addresses the other dies with addresses having the corresponding width based on this programmed information.