Reflowable Grid Array Interposer for Autonomous Vehicle Processor Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous vehicle processors face latency issues at low temperatures, and existing solutions like environmentally controlled enclosures or delayed system wake-up times are costly and inefficient, impacting user experience and real-time readiness.
Innovation Solution
A reflowable grid array (RGA) interposer with embedded heater traces that can maintain solder joint temperatures above a minimum value, reducing the operating temperature range and enabling self-repair by reflowing solder balls when necessary, thus addressing latency and reliability issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If environmentally controlled enclosures are used to maintain processor temperature, then processor latency is improved, but system cost and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is extracted from the environmental enclosure and integrated directly into the RGA interposer through embedded heater traces. This localized heating approach targets only the critical solder joint areas rather than heating the entire processor enclosure, thereby reducing overall power consumption while maintaining processor reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The RGA interposer performs self-heating through its embedded heater traces, eliminating the need for external environmental control enclosures. The interposer autonomously maintains solder joint temperatures within operational ranges, reducing system-level power consumption while ensuring processor reliability.
2Reliability
If environmentally controlled enclosures are used to maintain processor temperature, then processor latency is improved, but system cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heating function is merged with the RGA interposer structure itself through integrated heater traces. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate environmental control enclosures, reducing system complexity and cost while maintaining the ability to control processor temperature for reliable operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The RGA interposer provides self-heating capability through its embedded heater traces, eliminating the need for external environmental control systems. This self-service approach reduces system complexity and cost while ensuring processor latency requirements are met.
3Temperature
If delayed system wake-up time is used to warm-up processor, then processor temperature is improved, but real-time readiness is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The heater traces are pre-integrated into the RGA interposer structure during manufacturing, ready for immediate activation. When the system wakes up, the heaters can instantly begin warming the solder joints, eliminating the need for delayed wake-up times while achieving the required temperature for processor operation.
Solution Approach 2:
Heating is applied locally at the solder joint level rather than requiring system-wide warm-up procedures. This localized heating approach enables rapid temperature adjustment without delaying system readiness, as only specific critical areas need to be heated rather than the entire processor system.
4Reliability
If heater traces are embedded in RGA interposer, then solder joint temperature control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The RGA interposer serves multiple functions: electrical interconnection, mechanical support, and thermal management through integrated heater traces. By combining these functions into a single component, the overall manufacturing complexity is managed more efficiently than adding separate heating systems, as the interposer itself becomes the heating element.
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 RGA interposer provides a cost-effective solution that maintains processor performance across varying temperatures, reduces latency, and enables real-time readiness of autonomous vehicles by actively managing solder joint temperatures and facilitating self-repair of faulty connections.
Implementation Method 1
A reflowable grid array (RGA) interposer with embedded heater traces that can maintain solder joint temperatures above a minimum value
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include a reflowable grid array (RGA) interposer, a semiconductor packaged system, and a method of forming the semiconductor packaged system. The RGA interposer includes a plurality of heater traces in a substrate. The RGA interposer also includes a plurality of vias in the substrate. The vias extend vertically from the bottom surface to the top surface of the substrate. The RGA interposer may have one of the vias between two of the heater traces, wherein the vias have a z-height that is greater than a z-height of the heater traces. The heater traces may be embedded in a layer of the substrate, where the layer of the substrate is between top ends and bottom ends of the vias. Each of the plurality of heater traces may include a via filament interconnect coupled to a power source and a ground source. The heater traces may be resistive heaters.