Semiconductor Bypass Switch for Damaged Chip Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor apparatuses, damaged chips continue to receive power supply voltage, leading to reduced operational efficiency and power wastage, as existing structures do not effectively bypass or disconnect power from faulty components.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating bypass switches between chips and a controller to determine operational efficiency, allowing the bypass switch to be turned on when a chip is deemed damaged, thereby preventing power supply to the damaged chip and stopping its operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If power supply voltage is continuously supplied to all chips in series, then all chips can operate, but damaged chips waste power and reduce overall operational efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the power supply control for each chip individually using independent bypass switches. Each chip has its own bypass switch that can be independently controlled based on its operational status, allowing selective power distribution to functional chips while isolating damaged ones, thereby eliminating power wastage without affecting overall system operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass switch acts as an intermediary component between the power supply and each chip. It mediates the power flow by switching between connected and disconnected states based on chip health status, enabling the system to dynamically control power distribution and prevent energy waste on damaged components while maintaining continuous operation of healthy chips.
2Loss of energy
If bypass switches are added to disconnect damaged chips, then power efficiency improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass switch is merged with the chip structure itself, forming an integrated unit. This combination eliminates the need for separate external bypass components, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining the power isolation functionality. The merged structure allows the bypass switch to be controlled in conjunction with the chip's operational status without adding significant structural burden.
3Power
If damaged chips continue to operate with power supply, then power is supplied to all chips, but operational accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts or removes the damaged chip from the operational circuit by activating its bypass switch to disconnect power supply. This extraction prevents the damaged chip from producing erroneous outputs or affecting the computational accuracy of the overall system, ensuring that only functional chips contribute to the final result and maintaining high operational accuracy.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of chips and a first bypass switch. The chips are coupled in series between a power end and a reference ground end. The first bypass switch is coupled in series between a first end and a second end of a first chip among the chips, wherein the first end is coupled to the power end and the second end is coupled to the reference ground end. The first bypass switch is turned on according to a first control signal when an operational efficiency of the first chip is less than a threshold value and the first chip is determined to be damaged.