Separate Sense-Chip Package for Accurate Current Monitoring
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing package designs for electronic chips, particularly in automotive applications, face constraints that limit design flexibility and precision in current sensing due to the integration of functional and sense chips as a single unit, leading to challenges in space utilization and accuracy.
Innovation Solution
The package design separates functional and sense chips, allowing them to be manufactured with the same technology but as distinct semiconductor dies, enabling independent placement and reducing the need for dedicated pins, while ensuring the sense chip's electric signal accurately reflects the functional chip's current characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If functional chip and sense chip are integrated as a single unit, then manufacturing process is simplified, but design flexibility and space utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the integrated chip into two separate functional chips: a functional chip that provides the primary electric function and a sense chip that provides sensing functionality. This segmentation allows each chip to be independently designed, manufactured, and placed within the package, thereby improving design flexibility and space utilization while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized separate fabrication processes
2Device complexity
If functional chip and sense chip are integrated as a single unit, then package structure is simplified, but current sensing accuracy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
By separating the sense chip from the functional chip, the patent enables independent optimization of the sensing circuitry. The sense chip can be specifically designed with high-precision sensing elements and isolated from noisy functional circuits, thereby improving current sensing accuracy while the modular package structure maintains relative simplicity through standardized mounting and connection methods
3Reliability
If separate pins are used for sense functionality in integrated chip, then sensing capability is enabled, but space requirements and pin count increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the sensing functionality into a separate sense chip that shares the package housing with the functional chip. This allows the sense chip to utilize common package infrastructure such as mounting substrates, connection terminals, and encapsulation, thereby enabling sensing capability without proportionally increasing overall space requirements or pin count compared to fully integrated approaches
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes a functional chip configured to provide an electric function involving an electric current, and a sense chip configured to provide an electric sense signal which characterizes the electric current. The functional chip and the sense chip are physically separate chips.