Shared Guard Ring Layout for High-Density Through-Substrate Conductors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional vertical conductive structures and their associated guard rings require significant area due to minimum spacing and width requirements, limiting the area density in semiconductor devices.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor arrangement includes a first portion with a first dielectric layer and a guard ring, and a second portion with a conductive layer, where a vertical conductive structure passes through both portions and is surrounded by the guard ring, utilizing an extra low-k dielectric layer to enhance area density.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If conventional vertical conductive structures and guard rings are used with minimum spacing requirements, then manufacturing precision and reliability are maintained, but area density is limited
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple vertical conductive structures are nested within a single guard ring structure, allowing multiple conductors to share one protective ring. This nesting arrangement reduces the total area required compared to having separate guard rings for each conductor, thereby improving area density while maintaining the protective function.
Solution Approach 2:
Adjacent guard rings are merged into a shared continuous conductive structure that protects multiple vertical conductive structures simultaneously. This merging eliminates redundant guard ring materials and reduces the overall footprint, achieving higher area density without compromising the electrical isolation and protection functions.
2Reliability
If guard rings are provided around each vertical conductive structure, then electrical integrity and protection are ensured, but device complexity and area consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single continuous guard ring structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides electrical isolation for multiple vertical conductive structures, acts as a protective barrier against electrical interference, and functions as a reference plane. This multi-functionality maintains electrical integrity while reducing the number of separate components needed.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple individual guard ring structures are merged into one continuous shared guard ring that protects several vertical conductive structures. This consolidation reduces device complexity by eliminating redundant structures while maintaining the essential protective and isolating functions for all conductors.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a first substrate. The first substrate includes a first dielectric layer, and a vertical conductive area, where the vertical conductive area includes at least two vertical conductive structures extending through the first dielectric layer, where each line segment of a non-square quadrilateral contacts at least one of the at least two vertical conductive structures. The vertical conductive area also includes a continuous conductive guard ring structure in the first dielectric layer, where the continuous conductive guard ring structure surrounds the at least two vertical conductive structures. The semiconductor device also includes a second substrate, including a first conductor, and a second conductor, where the first conductor of the second substrate is electrically connected to at least one of the at least two vertical conductive structures of the first substrate.