Sidewall Thermal Coupling for Vertically Stacked Semiconductor Packages
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Solution Overview
Problem
The exponential increase in power dissipation and thermal management challenges in high-density, vertically stacked semiconductor devices, particularly in high-performance computing and AI applications, are not adequately addressed by conventional backside cooling methods, leading to excessive operating temperatures and thermal sensitivity issues in memory devices.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device package design that incorporates a thermal element thermally coupled to the lateral surfaces of a stack structure, providing additional heat dissipation pathways through high thermal conductivity materials and structures, supplementing or replacing traditional one-sided cooling approaches.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional backside cooling methods are used, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the thermal management is insufficient leading to excessive operating temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from conventional one-dimensional backside cooling to multi-dimensional thermal management by coupling thermal elements to lateral surfaces of the stack structure, enabling heat dissipation in additional spatial dimensions and significantly improving thermal management effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal elements are integrated within the package structure itself, with lateral thermal elements nested around the stack structure and backside thermal elements integrated into the substrate, creating a compact nested thermal management system that improves cooling without proportionally increasing external dimensions
2Quantity of substance
If more dies are vertically stacked in HBMs, then the memory capacity increases, but the thermal sensitivity issues worsen due to increased operating temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal management function into multiple independent thermal elements positioned at different locations (lateral surfaces and backside) of the stack structure, allowing distributed heat dissipation that protects individual dies from excessive temperature buildup even as stack height and capacity increase
Solution Approach 2:
Thermal elements act as intermediary structures between the heat-generating dies and the external environment, providing dedicated thermal pathways that mediate heat transfer and maintain reliable operating temperatures for memory devices as capacity scales
3Power
If the number of GPUs and HBMs is increased for higher performance, then the computational power increases, but the thermal management challenges worsen
Solution Approach 1:
By adding lateral thermal coupling dimensions in addition to backside cooling, the patent creates multi-path thermal management that can handle the proportionally increased heat loads from higher computational power configurations without linearly increasing cooling system complexity
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
Enhances thermal management by efficiently dissipating heat from internal and heat-sensitive dies, maintaining optimal operating temperatures and improving performance and reliability of the semiconductor device package.
Implementation Method 1
A first thermal element is disposed to surround lateral surfaces of the stack structure and is thermally coupled to at least a lateral surface of at least one of the pluralities of electronic components
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device package is provided. The semiconductor device package includes a stack structure comprising a plurality of electronic components vertically stacked relative to each other. Each of the plurality of electronic components is configured to provide electrical connectivity in a vertical direction. A first thermal element surrounds lateral surfaces of the stack structure and is thermally coupled to a lateral surface of at least one of the electronic components, thereby enhancing lateral heat dissipation efficiency of the stack structure.