Silicon Interposer Thermal Layer Decouples Stress and Dissipates Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing semiconductor technologies for automotive applications lack robustness and reliability, leading to compatibility issues with motor vehicle interfaces and increased costs due to the need for complex compensation solutions, as they fail to effectively integrate diverse functional components with necessary reliability and robustness.
Innovation Solution
A silicon interposer with a connection layer and a thermal layer, where the connection layer has contact pads for surface connections and ESD protection, and the thermal layer is used for heat dissipation without metallization, providing a cost-effective and reliable solution by decoupling mechanical stress and improving thermal conductivity, while allowing for additional integration of ESD protection and shielding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If existing semiconductor technologies are used for automotive applications, then integration of functional components is achieved, but robustness and reliability are insufficient leading to compatibility issues with motor vehicle interfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an interposer as an intermediary component between consumer electronics semiconductor components and automotive interfaces. The interposer provides a standardized automotive-compatible interface layer that mediates between the consumer electronics components and the motor vehicle system, ensuring robustness and compatibility without requiring changes to the original consumer electronics components.
2Reliability
If complex compensation solutions are implemented to ensure reliability, then robustness is improved, but costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complexity of compensation solutions from the semiconductor components themselves and relocates it to the interposer. By separating the consumer electronics components from the automotive interface requirements, the complex compensation mechanisms are contained within the interposer rather than being integrated into each individual semiconductor component, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost.
3Temperature
If thermal layer without metallization is used, then thermal conductivity is improved, but mechanical strength may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite material structures in the thermal layer, combining materials with high thermal conductivity while maintaining adequate mechanical strength. The thermal layer is designed as a composite structure that integrates heat dissipation functionality with sufficient mechanical support, avoiding the need for metallization while preserving both thermal performance and structural integrity.
4Reliability
If additional ESD protection and shielding are integrated, then protection capabilities are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple functions including ESD protection and electromagnetic shielding into the interposer structure. The interposer serves as a multi-functional component that simultaneously provides mechanical support, thermal management, electrical interconnection, ESD protection, and electromagnetic shielding, thereby enhancing protection capabilities without proportionally increasing device 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
This solution enables a more reliable and cost-effective integration of semiconductor functions from consumer electronics into automotive applications, enhancing ESD protection, thermal management, and electromagnetic compatibility, while reducing mechanical stress and temperature gradients, thus addressing the limitations of prior art.
Implementation Method 1
the thermal layer has no metallization whatsoever, and the underside of the interposer formed by the thermal layer serves for dissipating the heat generated by the functional semiconductors
Implementation Method 2
The connection layer forming the surface of the interposer has a network with contact pads arranged on the surface for connection of the functional semiconductors arranged on the surface of the interposer, while active ESD protection structures are integrated in the connection layer
Data Source
AI summary
An interposer of silicon for use in a semiconductor module, wherein the interposer has a top side serving for arrangement of functional semiconductor and an underside and is subdivided into a connection layer and a thermal layer along a plane running between the top side and the underside. The connection layer forming the surface of the interposer has a network with contact pads arranged on the surface for connection of the functional semiconductors arranged on the surface of the interposer, while the thermal layer has no metallization, and the underside of the interposer formed by the thermal layer serves for dissipating the heat generated by the functional semiconductors.