Stacked-Die Package With Substrate Cavity for Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional stacked-die semiconductor packages face challenges in thermal management and thickness, making them unsuitable for certain electronic devices due to increased thickness and inadequate thermal solutions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a stacked-die package design with an opening in the substrate and base, allowing for a thick die to be used without increasing the package thickness, combined with a heat dissipating device and thermal interface material to enhance heat dissipation, including a heat spreader and TIM to improve thermal solutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If multiple dice are stacked on top of each other to save area, then the area usage is improved, but the overall thickness of the IC package increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested structure where the first die is partially inserted into a cavity formed in the substrate, and the second die is stacked on top of the first die. This nesting arrangement allows the dies to occupy vertical space without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint, thereby improving area utilization while controlling overall thickness through strategic placement within the substrate cavity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a conventional planar side-by-side die arrangement to a three-dimensional stacked configuration with vertical integration. By utilizing the vertical dimension and creating a cavity in the substrate to accommodate the first die, the design achieves better area efficiency while managing thickness through controlled vertical stacking rather than horizontal expansion.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple dice are stacked on top of each other to save area, then the area usage is improved, but thermal management becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces thermal interface material as an intermediary between the first die and the heat dissipation structure, and between the second die and the first die. This intermediary facilitates efficient thermal coupling, allowing heat to be conducted from the stacked dies through the interface materials to external heat dissipation structures, thereby solving the thermal management challenge posed by the stacked configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the heat dissipation function from the die structure itself and implements separate heat dissipation structures that are coupled to the dies through thermal interface material. This separation allows dedicated thermal management components to be optimized for heat removal while the dies maintain their stacked area-efficient configuration, effectively addressing thermal management challenges.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a thick die is used to improve performance, then the device functionality is improved, but the package thickness increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes a cavity formed in the substrate to nest the first die, allowing a thick die to be accommodated within the vertical space of the substrate rather than extending the overall package thickness. The cavity acts as a recess that absorbs the thickness of the first die, enabling the use of thick, high-performance dies without proportionally increasing the external dimensions of the package.
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 design reduces the overall thickness of the package, provides effective thermal management by eliminating hot spots, and allows for cost-effective production by using thick dies, while maintaining efficient heat dissipation.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal interface material to enhance heat dissipation
Implementation Method 2
a heat spreader and TIM to improve thermal solutions
Implementation Method 3
provides effective thermal management by eliminating hot spots
Data Source
AI summary
Some embodiments described herein include apparatuses and methods of forming such apparatuses. In one such embodiment, an apparatus may include a substrate, a first die, and a second die coupled to the first die and the substrate. The substrate may include an opening. At least a portion of the die may occupy at least a portion of the opening in the substrate. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described.