Stacked IC Package with Integrated Voltage Regulator
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional voltage regulators located on printed circuit boards (PCBs) separate from integrated circuits (ICs) result in significant voltage drops, slow response times, increased PCB size, and additional pin usage, which hinder the performance and efficiency of ICs, especially as transistor sizes shrink and supply voltages decrease.
Innovation Solution
Integrating an active portion of the voltage regulator directly into the IC, with passive components embedded in the packaging substrate, to reduce voltage drop, enhance response times, and minimize IC area usage, while providing a high-density, low-resistance path for supply voltage to stacked ICs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If the voltage regulator is located on the PCB separate from the IC, then the IC can be manufactured with standard processes, but significant voltage drop occurs between the voltage regulator and the IC
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the voltage regulator and IC into a single integrated structure where the voltage regulator is formed directly on the IC substrate. This merging eliminates the separate PCB location and associated interconnect paths, thereby reducing voltage drop while maintaining manufacturability through integrated fabrication processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a planar two-dimensional layout (voltage regulator on PCB, IC on PCB) to a three-dimensional stacked architecture where the voltage regulator is vertically integrated with the IC. This dimensional change reduces the physical distance and interconnect length, minimizing voltage drop while preserving manufacturing feasibility.
2Device complexity
If the voltage regulator is located on the PCB separate from the IC, then the IC design is simplified, but the response time of the voltage regulator to current transients is slow
Solution Approach 1:
By integrating the voltage regulator directly with the IC in a unified structure, the patent reduces the physical distance and interconnect length between the voltage regulator and IC. This merging enables faster signal propagation and current response, reducing the response time from microsecond range to nanosecond range while maintaining manageable design complexity through systematic integration.
3Quantity of substance
If the voltage regulator is located on the PCB separate from the IC, then the IC can use fewer pins for power delivery, but additional pins are required for communication with the voltage regulator
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the voltage regulator and IC into a single unit, eliminating the need for separate communication pins between them. This merging consolidates the interface requirements, reducing the total pin count while simplifying the pin configuration by removing the need for command and status signal pins that would be required in a separate architecture.
4Reliability
If passive components are embedded in the IC to reduce voltage drop, then the voltage supply stability is improved, but a large amount of IC area is consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs three-dimensional stacking where passive components are integrated in vertical layers above or below the active IC circuitry. This dimensional transition allows passive components to occupy space in the vertical dimension rather than consuming horizontal IC area, thereby maintaining voltage supply stability while preserving valuable planar area for active devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements nested integration where passive components are embedded within or adjacent to the IC structure in a space-efficient manner. The passive components are positioned to utilize unused or marginal areas of the IC substrate, effectively nesting them within the overall device footprint rather than requiring separate dedicated areas.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A stacked integrated circuit includes a first tier IC and a second tier IC. Active faces of the first tier IC and the second tier IC face each other. An interconnect structure, such as microbumps, couples the first tier IC to the second tier IC. An active portion of a voltage regulator is integrated in the first semiconductor IC and coupled to passive components (for example a capacitor or an inductor) embedded in a packaging substrate on which the stacked IC is mounted. The passive components may be multiple through vias in the packaging substrate providing inductance to the active portion of the voltage regulator. The inductance provided to the active portion of the voltage regulator is increased by coupling the through via in the packaging substrate to through vias in a printed circuit board that the packaging substrate is mounted on.