Stacked Microelectronic Devices With Inboard Electrical Couplers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional microelectronic devices face challenges in reducing their footprint due to large solder balls required for stacking, which increases the footprint and reduces yield due to the discarding of defective devices during encapsulation.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves stacking microelectronic devices with interposer substrates and electrical couplers positioned inboard, allowing for a reduced footprint and enabling testing before stacking to ensure only good devices are included, thereby increasing yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If large solder balls are used to stack microelectronic devices, then the devices can be stacked vertically to increase density, but the footprint of the device increases due to the space required for the solder balls
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from horizontal placement to vertical stacking by positioning electrical couplers underneath the die rather than on the sides. This dimensional change allows devices to be stacked vertically without increasing the horizontal footprint, as the couplers are integrated into the vertical stack rather than extending outward.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrical couplers are nested underneath the die, with multiple couplers stacked vertically in a compact arrangement. This nesting approach allows multiple connection points to be contained within a small vertical space rather than requiring horizontal expansion, thereby reducing the overall footprint while maintaining high device density.
2Area of stationary object
If multiple dies are encapsulated together to increase density, then the footprint is reduced, but the yield decreases because defective devices cannot be detected until after encapsulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements testing of individual dies before they are encapsulated and stacked. This preliminary action allows defective devices to be identified and removed from the stack prior to encapsulation, ensuring that only functional devices are included in the final packaged product. This approach maintains high yield while still achieving density through stacking.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more bond-pads are added to increase performance, then the device functionality is enhanced, but the footprint increases due to larger ball-grid arrays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions electrical couplers underneath the die in a vertical arrangement rather than distributing them horizontally on the sides. This allows for an increased number of bond-pads and higher performance connectivity without proportionally increasing the horizontal footprint, as the additional connections are accommodated in the vertical dimension through the stacked coupler architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Microelectronic devices, stacked microelectronic devices, and methods for manufacturing microelectronic devices are described herein. In one embodiment, a set of stacked microelectronic devices includes (a) a first microelectronic die having a first side and a second side opposite the first side, (b) a first substrate attached to the first side of the first microelectronic die and electrically coupled to the first microelectronic die, (c) a second substrate attached to the second side of the first microelectronic die, (d) a plurality of electrical couplers attached to the second substrate, (e) a third substrate coupled to the electrical couplers, and (f) a second microelectronic die attached to the third substrate. The electrical couplers are positioned such that at least some of the electrical couplers are inboard the first microelectronic die.