Stitched Silicon Interposer for High-Capacity ICs
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Solution Overview
Problem
The size limitation of silicon interposers imposed by lithography systems restricts the capacity and efficiency of integrated circuit devices, as they cannot exceed the reticle limit, limiting the number and size of component integrated circuits that can be integrated.
Innovation Solution
The use of a stitched silicon interposer, composed of multiple component interposers, each patterned individually and separated by a die seal structure, allowing for a larger interposer size beyond the reticle limit, enabling higher capacity and efficient communication between component integrated circuits through localized chip-to-chip interconnects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a single silicon interposer is used, then manufacturing is simpler and reliability is higher, but the interposer size is limited by the reticle limit of lithography systems
Solution Approach 1:
The interposer is divided into multiple component interposers, each within the reticle limit, that are stitched together to form a larger integrated interposer structure. This segmentation allows the overall interposer area to exceed the lithography reticle limit while maintaining manufacturability of individual components.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple component interposers are combined through stitching processes to create a functionally integrated interposer structure. The component interposers are merged to provide a unified platform for mounting multiple integrated circuits, achieving a larger effective area while distributing the manufacturing complexity across manageable segments.
2Quantity of substance
If the interposer size exceeds the reticle limit, then more component integrated circuits can be integrated, but manufacturing precision and reliability decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The interconnect routing is segmented and localized to each component interposer, with each segment designed and manufactured independently within the reticle limit. This ensures that each interconnect pattern maintains high manufacturing precision while the aggregate system supports a larger number of component integrated circuits.
Solution Approach 2:
Bond pads and interconnect structures on the component interposers serve as intermediaries that facilitate communication between integrated circuits mounted on different component interposers. These intermediary elements enable cross-component communication while maintaining precise local interconnect patterns within each manufacturable component.
3Productivity
If wire bonding is used for intercommunication, then device complexity is reduced, but bandwidth and communication efficiency are limited
Solution Approach 1:
Traditional wire bonding mechanical interconnection is replaced with silicon-based chip-to-chip interconnect structures integrated into the component interposers. This substitution enables higher bandwidth and more efficient communication between integrated circuits while distributing the structural complexity across the interposer architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, and devices are provided to enable an integrated circuit device of relatively higher capacity. Such an integrated circuit device may include at least two component integrated circuits that communicate with one another. Specifically, the component integrated circuits may communicate through a “stitched silicon interposer” that is larger than a reticle limit of the lithography system used to manufacture the interposer. To achieve this larger size, the stitched silicon interposer may be composed of at least two component interposers, each sized within the reticle limit and each separated from one another by a die seal structure.