Patent · US Active

Thermal enhancement for multi-layer semiconductor stacks

US8445918B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 13, 2010
Grant dateMay 21, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 27, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01L2924/14
  • WIPO fieldSemiconductors
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A circuit arrangement and method in one aspect utilize thermal-only through vias, extending between the opposing faces of stacked semiconductor dies, to increase the thermal conductivity of a multi-layer semiconductor stack. The thermal vias are provided in addition to data-carrying through vias, which communicate data signals between circuit layers, and power-carrying through vias, which are coupled to a power distribution network for the circuit layers, such that the thermal conductivity is increased above that which may be provided by the data-carrying and power-carrying through vias in the stack. A circuit arrangement and method in another aspect organize the circuit layers in a multi-layer semiconductor stack based upon current density so as to reduce power distribution losses in the stack.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.