Interconnection structures to improve signal integrity within stacked dies

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11600554-B2
Application number	US-202117391290-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2021
Priority date	Aug 2, 2021
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A device including a stack of dies. Each of the dies can have unit stair-step conductive paths of connection features which include through-die via structures and routing structures. The unit stair-step conductive paths of one of the dies can be interconnected to another one of the unit stair-step conductive paths of another one of the dies to form one of a plurality conductive stair-case structures through two or more of the dies. The unit stair-step conductive paths can be connected to reduce signal cross talk between the conductive stair-case structures whereby at least some of the conductive stair-case structures are connected to transmit a same polarity of electrical signals are spatially separated in a dimension that is perpendicular to a major surface of the dies. A method of manufacturing the device is also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device, comprising:
a stack of dies, each of the dies having unit stair-step conductive paths of connection features which include through-die via structures and routing structures, wherein:
the unit stair-step conductive paths of one of the dies are interconnected to another one of the unit stair-step conductive paths of another one of the dies to form one of a plurality of conductive stair-case structures through two or more of the dies, and
the unit stair-step conductive paths are connected to reduce signal cross talk between the conductive stair-case structures whereby at least some of the conductive stair-case structures are connected to transmit a same polarity of electrical signals are spatially separated in a dimension that is perpendicular to a major surface of the dies.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by alternating the conductive stair-case structures, connected to transmit the electrical signal as a first electrical signal that includes a data-carrying signal, with the conductive stair-case structures connected to transmit the electrical signal as a second electrical signal, the first and second electrical signals having the opposite polarity.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein each of the stair-step conductive paths connected to transmit the first electrical signal are surrounded on all three dimensions by the stair-step conductive paths connected to transmit the second electrical signal.

4. The device of claim 2 , wherein each of the stair-step conductive paths are connected on one end to an input-output circuit located on, and near an edge of the one of the dies and connected on an opposite end located on a different one of the dies, connected as an input-output routing structure.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by positioning portions of one of more of the stair-step conductive paths for one or more of the stair case structures on one side of the dies relative to a centrally located input-output circuit and portions of a different one of more of the stair-step conductive paths for one or more different ones of the stair case structures on an opposite side of the dies relative to the input-output circuit.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by providing two or more vertically stacked ones of the through-die via structures such that the routing structures of one of the stair-step conductive paths are separated from the routing structures of another one of the stair-step conductive paths by one or more of the dies.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by providing the unit stair-step conductive path that forms part of a first one of the conductive stair-case structures so as to be horizontally shifted in one of the dies relative to an adjacent one of the unit stair-step conductive paths in an adjacent one of the dies that forms part of a second adjacent one of the conductive stair-case structures, such that the through-die via structures of the first conductive stair-case structure in the one die are vertically offset from the through-die via structure in an adjacent die of the second adjacent conductive stair-case structure.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein for the conductive stair-case structures, the unit stair-step conductive path is free of the metal lines and the through-die via structure of the unit stair-step conductive path interconnects routing structure of the unit stair-step conductive path in the second adjacent one of the dies to the routing structure of the unit stair-step conductive path in a third adjacent one of the dies.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by:
positioning portions of one of more of the stair-step conductive paths for one or more of the stair case structures on one side of the dies relative to a centrally located input-output circuit and portions of a different one of more of the stair-step conductive paths for one or more different ones of the stair case structures on an opposite side of the dies relative to the input-output circuit,
providing two of more vertically stacked ones of the through-die via structures such that the routing structures of one of the stair-step conductive paths are separated from the routing structures of another one of the stair-step conductive paths by one or more dies, and
alternating the conductive stair-case structures connected to transmit the electrical signal as a first electrical signal that is a data-carrying signal with the conductive stair-case structures connected to transmit the electrical signal as a second electrical signal that is a ground-carrying signal, the first and second electrical signals having the opposite polarity.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by providing portions of at least one of the conductive stair-case structures between at least two different cross-sections through the stack, where a first one of the one unit stair-step conductive paths in a first cross-section of an odd-numbered one of the dies includes the routing structures that connect to a second one of the unit stair-step conductive path in a second cross-section of an adjacent even numbered one of the dies, such that the unit stair-step conductive paths sequentially alternate back and forth between the first and second cross-sections to form the conductive stair-case structure.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the stair-step conductive paths are connected to transmit the electrical signal as a first electrical signal are surrounded on all three dimensions by the stair-step conductive paths connected to transmit the electrical signal as a second electrical signal, the first and second electrical signals having the opposite polarity.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by providing portions of at least one of the conductive stair-case structures between at least first, second and third cross-sections through the stack, wherein:
the interconnection of the electrical signal as a first electrical signal includes the routing structures that alternate from the unit stair-step conductive paths of an odd-numbered one of the dies in the first cross-section, to a diagonally adjacent one the unit stair-step conductive path in the second cross-section of an adjacent even-numbered one of dies, to form a first one of the conductive stair-case structures,
the interconnection of the electrical signal as a second electrical signal includes the routing structures that alternate from the unit stair-step conductive paths of the even numbered one of the dies in the third cross-section, to a diagonally adjacent one of the unit stair-step conductive path in the second cross-section of the odd numbered one of dies, to form a second one of the conductive stair-case structures.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the conductive stair-case structures are spatially separated by providing portions of at least one of the conductive stair-case structures between at least first and second cross-sections through the stack, wherein:
the interconnection of the electrical signal as a first electrical signal includes the routing structures that alternate from a first set of the unit stair-step conductive paths including the unit stair-step conductive paths of an odd-numbered one of the dies in the first cross-section connected to a diagonally adjacent one the unit stair-step conducti

Assignees

• Nvidia Corp

Inventors

• Turner Walker J
• Zhou Yaping
• Wilson John M

Classifications

• H10W90/752

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/722

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/297

  characterised by the through-semiconductor vias [TSVs] in the stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/20

  Bump connectors, e.g. solder bumps or copper pillars; Dummy bumps; Thermal bumps · CPC title