Integrated circuit (ic) package comprising electrostatic discharge (esd) protection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017063079-A1
Application number	US-201514838034-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 27, 2015
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Mar 2, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An integrated circuit (IC) package includes a die, a package substrate coupled to the die, and a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component coupled to the package substrate, where the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component is configured to provide package level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. In some implementations, the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component is embedded in the package substrate. In some implementations, the die includes an internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component configured to provide die level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection. In some implementations, the internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component and the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component are configured to provide cumulative electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for the die.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An integrated circuit (IC) package comprising:
a die; a package substrate coupled to the die; and a first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component coupled to the package substrate, wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component is configured to provide package level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.

2 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component is embedded in the package substrate.

3 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the die comprises an internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component configured to provide die level electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection.

4 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 3 , wherein the internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component and the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component are configured to provide cumulative electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for the integrated circuit (IC) package.

5 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 3 , wherein the internal electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component and the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component are configured to provide fault tolerant electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for the integrated circuit (IC) package.

6 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the die is configured to operate at a first voltage provided to the integrated circuit (IC) package, and wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component allows the die to operate when the integrated circuit (IC) package is coupled to a power source that provides a second discharge voltage to the integrated circuit (IC) package.

7 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the die is configured to operate at a first current provided to the integrated circuit (IC) package, and wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component allows the die to operate if the integrated circuit (IC) package is coupled to a power source that provides a second discharge current to the integrated circuit (IC) package.

8 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component comprises a plurality of diodes.

9 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the diodes from the plurality of diodes are configured to share a power signal.

10 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 8 , wherein at least some of the diodes from the plurality of diodes are configured to share a ground reference signal.

11 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 8 , wherein the die comprises a plurality of input/output (I/O) terminals, wherein each input/output (I/O) terminal is coupled to at least one diode from the plurality of diodes.

12 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component comprises:
a first P+ layer; a first interconnect coupled to the first P+ layer; a first N+ layer; a second P+ layer; a second interconnect coupled to the first N+ layer and the second P+ layer; a second N+ layer; and a third interconnect coupled to the second N+ layer.

13 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 12 , wherein the first interconnect is configured to provide a first electrical path for a ground reference signal (Vss), the second interconnect is configured to provide a second electrical path for an input/output (I/O) signal, and the third interconnect is configured to provide a third electrical for a power signal (Vdd).

14 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 12 , further comprising a dielectric layer.

15 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 12 , further comprising:
a second P− layer that at least partially encapsulates the first P+ layer; a first N− layer that at least partially encapsulates the second P− layer and the first N+ layer; a second N− layer that at least partially encapsulates the second N+ layer; and a first P− layer that at least partially encapsulates the first N− layer, the second P+ layer and the second N− layer.

16 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 15 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component comprises:
a first diode comprising the second P− layer and the first N− layer; and a second diode comprising the second N− layer and the first P− layer.

17 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit (IC) package is coupled to an interposer comprising a second electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component, and the integrated circuit (IC) package further comprising the interposer and the second electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component.

18 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 17 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component and the second electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component are configured to provide cumulative electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for the integrated circuit (IC) package.

19 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 17 , wherein the first electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component and the second electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection component are configured to provide fault tolerant electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection for the integrated circuit (IC) package.

20 . The integrated circuit (IC) package of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit (IC) package is incorporated into a device selected from a group consisting of a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a navigation device, a communications device, a mobile device, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a fixed location terminal, a tablet computer, a computer, a wearable device, a laptop computer, a server, and a device in a automotive vehicle, and further including the device.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Gu Shiqun
• Worley Eugene Robert
• Radojcic Ratibor
• Ray Urmi

Classifications

• H10W90/724

  between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL · CPC title

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• H10W70/655

  Fan-out layouts · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W72/00

  Interconnections or connectors in packages · CPC title