Semiconductor devices with optical through via structures, memory cards including the same, and electronic systems including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9397024-B2
Application number	US-201414520496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 22, 2014
Priority date	Jul 30, 2014
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided. The semiconductor device may include a substrate and a through via structure penetrating the substrate. The through via structure may provide a dual path that may include an electrical path and an optical path. Related electronic systems and memory cards are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a substrate; and
a single through hole penetrating the substrate and including an electrical path layer and an optical path layer within the single through hole,
wherein the electrical path layer is located at a central axis position of the through hole; and
wherein the optical path layer is disposed between a sidewall of the electrical path layer and a sidewall of the through hole.

2. A semiconductor device comprising:
a substrate; and
a through via structure vertically penetrating the substrate and including an electrical path layer and an optical path layer,
wherein the optical path layer includes a transparent conduction layer.

3. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical path layer and the optical path layer of the through via structure are disposed in a single through hole penetrating the substrate.

4. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical path layer and the optical path layer substantially vertically extend in parallel to constitute a coaxial structure.

5. The semiconductor device of claim 2 ,
wherein the electrical path layer is located at a central axis position of a through hole penetrating the substrate; and
wherein the optical path layer is disposed between a sidewall of the electrical path layer and a sidewall of the through hole.

6. The semiconductor device of claim 2 ,
wherein the optical path layer is located at a central axis position of a through hole penetrating the substrate; and
wherein the electrical path layer is disposed between a sidewall of the optical path layer and a sidewall of the through hole.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the optical path layer includes a conductive polymer layer.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the optical path layer includes any one selected from the group consisting of a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) material and a poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate material.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the optical path layer includes a transparent and inorganic compound material.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 9 , wherein the optical path layer includes an indium tin oxide (ITO) material.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical path layer includes any one selected from the group consisting of a copper (Cu) layer, a gold (Au) layer, an aluminum (Al) layer, a tin (Sn) layer and a silver (Ag) layer.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , wherein the electrical path layer includes an alloy layer or a metal layer.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 2 , further comprising an optical communication unit configured to transmit or receive an optical signal through the optical path layer.

14. The semiconductor device of claim 13 , wherein the optical communication unit includes:
an optical transmitter configured to transmit a first light including an optical signal to a first portion of a first end of the optical path layer; and
an optical receiver configured to receive a second light including an optical signal outputted from a second portion of the first end of the optical path layer.

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein the first light including the optical signal has a different wavelength than the second light including the optical signal.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , further comprising a first optical communication unit configured to transmit or receive the optical signal through the optical path layer, the first optical communication unit includes:
a first optical transmitter configured to transmit the second light including the optical signal to the second portion of a second end of the optical path layer; and
a first optical receiver configured to receive the first light including the optical signal from the first portion of the second end of the optical path layer.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , further comprising:
an integrated circuit part disposed in the substrate; and
a controller disposed in the substrate configured to control the electrical signal transmitted between the integrated circuit part and the through via structure, the optical signal transmitted between the integrated circuit part and the through via structure, or the power voltage signal transmitted between the integrated circuit part and the through via structure.

18. A semiconductor device comprising:
a substrate; and
a through via structure vertically penetrating the substrate and including a conductive light penetration layer that provides both an electrical path and an optical path.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Lee Seung Yeop

Classifications

• H10W90/722

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/297

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

• H10W90/295

  optical coupling · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W20/20 Primary

  Interconnections within wafers or substrates, e.g. through-silicon vias [TSV] · CPC title