METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR NON-CONDUCTIVELY INTERCONNECTING INTEGRATED CIRCUITS

• US 20080315978A1
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Salzman, David B., Knight, Thomas F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,869,221 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 333/24C
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/312 by capacitive methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/318513 Test of Multi-Chip-Moduls
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45144 Gold (Au) as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/48 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation, e.g. leads, terminal arrangements ; Selection of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5385 Assembly of a plurality of insulating substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/642 Capacitive arrangements H01L23/49589, H01L23/645, H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence; capacitive effects between wiring layers on the semiconductor body H01L23/5222
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/73 Means for bonding being of different types provided for in two or more of groups H01L24/10, H01L24/18, H01L24/26, H01L24/34, H01L24/42, H01L24/50, H01L24/63, H01L24/71
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01004 Beryllium [Be]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01032 Germanium [Ge]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 Yttrium [Y]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01043 : Technetium [Tc]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01056 : Barium [Ba]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01087 : Francium [Fr]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01092 : Uranium [U]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01322 : Eutectic Alloys, i.e. obtained by a liquid transforming into two solid phases
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01327 : Intermediate phases, i.e. intermetallics compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 : Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10329 : Gallium arsenide [GaAs]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12036 : PN diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15787 : Ceramics, e.g. crystalline carbides, nitrides or oxides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/181 : Encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 : Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/351 : Thermal stress
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/924 : with passive device, e.g. capacitor, or battery, as integral part of housing or housing element, e.g. cap

Abstract

A method and apparatus for constructing, repairing and operating modular electronic systems utilizes peripheral half-capacitors (i.e., conductive plates on the outside of the modules) to communicate non-conductively between abutting modules. Such systems provide lower cost, improved testability/reparability and greater density than conventional modular packaging techniques, such as printed circuit boards and multi-chip modules. The non-conductive interconnection technique of the invention can be applied to all levels in the packaging hierarchy, from bare semiconductor dies to complete functional sub-units. Numerous exemplary systems and applications are described

Claims

1. A modular electronic system comprising:

a substrate;

a ground plane in said substrate;

a semiconductor chip;

a circuit for powering said chip;

a circuit for capacitively signalling between said chip and said substrate; and

signal leads connected on said substrate and said chip to said circuit for capacitively signalling.

2. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 1 wherein said circuit for capacitively signalling comprises first and second coupled half-capacitors, said first half-capacitor being associated with said chip and said second half-capacitor being associated with said substrates said first and second coupled half-capacitors comprising effectively overlapping conductive regions separated by a gap.

3. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 2 wherein at least one of said conductive regions comprises a plate.

4. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 2 wherein the capacitance of said circuit for capacitively signaling can be varied by changing the effective area of overlap between said conductive regions.

5. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 4 further comprising a plurality of coupled half-capacitors, a substantial area of said chip and a substantial portion of the area of said substrate overlapping said chip being covered with substantially overlapping half-capacitors.

6. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 5 wherein at least one half-capacitor on said chip is connected to a chip ground, power, or other common reference signal.

7. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 5 wherein at least one half-capacitor on said substrate is connected to a substrate ground, power, or other common reference signal.

8. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 4 wherein the area of one of said conductive regions is greater than the area of the other of said conductive regions.

9. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 4 wherein the shape of one of said conductive regions differs from the shape of the other of said conductive regions.

10. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 4 wherein said first half-capacitor overlays circuitry.

11. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 2 wherein portions of said chip arc passivated, but not said first half-capacitor.

12. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 2 wherein said gap is at least partially filled with a dielectric.

13. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 12 wherein said dielectric comprises a uniform material.

14. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 12 wherein said dielectric accommodates mechanical guides.

15. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 12 further including passivation distinct from said dielectric.

16. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 15 wherein said dielectric has a substantially greater dielectric constant than does said passivation.

17. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 12 wherein said dielectric is bonded to said substrate.

18. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 12 wherein said dielectric provides a mechanism for affixing said chip to said substrate.

19. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 1 further comprising a transmission line coupled to a first circuit for capacitively signalling.

20. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein said transmission line is further coupled to a second circuit for capacitively signalling.

21. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein said transmission line is further coupled to a conductive junction.

22. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein

a first multiplicity of said circuit for capacitively signaling between said chip and said substrate occupies a first area at a first pitch,

a second multiplicity of circuits for conductively signaling occupies a second area of said substrate at a second pitch,

a multiplicity of said transmission lines connects said first and second areas, and

said second area is larger than said first area.

23. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein

a first multiplicity of said circuit for capacitively signaling between said chip and said substrate occupies a first area at a first pitch,

a second multiplicity of circuits for conductively signaling occupies a second area of said substrate at a second pitch,

a multiplicity of said transmission lines connects said first and second areas, and said second pitch is larger than said first pitch.

24. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein

a first multiplicity of said circuit for capacitively signaling i between said chip and said substrate occupies a first area at a first pitch,

a second multiplicity of circuits for capacitively signaling occupies a second area of said substrate at a second pitch,

a multiplicity of said transmission lines connects said first and second areas, and

said second area is larger than said first area.

25. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 19 wherein

a first multiplicity of said circuit for capacitively signaling between said chip and said substrate occupies a first area at a first pitch,

a second multiplicity of circuits for capacitively signaling occupies a second area of said substrate at a second pitch,

a multiplicity of said transmission lines connects said first and second areas, and said second pitch is larger than said first pitch.

26. An electronic system comprising:

a semiconductor chip;

a substrate;

a ground plane in said substrate;

a plurality of electronic devices implemented on said chip, a signal lead of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices coupled to a first half-capacitor attached to said chip; and

,

a second half-capacitor attached to said substrate and capacitively coupling a signal to said first half-capacitor.

27. A modular electronic system comprising:

a substrate;

a chip;

a circuit for powering said chip;

a circuit for capacitively signaling between said chip and said substrate comprising first and second coupled half-capacitors, said first half-capacitor being associated with said chip and said second half-capacitor being associated with said substrate, said first and second coupled half-capacitors comprising effectively overlapping conductive regions separated by a gap that is at least partially filled with a dielectric; and

a power connector extending through said dielectric.

28. A modular electronic system comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor chip;

a circuit for powering said chip;

a circuit for capacitively signalling between said chip and said substrate; and

signal leads connected on said substrate and said chip to said circuit for capacitively signalling;

wherein said circuit for capacitively signaling operates despite a substantial misalignment between said substrate and said chip.

29. A modular electronic system comprising:

a substrate;

a ground plane in said substrate;

a chip;

a circuit for powering said chip;

a circuit for capacitively signaling between said chip and said substrate comprising first and second coupled half-capacitors, said first half-capacitor being associated with said chip and said second half-capacitor being associated with said substrate, said first and second coupled half-capacitors comprising effectively overlapping conductive regions separated by a gap; and

an additional half-capacitor associated with one of said chip and said substrate.

30. A modular electronic system comprising:

a first module having a plurality of semiconductor electronic devices, a first half-capacitor and at least one signal lead connecting said electronic devices to said first half-capacitor;

a second module having a second half-capacitor, said modules being positioned such that said first and second half-capacitors provide a capacitive signal path between said first and second modules; and

contacts for supplying DC power to said first module from a source outside said first module.

31. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein said first and second half-capacitors are shaped such that the admittance of said capacitive signal path is substantially unaffected by a small misalignment between said first and second modules.

32. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein the area of one of said half-capacitors is greater than the area of the other of said half-capacitors.

33. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein the shape of one of said half-capacitors differs from the shape of the other half-capacitor.

34. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 33 wherein said shape of said one of said half-capacitors is designed to accommodate anticipated misalignment.

35. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 including further paired half-capacitors such that said capacitive signal path is distributed among multiple capacitors.

36. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein said first module is positioned relative to said second module by motion transverse to said capacitive signal path.

37. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein said second module is a cable, said cable including at least one non-coaxial wire.

38. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 wherein said first module further includes a transmission line that is connected to a plurality of transmission lines.

39. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 30 further comprising a circuit for varying the admittance of said capacitive signal path by changing the effective area of overlap between said half-capacitors.

40. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 39 wherein said circuit for varying the admittance includes mechanical devices.

41. A modular electronic system comprising:

a substrate;

a ground plane supported by said substrate;

a semiconductor chip;

a first half-capacitor attached to said semiconductor chip;

a plurality of electronic devices implemented on said chip, a signal lead of at least one of said plurality of electronic devices coupled to said first half-capacitor; and

a second half-capacitor attached to said substrate and capacitively coupling a signal to said first half-capacitor.

42. The modular electronic system of claim 41 further comprising contacts for supplying DC power to said semiconductor chip from a source outside said chip.