Semiconductor wafer array with electrically conductive compliant material
First Claim
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1. A semiconductor wafer array comprising:
- a plurality of wafers of semiconductors material which are stacked one on top of another, each of said plurality of wafers having(a) a via which is in registration with a via in an adjacent wafer, said via in each of said plurality of wafers having a first end terminated by a first hole in a first surface of each of said wafers, a second end terminated by a second and relatively larger hole in a second and opposite surface of each of said wafers, and an inwardly directed wall surface in at least a portion of the wall between said first and said second ends;
(b) means for electrically insulating an exposed surface of said via in each of said plurality of wafers between said first and said second ends;
(c) an electrically conductive pad surrounding said first hole of said via in each of said plurality of wafers for making an electrical connection to electrical circuits located on said first surface of each of said plurality of wafers; and
(d) an electrically conductive compliant material which is located in said via in each of said plurality of wafers which, when not compressed, extends outwardly beyond respective planes of said first and said second holes of said via in each of said plurality of wafers; and
means for stacking a first one of said plurality of wafers on top of a second one of said plurality of wafers such that the compliant material which extends beyond said second hole of said via in said first one of said plurality of wafers will make an electrical contact with said electrically conductive pad surrounding said first hole of said via in said second one of said plurality of wafers and said compliant material which extends from said first hole of said via in said second one of said plurality of wafers.
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Abstract
A semiconductor wafer array comprising a plurality of wafers of semiconductor material. Each of the wafers is provided with cone-shaped or pyramid-shaped vias. Inserted in each of the vias is a correspondingly shaped wad of electrically conductive compliant material for forming continuous vertical electrical connections between the wafers in the stack. The base of each wad makes connection to a bonding pad on the surface of a lower wafer as well as to the electrically conductive compliant material in the lower wafer.
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21 Claims
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1. A semiconductor wafer array comprising:
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a plurality of wafers of semiconductors material which are stacked one on top of another, each of said plurality of wafers having (a) a via which is in registration with a via in an adjacent wafer, said via in each of said plurality of wafers having a first end terminated by a first hole in a first surface of each of said wafers, a second end terminated by a second and relatively larger hole in a second and opposite surface of each of said wafers, and an inwardly directed wall surface in at least a portion of the wall between said first and said second ends; (b) means for electrically insulating an exposed surface of said via in each of said plurality of wafers between said first and said second ends; (c) an electrically conductive pad surrounding said first hole of said via in each of said plurality of wafers for making an electrical connection to electrical circuits located on said first surface of each of said plurality of wafers; and (d) an electrically conductive compliant material which is located in said via in each of said plurality of wafers which, when not compressed, extends outwardly beyond respective planes of said first and said second holes of said via in each of said plurality of wafers; and means for stacking a first one of said plurality of wafers on top of a second one of said plurality of wafers such that the compliant material which extends beyond said second hole of said via in said first one of said plurality of wafers will make an electrical contact with said electrically conductive pad surrounding said first hole of said via in said second one of said plurality of wafers and said compliant material which extends from said first hole of said via in said second one of said plurality of wafers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A semiconductor wafer array comprising:
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a housing having a base plate and a top wall; a plurality of wafers of semiconductive material which are stacked one on top of another between said base plate and said top wall, one of said wafers being located adjacent to said base plate, another of said wafers being located nearest to said top wall, each of said wafers having at least one via which is in registration with a via in another of said wafers, said via in each wafer having a first end terminated by a first hole in a first surface of said wafer, a second end terminated by a second hole in a second and opposite surface of said water, said second hole having a larger diameter than said first hole and an inwardly directed wall surface in at least a portion of the wall between said first and said second ends of said via; means for electrically insulating the exposed surface of said via between said first and second ends thereof; an electrically conductive pad surrounding said first hole in each wafer for making an electrical connection to electrical circuits located on said first surface of said wafer; an electrically conductive compliant material which is located in said via in a wafer and, when not compressed, extends outwardly beyond the plane of said first and said second holes of said via in each wafer so as to make an electrical contact with the electrically conductive pad surrounding said hole and the compliant material in the via of an underlying wafer; an electrically conductive feedthrough pin mounted in said base plate for making an electrical contact with said electrically compliant material in said via in said wafer located adjacent to said base plate; and means located between said top wall and said wafer located adjacent to said top wall for applying pressure to said stack of wafers such that said compliant material in a wafer is compressed against the compliant material in a wafer adjacent thereto for forming an electrically conductive path between said adjacent wafers. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification