Face to face chip

• US 6,500,696 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2001
• Issued: 12/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Sutherland, Ivan E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Paladini, Albert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zarneke, David A.
• Application Number:
  US09/969,701
• Publication Number:
  US 20020016021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 455 Days
• Field of Search: 438/108, 438/109, 438/613, 228/180.1, 228/180.21, 228/180.22
• US Class Current: 438/109
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06513 Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections between devices, e.g. flip-chip connection, solder bumps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06531 Non-galvanic coupling, e.g. capacitive coupling
• 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 23/642 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 25/0652 the devices being arranged next and on each other, i.e. mixed assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01046 Palladium [Pd]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding

Abstract

An integrated circuit device includes first and second arrays of semiconductor dice. Each array of dice is arranged in face-to-face relation to the other array of dice, thus forming a lower layer of dice and an upper layer of dice. The layers are aligned so that each upper layer die straddles two or more of the lower layer dice, thus defining overlap regions. In the overlap regions, signal pads of one layer are aligned with corresponding signal pads of the other layer. The two layers are spaced apart, thus creating a capacitance-based communication path between the upper and lower layers via the signal paths.

Claims

1. A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, comprising:

providing a plurality of first dice, said first dice each having signal pads formed on a surface thereof;

providing a plurality of second dice, said second dice each having signal pads formed on a surface thereof; and

arranging said first dice so that each of said first dice overlaps at least three of said second dice, and each of said second dice overlaps at least three of said first dice, thereby defining overlap areas,

wherein at least some signal pads of said plurality of first dice are configured to be capactively coupled to corresponding signal pads of said second dice in said overlap areas.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing said plurality of first dice and second dice include forming a dielectric layer on some of said first dice and second dice, so that signal pads in said overlap areas are spaced apart.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of first dice are rectangles.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said plurality of second dice are rectangles.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said plurality of second dice are squares.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said plurality of first and second dice are shaped as octagons.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

arranging said first dice to form a first two-dimensional repeating pattern; and

arranging said second dice to form a second two-dimensional repeating pattern.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

capacitively coupling some signal pads of said first dice to some signal pads of said second dice in said overlap areas.

9. A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, comprising:

providing a plurality of first dice, said first dice each having first signal pads formed on a surface thereof;

providing a plurality of second dice, said second dice each having second signal pads formed on a surface thereof; and

arranging said first dice so that each first die overlaps at least two of said second dice, thereby defining overlap areas, wherein said first signal pads located in said overlap areas are configured to be capactively coupled to some of said second signal pads,

wherein said first dice or said second dice have raised areas relative to said surfaces, the raised areas of each of said first or said second die contacting an area on one of the overlapping die.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein each of said first dice and said second dice have raised areas relative to said surfaces, and the signals pads in said overlapping areas are disposed in between said raised areas.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein each of said raised areas of said first dice contact one of the raised areas of said second dice.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said plurality of first dice are on a plane that is above each of said plurality of second dice.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the plurality of first dice comprises signal pads that do not overlap one of the plurality of second dice.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein arranging said first dice further comprises arranging said first dice so that each first die overlaps at least three of said second dice.

15. A method of fabricating an integrated circuit device, comprising:

providing a plurality of first dice, said first dice each having signal pads formed on a surface thereof;

providing a plurality of second dice, said second dice each having signal pads formed on a surface thereof;

arranging said first dice so that each first die overlaps at least four of said second dice, thereby defining overlap areas; and

aligning said first dice so that signal pads thereof located in said overlap areas are configured to be capactively coupled to some signal pads of said second dice.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said plurality of first dice are on a plane that is above each of said plurality of second dice.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the plurality of first dice comprises four sides, and each of said first dice overlaps one of said plurality of second dice on each of said four sides of said first dice.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the plurality of first dice comprises signal pads that do not overlap one of the plurality of second dice.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein at least some of said signal pads in said plurality of first dice are capacitvely coupled to a chip substrate within said first dice.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein at least some of said signal pads in said plurality of first dice are coupled to a chip substrate through vias within said first dice.