Signal sharing circuit with microelectric die isolation features
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
- a first pad adapted to receive a signal;
a first sharing device associated with a first microelectronic die and adapted to selectively share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die on one side adjacent to and in series with the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; and
a programmable element connected to the first sharing device to electrically isolate the second microelectronic die from the signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A signal sharing circuit includes a first pad adapted to receive a signal and a first sharing device associated with a first microelectronic die. The first sharing device is adapted to selectively share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal.
113 Citations
70 Claims
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1. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a first sharing device associated with a first microelectronic die and adapted to selectively share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die on one side adjacent to and in series with the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the first sharing device to electrically isolate the second microelectronic die from the signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a pad adapted to receive one of a signal, power or ground potential; a plurality of sharing devices, at least one sharing device associated with each one of a plurality of microelectronic dies to selectively share the signal, power or ground potential with other dies of the plurality of microelectronic dies connected in series with the each one of a plurality of microelectronic dies; and a programmable element connected to the one sharing device to permanently isolate a first of the plurality of microelectronic dies from a second of the plurality of microelectronic dies.
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7. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a part pad coupled to a first microelectronic die; an isolation device adapted to transfer the signal from the first pad to the part pad in response to an isolation control signal; and a programmable element connected to the isolation device to electrically isolate a second microelectronic die from the signal; and a sharing device to pass the signal to at least the second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a share control signal. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a part pad coupled to a first microelectronic die; an isolation device adapted to transfer the signal from the first pad to the part pad in response to an isolation control signal; an isolation control circuit to provide the isolation control signal; a programmable element connected to the isolation control device to permanently isolate the first microelectronic die from the part pad; and a sharing device coupled to receive the signal and to serially transfer the signal to a second microelectronic die under control of a share control circuit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a part pad coupled to a first microelectronic die; an isolation device adapted to transfer the signal from the first pad to the part pad in response to an isolation control signal; an isolation control circuit to provide the isolation control signal; wherein the isolation control circuit comprises a circuit to provide a signal to selectively turn off the first microelectronic die; and wherein the circuit to provide a signal to selectively turn off the first microelectronic die comprises; a first probe pad adapted to receive a first control signal; a first MOS device of one type including a gate coupled to the first probe pad; a second MOS device of another type including a gate coupled to the first probe pad and a first terminal coupled to a first terminal of the first MOS device and a second terminal connected to ground potential; a second probe pad adapted to receive a second control signal; a logic gate including one input coupled to the second probe pad and a second input coupled to the first terminal of the first MOS device and to the first terminal of the second MOS device and an output connected to the first microelectronic die to provide the signal to selectively turn power off to the first microelectronic die; an inverter including an input coupled to the second probe pad; a third MOS device of the one type including a gate connected to an output of the inverter and a first terminal connectable to a high signal and a second terminal connected to a second terminal of the first MOS device; and a fourth MOS device of the other type including a gate connected to the output of the inverter and a first terminal connected to the second terminals of the first and third MOS devices and a second terminal connected to ground.
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16. A programmable signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a part pad coupled to a first microelectronic die; a isolation circuit adapted to transfer the signal from the first pad to the part pad in response to an isolation control signal; a first sharing device adapted to pass the signal in one direction to a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; a second sharing device adapted to couple the signal to a third microelectronic die on another side of the first microelectronic die in response to a second share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the first sharing device to permanently isolate the second microelectronic die from the first microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a part pad coupled to a first microelectronic die; a isolation circuit adapted to transfer the signal from the first pad to the part pad in response to an isolation control signal; a first sharing device adapted to serially couple the signal to a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; a second sharing device adapted to serially couple the signal to a third microelectronic die on another side of the first microelectronic die in response to a second share control signal; a first share control circuit to provide the first share control signal; a second share control circuit to provide the second share control signal; an isolation control circuit to provide the isolation control signal; and a programmable element connected to the first and second sharing devices to permanently isolate the second or third microelectronic dies from the first microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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at least one pad adapted to receive a signal; a plurality of sharing devices, wherein at least one sharing device is associated with each one of a plurality of microelectronic dies to share the signal with an adjacent die in response to the at least one sharing device receiving a share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to permanently isolate one of the plurality of microelectronic dies from the share control signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A microelectronic die, comprising:
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a first pad on a first microelectronic die adapted to receive a signal; a sharing device on a first microelectronic die adapted to share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die in response to a share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to electrically isolate the signal on the first microelectronic die from the at least the second microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32)
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33. A microelectronic die, comprising:
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a first pad adapted to receive a signal; a sharing device adapted to share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die in response to a share control signal; a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to electrically isolate the at least the second microelectronic die from the signal; and another sharing device to share the signal with at least a third microelectronic die.
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34. A microelectronic die, comprising:
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a multiplicity of probe pads each adapted to receive an associated test signal; a plurality of first sharing devices each coupled to a selected one of the multiplicity of probe pads to selectively share the associated test signal with at least a second microelectronic die in one direction relative to the microelectronic die in response to each first sharing device receiving an associated share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to permanently isolate the at least the second microelectronic die from the test signal. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
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37. A semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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a plurality of microelectronic dies; a first pad adapted to receive a signal; at least one sharing device associated with each of the plurality of microelectronic dies adapted to share the signal in one direction from each of the plurality of microelectronic dies in response to a share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to programmabley isolate one of the plurality of microelectronic dies from the signal. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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a plurality of microelectronic dies divided into groups of a chosen number of dies; a set of test pads associated with each group of microelectronic dies, each test pad being adapted to receive a predetermined signal; at least one sharing device associated with each of selected ones of the plurality of test pads and associated with each microelectronic die to selectively share the predetermined signal with other microelectronic dies in response to a first share control signal; and a programmable element connected to the at least one sharing device to permanently isolate the each microelectronic dies from the selected ones of the plurality of test pads. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of making a signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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forming a first pad adapted to receive a signal; forming a first share device associated with a first microelectronic die adapted to serially share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die; and forming a programmable element connected to the first share device to electrically isolate the second microelectronic die from the signal. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53)
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54. A method of making a signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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forming a first pad adapted to receive a signal; forming a first share device associated with a first microelectronic die adapted to pass the signal to at least a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; forming a first share control circuit to provide a first share control signal; and forming a programmable element connected to permanently isolate the at least second microelectronic die from the signal.
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55. A method of making a signal sharing circuit, comprising:
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forming a first pad adapted to receive a signal; forming a first share device associated with a first microelectronic die adapted to share the signal with at least a second microelectronic die on one side of the first microelectronic die in response to a first share control signal; forming a first share control circuit to provide a first share control signal; forming a programmable element connected to permanently isolate the at least second microelectronic die from the signal; forming a second share device associated with the first microelectronic die adapted to share the signal with at least a third microelectronic die on another side of the first microelectronic die in response to a second share control signal; and forming a second share control circuit to provide a second share control signal.
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56. A method of making a microelectronic die, comprising:
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forming a first pad on a first microelectronic die adapted to receive a signal; forming a sharing device adapted to pass the signal to at least a second microelectronic die; and forming a programmable element connected to permanently isolate the signal on the first microelectronic die from the at least the second microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
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59. A method of making a microelectronic die, comprising:
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forming a multiplicity of probe pads each adapted to receive an associated signal; forming a plurality of first sharing devices each coupled to a selected one of the multiplicity of probe pads to selectively share the associated signal with at least a second microelectronic die in one direction from the microelectronic die in response to receiving an associated share control signal; and forming a programmable element connected to permanently isolate the at least second microelectronic die from the associated signal. - View Dependent Claims (60)
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61. A method of making a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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forming a plurality of microelectronic dies; forming a first pad adapted to receive a signal; and forming at least one sharing device associated with each of the plurality of microelectronic dies adapted to share the signal in one direction from each of the plurality of microelectronic dies in response to a share control signal; and forming a programmable element connected to permanently isolate one of the plurality of microelectronic dies from the signal. - View Dependent Claims (62)
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63. A method of sharing a test signal across a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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applying the test signal to a test pad; operating a share device to share the test signal in one direction relative to a first microelectronic die by passing the test signal from the first microelectronic die to a second electronic die; and programming an element to isolate the microelectronic die from the test signal so that the test signal is not passed to the second microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method of sharing a test signal across a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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applying the test signal to a test pad on a first microelectronic die; selectively sharing the test signal in at least one direction with a plurality of other microelectronic dies; and programming an element to isolate one of the plurality of other microelectronic die from the test signal on the first microelectronic die. - View Dependent Claims (69)
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70. A method of sharing a test signal across a semiconductor wafer, comprising:
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applying the test signal to a test pad; selectively sharing the test signal in at least one direction with a plurality of microelectronic dies;
programming an element to isolate one of the plurality of microelectronic die from the test signal;wherein selectively sharing the test signal comprises operating at least one sharing device associated with each microelectronic die to share the test signal in one direction; and operating a second sharing device associated with each microelectronic die to share the test signal in another direction.
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Specification