Side stacking apparatus and method

• US 7,687,400 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Trezza, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Long
• Application Number:
  US11/688,088
• Publication Number:
  US 20070278641A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,107 Days
• Field of Search: 257/690, 257/686
• US Class Current: 438/690
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/131 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/24227 the HDI interconnect not connecting to the same level of the item at which the semiconductor or solid-state body is mounted, e.g. the semiconductor or solid-state body being mounted in a cavity or on a protrusion of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81801 Soldering or alloying
• 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 2225/06527 Special adaptation of electrical connections, e.g. rewiring, engineering changes, pressure contacts, layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06551 Conductive connections on the side of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06572 Auxiliary carrier between devices, the carrier having an electrical connection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06575 Auxiliary carrier between devices, the carrier having no electrical connection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5387 Flexible insulating substrates H01L23/5388 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/12 Structure, shape, material or disposition of the bump connectors prior to the connecting process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 using a bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/065 the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0652 the devices being arranged next and on each other, i.e. mixed assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 Stacked arrangements of devices
• 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 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01047 : Silver [Ag]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01075 : Rhenium [Re]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance

Abstract

A module has at least two ICs connected to each other such that they lie in different planes and are arranged as a first stack of ICs, a third IC is connected to at least one of the at least two ICs, wherein the third IC is off plane from both of the at least two ICs.

Claims

1. A module, comprising:

at least two integrated circuits (ICs) connected to each other by a physical connection and arranged as a first stack of ICs, wherein the at least two ICs comprise a first IC and a second IC, and wherein the at least two ICs lie in different planes and are spaced apart from each other by a spacing of less than 100 μ

m; and

a third IC connected to at least one of the at least two ICs at a point physically located between facing surfaces of the at least two ICs, wherein the third IC is spaced apart from the at least two ICs at a distance of no more than 100 μ

m and is off plane from both of the at least two ICs, and wherein the third IC is electrically connected to at least one of the at least two ICs at the point.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the physical connection further comprises an electrical connection between the at least two ICs.

3. The module of claim 2, wherein the physical connection is formed by a rigid post that penetrates into a malleable material.

4. The module of claim 2, wherein the physical connection comprises any one or more of:

a) at least one confined solder connection;

b) at least one fusion connection;

c) a well-type connection;

or d) at least one covalent bond connection.

5. The module of claim 1, wherein the third IC comprises at least one of an integrated circuit or a passive element, and wherein the third IC substantially faces at least one side surface of one of the first or second ICs.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein the third IC comprises a plurality of outwardly-extending rigid posts that penetrate into a malleable material at the point physically located between facing surfaces of the at least two ICs.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least two ICs each have a commonly aligned edge with each other, and wherein the third IC is substantially perpendicular to and connects to the at least two ICs at the commonly aligned edge.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the third IC is one IC in a second stack of additional ICs.

9. The module of claim 7, further comprising a fourth IC that is off plane relative to at least one of the at least two ICs.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the fourth IC is off plane relative to the third IC.

11. The module of claim 7, wherein an IC from among the at least two ICs and the third IC has a polygonal shape in a plan view, wherein the polygonal shape is other than a square shape or a rectangular shape.

12. The module of claim 7, wherein the third IC bridges between at least one of the at least two ICs and an additional IC that is separated from the at least one of the at least two ICs by at least one intervening IC, and wherein the third IC is electrically connected to the additional IC by at least one post-and-penetration connection.

13. The module of claim 7, further comprising at least one feature on a specified IC of the one or more of the at least two ICs or the third IC, wherein the at least one feature is located and sized to act as a spacer and to establish a minimum allowable spacing between the specified IC and at least another IC.

14. The module of claim 7, further comprising at least one contact on a specified IC of the one or more of the at least two ICs or the third IC, wherein the contact is sized to act as a spacer and to establish a minimum allowable spacing between the specified IC and at least another IC.

15. The module of claim 13, wherein the at least one feature is part of the specified IC.

16. The module of claim 13, wherein the at least one feature is attached to the specified IC.

17. The module of claim 13, wherein the at least one feature comprises a bonding agent.

18. The module of claim 17, wherein the bonding agent comprises a cured resin.

19. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least two ICs each have a common edge with each other, wherein the common edges are offset from each other, and wherein the third IC is substantially perpendicular to and connects to the at least two ICs at the common edge.

20. The module of claim 19, wherein the third IC is one IC in a second stack of ICs.

21. The module of claim 19, further comprising a fourth IC that is off plane relative to at least one of the at least two ICs.

22. The module of claim 21, wherein the fourth IC is off plane relative to the third IC.

23. The module of claim 19, wherein an IC from among the at least two ICs and the third IC has a polygonal shape in a plan view, wherein the polygonal shape is other than a square shape or a rectangular shape.

24. The module of claim 19, wherein the third IC bridges between at least one of the at least two ICs and an additional IC that is separated from the at least one of the at least two ICs by at least one intervening IC, and wherein the third IC is electrically connected to the additional IC by at least one post-and-penetration connection.

25. The module of claim 1, wherein the third IC is a passive element electrically connecting a specific IC of the module to another specific IC of the module, and wherein the passive element is connected to at least one of the specific IC of the module or the other specific IC of the module by at least one post-and-penetration connection.

26. The module of claim 25, wherein the passive element comprises a rigid portion.

27. The module of claim 25, wherein the passive element comprises a flexible portion.

28. The module of claim 27, wherein the passive element further comprises a rigid portion.

29. The module of claim 27, wherein the passive element wraps around at least two sides of a stack.

30. A system, comprising:

a stack of a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs) including at least two ICs connected to each other by a physical connection and arranged as a first stack of ICs, wherein the at least two ICs comprise a first IC and a second IC, and wherein the at least two ICs lie in different planes and are spaced apart from each other by a spacing of less than 100 μ

m; and

a third IC connected to at least one of the at least two ICs at a point physically located between facing surfaces of the at least two ICs, wherein the third IC is spaced apart from the at least two ICs at a distance of no more than 100 μ

m and is off plane from both of the at least two ICs, and wherein the third IC is electrically connected to at least one of the at least two ICs at the point.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the third IC is substantially perpendicular to the first and second ICs.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the first and second ICs have a commonly-aligned edge, and wherein the third IC is substantially perpendicular to and is coupled to the first and second ICs at the commonly-aligned edge.