Apparatus for non-conductively interconnecting integrated circuits

• US 7,869,221 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2008
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Salzman, David B., Knight, Thomas F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh; Tuan T
• Application Number:
  US12/015,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20080315978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/760
• 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

An 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 signaling between said chip and said substrate; and

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

2. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 1 wherein said circuit for capacitively signaling 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 is varied by changing the effective area of overlap between said conductive regions.

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

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

7. 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.

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 6 wherein said dielectric comprises a uniform material.

12. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 6 wherein said dielectric accommodates mechanical guides.

13. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 6 further including passivation distinct from said dielectric.

14. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 6 wherein said dielectric is bonded to said substrate.

15. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 6 wherein said dielectric provides a mechanism for affixing said chip to said substrate.

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

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

18. A modular electronic system as defined in claim 13 wherein said dielectric has a substantially greater dielectric constant than does said passivation.