Systems, devices, and methods for semiconductor device temperature management

• US 8,022,535 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2009
• Issued: 09/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coolsilicon, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coolsilicon, LLC
• Inventors: Zeyen, Benedikt, Winter, Bradley J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bryant; Kiesha R
• Assistant Examiner(s): WRIGHT, TUCKER J
• Application Number:
  US12/480,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090302461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 257713-714, 257/716, 257721-722, 257/E23.08, 257/E23.097, 257/E23.098, 257/E23.099
• US Class Current: 257/714
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0211 adapted for requirements of temperature
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for semiconductor die temperature management are described and discussed herein. An IC device is described that includes at least one intra-die cooling structure. In an embodiment, the IC device includes a semiconductor die formed of integral device layers and further includes at least one coolant reservoir and at least one coolant channel. In an embodiment, the at least one coolant reservoir and at least one coolant channel are disposed wholly within the semiconductor die. In various embodiments, at least one coolant reservoir and at least one coolant channel are constructed and arranged to circulate coolant fluid in proximity to at least one IC device structure in order to decrease and or normalize an operating temperature of the IC device. In other embodiments, systems and methods for designing and/or fabricating IC die that include at least one intra-die cooling structure are provided herein.

Claims

1. An Integrated Circuit (IC) device, comprising:

a semiconductor die that includes a plurality of integral device layers and a plurality of transistors embedded within the plurality of integral device layers;

at least one coolant reservoir constructed to hold a coolant fluid;

at least one coolant channel in fluid communication with said coolant reservoir and constructed to locally interface with at least one of said plurality of transistors; and

wherein said coolant reservoir and said coolant channel are disposed wholly within said semiconductor die and are constructed and arranged to permit a fluid disposed within said at least one coolant reservoir to circulate through said at least one coolant channel to manage an operating temperature of said IC device.

2. The IC device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one heat sink thermally coupled to said at least one coolant reservoir to dissipate heat from said coolant.

3. The IC device of claim 1, wherein said at least one semiconductor die includes at least two semiconductor substrates and a sacrificial layer disposed between said at least two semiconductor substrates, and wherein said coolant reservoir is disposed within said sacrificial layer.

4. The IC device of claim 1, wherein said at least one coolant channel is constructed to enable coolant flow between at least one hot operating region of said IC device and at least one cool operating region of said IC device.

5. The IC device of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said at least one coolant channel is formed in at least one of said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers.

6. The IC device of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said at least one coolant channel is formed in at least one layer of said IC device formed without integrated circuits in said at least one layer.

7. The IC device of claim 1, wherein said coolant reservoir is formed in at least one layer of said IC device formed without any of said plurality of transistors in said at least one layer.

8. The IC device of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said at least one coolant reservoir is formed in at least one of said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers.

10. The IC device of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one heat sink thermally coupled to said at least one coolant reservoir to dissipate heat from said coolant.

11. The IC device of claim 1, wherein said at least one semiconductor die includes at least two semiconductor substrates and a sacrificial layer disposed between said at least two semiconductor substrates, and wherein said coolant reservoir is disposed within said sacrificial layer.

16. The IC device of claim 1, wherein at least one portion of said at least one coolant reservoir is formed in at least one of said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers.

9. An Integrated Circuit (IC) device, comprising:

a semiconductor die that includes a plurality of integral semiconductor device layers and a plurality of transistors embedded within said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers;

at least one coolant reservoir constructed to hold a coolant fluid;

at least one inter-layer cooling channel and at least one intra-layer cooling channel in fluid communication with said coolant reservoir, wherein at least one of said inter-layer cooling channel and said intra-layer cooling channel is constructed to locally interface with at least one of said plurality of transistors; and

wherein said at least one coolant reservoir, said at least one inter-die cooling channel, and said it least one intra-die coolant channel are disposed wholly within said semiconductor die and are constructed and arranged to permit a fluid disposed within said at least one coolant reservoir to circulate through said at least one coolant channel to manage an operating temperature of said IC device.

12. The IC device of claim 9, wherein said at least one inter-layer cooling channel and said at least one intra-layer coolant channel are constructed to enable coolant flow between at least one hot operating region of said IC device and at least one cool operating region of said IC device.

13. The IC device of claim 9, wherein at least one portion of said at least one intra-layer coolant channel is formed in at least one of said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers.

14. The IC device of claim 9, wherein at least one portion of said at least one intra-layer coolant channel is formed in at least one layer of said IC device that does not include any of said plurality of transistors.

15. The IC device of claim 9, wherein said at least one coolant reservoir is formed in at least one layer of said IC device that does not include any of said plurality of transistors.

17. An Integrated Circuit (IC) device, comprising:

a semiconductor die that includes a plurality of integral semiconductor device layers and a plurality of transistors embedded within said plurality of integral semiconductor device layers;

means for housing a coolant fluid disposed wholly within said semiconductor die; and

means for circulating coolant fluid proximal to at least one of said plurality of transistors, wherein the means for circulating are disposed wholly within said semiconductor die.