BONDPAD INTEGRATED THEROMELECTRIC COOLER

• US 20130187252A1
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Published: 07/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Edwards, Henry L.
• Granted Patent: US 10,573,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/467
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/021 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0401 Bonding areas specifically adapted for bump connectors, e.g. under bump metallisation [UBM]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/04042 Bonding areas specifically adapted for wire connectors, e.g. wirebond pads
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05094 at the center of the internal layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/38 Cooling arrangements using the Peltier effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 19/00 Integrated devices, or assemblies of multiple devices, comprising at least one thermoelectric or thermomagnetic element covered by groups H10N10/00 - H10N15/00

Abstract

An integrated circuit has thermoelectric cooling devices integrated into bondpads. A method for operating the integrated circuit includes turning a thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler operate position when the integrated circuit is powered up, turning the thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler operate position to allow the thermoelectric cooler to operate when the integrated circuit powers down, and turning the thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler off position when a predetermined integrated circuit chip temperature is reached.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a bondpad; and

a thermoelectric cooler coupled to the bondpad.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric cooler comprises a plurality of thermopiles with at least one horizontal dimension less than 300 nm.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric cooler is further comprised of an n-type thermoelectric cooler coupled to a Vdd bondpad and a p-type thermoelectric cooler coupled to a Vss bondpad.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a thermal switch circuit coupled to the thermoelectric cooler and to the integrated circuit.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 3, wherein the n-type thermoelectric cooler is formed in an nwell and is composed of a plurality of n-type active areas with at least one horizontal dimension less than 300 nm and where the p-type thermoelectric cooler is formed in a pwell and is composed of a plurality of p-type active areas with at least one horizontal dimension less than 300 nm.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, further comprising a low thermoconductivity dielectric material in the interconnect layers.

7. An integrated circuit, comprising:

an n-type thermoelectric cooler composed of a plurality of n-type active areas with at least one horizontal dimension less than 300 nm formed in an nwell and coupled to a Vdd bondpad; and

a p-type thermoelectric cooler composed of a plurality of p-type active areas with at least one horizontal dimension less than 300 nm formed in a pwell and coupled to a Vss bondpad.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 7, further comprising a low thermoconductivity dielectric material in the interconnect layers.

9. A method of operating an integrated circuit containing a thermoelectric cooler coupled to bondpads, comprising:

providing an integrated circuit, comprising;

a bondpad; and

a thermoelectric cooler coupled to the bondpad;

turning a thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler operate position when the integrated circuit is powered up;

turning the thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler operate position to allow the thermoelectric cooler to operate when the integrated circuit powers down; and

turning the thermal switch to a thermoelectric cooler off position when a predetermined integrated circuit chip temperature is reached.