Three-dimensional integrated structure capable of detecting a temperature rise

• US 8,890,276 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Original Assignee: STMicroelectronics SAS (STMicroelectronics NV)
• Inventors: Chapelon, Laurent-Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): DANG, PHUC T
• Application Number:
  US13/934,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20140015088A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 257/467, 257/737, 257/774, 257/E23.011, 438/459
• US Class Current: 257/467
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 5/56 constrained so that expansion or contraction causes a deformation of the solid
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/34 Circuits for electrically characterising or monitoring manufacturing processes, e. g. whole test die, wafers filled with test structures, on-board-devices incorporated on each die, process control monitors or pad structures thereof, devices in scribe line switching, multiplexing, gating devices G01R19/25; process control with lithography, e.g. dose control, G03F7/20; structures for alignment control by optical means G03F7/70633
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05546 Dual damascene structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05547 comprising a core and a coating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05552 in top view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05557 comprising protrusions or indentations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05571 the external layer being disposed in a recess of the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0603 Bonding areas having different sizes, e.g. different heights or widths
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/06102 the bonding areas being at different heights
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08057 in side view
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08058 being non uniform along the bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0807 of bonding interfaces, e.g. interlocking features
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08111 the bonding area being disposed in a recess of the surface of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08121 the connected bonding areas being not aligned with respect to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/08147 the bonding area connecting to a bonding area disposed in a recess of the surface of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/09051 Bonding areas having different shapes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80012 Mechanical cleaning, e.g. abrasion using hydro blasting, brushes, ultrasonic cleaning, dry ice blasting, gas-flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80035 by heating means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80097 Heating
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80141 : Guiding structures both on and outside the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/8034 : Bonding interfaces of the bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80357 : being flush with the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80895 : between electrically conductive surfaces, e.g. copper-copper direct bonding, surface activated bonding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80896 : between electrically insulating surfaces, e.g. oxide or nitride layers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80935 : by heating means, e.g. reflowing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/80986 : Specific sequence of steps, e.g. repetition of manufacturing steps, time sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/05 : of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/08 : of an individual bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/09 : of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/80 : Methods for connecting semiconductor or other solid state bodies using means for bonding being attached to, or being formed on, the surface to be connected
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/04 : the substrate being a semiconductor body
• 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

Abstract

A three-dimensional integrated structure is formed from a first integrated circuit with a first cavity filled with a first conductive material and a second integrated circuit with a second cavity filled with a second conductive material, the second cavity facing the first cavity. The filled first cavity forms a first element and the filled second cavity forms a second element, the first and second elements separated from each other by a cavity. The first and second conductive materials have different thermal expansion coefficients. A contact detection circuit is electrically connected to the filled first and second cavities, and is operable to sense electrical contact between the first and second conductive materials in response to a change in temperature.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional integrated structure, comprising:

a first integrated circuit including a plurality of first bump contacts formed in an insulating region of the first integrated circuit flush with a first face of the insulating region of the first integrated circuit,

a second integrated circuit including a plurality of second bump contacts formed in an insulating region of the second integrated circuit, a first one of the second bump contacts flush with a first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit and a second one of the second bump contacts not flush with the first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit,

wherein the two integrated circuits are mutually attached by the two first faces so that each first bump contact faces a second bump contact, said second one of the second bump contacts forming a first element and the facing first bump contact forming a second element, the first and second elements separated by a cavity,

wherein the first and second elements respectively comprise two different electrically conductive materials, and

a contact detection circuit configured to detect an electrical contact between the first and second elements upon a temperature rise.

2. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein the first bump contacts are arranged in a same plane as a highest level of metallization of the first integrated circuit and the second bump contacts are arranged in a same plane as a highest level of metallization of the second integrated circuit.

3. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein the different electrically conductive materials of the first and second elements have two different thermal expansion coefficients.

4. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein said second element has, in the vicinity of said first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit, a surface in the form of a dish relative to the first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit, and said first element has, in the vicinity of said first face of the insulating region of the first integrated circuit, a protuberant surface.

5. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein said second element has, in the vicinity of said first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit, a surface in the form of a dish relative to the first face of the insulating region of the second integrated circuit, and said first element has, in the vicinity of said first face of the insulating region of the first integrated circuit, a flat surface.

6. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein the second element is wider than the first element.

7. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second elements comprises copper and another of the first and second elements comprises tungsten.

8. The integrated structure according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second elements comprises copper and another of the first and second elements comprises tungsten silicide.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a first integrated circuit including a top layer having a first cavity formed therein, said first cavity filled with a first conductive material;

a second integrated circuit including a top layer having a second cavity formed therein, said second cavity filled with a second conductive material different from the first conductive material;

wherein said first conductive material filled first cavity faces said second conductive material filled second cavity without making electrical contact with an open cavity between the first and second conductive materials to form a temperature sensor; and

a sensing circuit electrically connected to the temperature sensor and configured to sense electrical contact between the first and second conductive material in response to a change in temperature of the first and second integrated circuits.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first conductive material forms a flat surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the top layer of the first integrated circuit, and wherein the second conductive material forms a concave surface recessed below a top surface of the top layer of the second integrated circuit.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first conductive material forms a protruding surface above a top surface of the top layer of the first integrated circuit, and wherein the second conductive material forms a concave surface recessed below a top surface of the top layer of the second integrated circuit.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the top layers of the first and second integrated circuits each comprise a highest level of metallization of the respective first and second integrated circuit.

13. The apparatus as in claim 9, wherein the different first and second conductive materials have two different thermal expansion coefficients.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one of the first and second conductive materials comprises copper and another of the first and second conductive materials comprises tungsten.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein one of the first and second conductive materials comprises copper and another of the first and second conductive materials comprises tungsten silicide.

16. An integrated circuit temperature sensor, comprising:

a first metallization layer including a first cavity filled with a first conductive material;

a second metallization layer including a second cavity filled with a second conductive material, said first conductive material filled first cavity facing said second conductive material filled second cavity without making electrical contact with an open cavity between the first and second conductive materials;

said first and second conductive materials having two different thermal expansion coefficients; and

a contact sensing circuit electrically connected to the first and second conductive materials and configured to sense electrical contact made between the first and second conductive material in response to a change in temperature.

17. The integrated circuit temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the first conductive material forms a flat surface substantially coplanar with a top surface of the first metallization layer, and wherein the second conductive material forms a concave surface recessed into a bottom surface of the second metallization layer.

18. The integrated circuit temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the first conductive material forms a protruding surface above a top surface of the first metallization layer, and wherein the second conductive material forms a concave surface recessed into a bottom surface of the second metallization layer.

19. The integrated circuit temperature sensor of claim 16, wherein the second conductive material forms a protruding surface beyond a bottom surface of the second metallization layer, and wherein the first conductive material forms a concave surface recessed into a top surface of the first metallization layer.