Fujitsu Corporation

Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Xilinx, Inc.

Hewlett-packard Company

Other

Vlsi Technology, Inc.

Richard L Wheeler

Claude R Gauthier

Brian W Amick

Tyler J Thorp

Wen-chou Vincent Wang

Larry Louis Moresco

Michael G Peters

David A Horine

Bidyut Kanti Sen

Solomon I Beilin

William T Chou

Paul Ying-Fung Wu

Paul Y Wu

David G Love

Voddarahalli K Nagesh

Jayarama N Shenoy

Raymond E Anderson

Vivek Mansingh

Patricia R Boucher

Jiunn-Yau Liou

James C Parker, Jr

Sanjay S Mehta

James C Parker

An interconnect array is described. The interconnect array comprises a pattern of adjacent interconnect tiles, each interconnect tile comprising ten interconnect locations including eight I/O signal connectivity locations forming a perimeter array having a corner I/O signal connectivity location, a center connectivity location surrounded by the eight I/O signal connectivity locations in the perimeter array being a first ground connectivity location or a power connectivity location, and a second ground connectivity location adjacent to the corner I/O signal connectivity location of the perimeter array and externally offset from the perimeter array to form an asymmetrically shaped interconnect tile. At least one interconnect tile of the pattern of adjacent interconnect tiles has a center connectivity location that is a power connectivity location.

Interconnect pattern for semiconductor packaging

An interconnect array uses repeated application of an interconnect pattern ('tile'). The tile has eight I/O signal pins forming a perimeter array, a central pin that can be either a ground pin or an I/O power pin, and an offset ground pin. The I/O signal pins are associated with the same or multiple I/O banks. If the central pin is an I/O power pin, it is optionally associated with an I/O bank associated with one or more of the I/O signal pins.

A simulation model is provided for flip-chip BGAs to help engineers determine the effects of IC package components. The simulation model includes a bump model, a package planes model, a package bypass capacitor model, a ball model and a PCB model. The simulation model in particular includes resistors, inductors, capacitors and transmission lines to simulate the electrical interaction between signal conductors, power/ground planes, vias and balls that exist in a flip-chip ball grid array (BGA) package. The simulation model helps engineers understand actual physical effects of flip-chip and IC package interactions, as well as the impact of the effects of power supply droop, ground bounce and crosstalk between adjacent signals, not only on the IC package level, but at the computer system level.

Integrated circuit package component and ball grid array simulation model

A holder for field glasses has a pair of substantially similar resilient receptacles that each has a main body with an open bottom and a narrower neck with an open top. A slot is located in each neck portion while a slit extends between each slot and its respective open bottom. The two receptacles are attached to each other so as to be parallel to one another and so that each slit generally faces the other receptacle. A pair of binoculars is inserted, ocular lens side first, through the bottoms of each main body by gapping each receptacle with the bridge of the binoculars passing through the gapped slits. Once the bridge is received within the slots of the two receptacles, the slits are degapped. Alternately, the binoculars themselves may have the form of a pair of drink receptacles.

Holder for field glasses

A method for reducing a magnitude of a rate of current change of an integrated circuit is provided. The method uses a plurality of transistors controlled by a finite state machine, such as a counter, to gradually reduce current sourced from a power supply. Further, the finite state machine is controlled by a micro-architectural stage that determines when the integrated circuit needs to be powered down.

Method for reducing a magnitude of a rate of current change of an integrated circuit

A method of simulating the electrical behavior of an ideal transformer. The representation of the ideal transformer is frequency independent and can be used to simulate the behavior of an ideal transformer over the frequency range from DC to infinity. In one embodiment, the ideal transformer is represented as having an input sub-circuit and an output sub-circuit. Each sub-circuit includes a resistor connected in parallel across a current controlled current source. The input current, output current, current sources, and resistances are scaled by a scaling factor representing the turns ratio between the primary and secondary windings of a physical transformer. In the present invention, the current sources are responsible for the current scaling and the resistors are responsible for the impedance scaling. The circuit elements of the representation may be used as the basis for generating a set of input parameters for a circuit emulation program.

Method of emulating an ideal transformer valid from DC to infinite frequency

An apparatus for regulating resonance in a micro-chip has been developed. The method includes connecting a de-coupled capacitance across the supply and ground voltages, and connecting a band-pass shunt regulator that is in parallel to the capacitor across the supply and ground voltages. The regulator will short circuit the supply and ground voltages at a pre-determined frequency to reduce the resonance effect on the micro-chip.

CMOS-microprocessor chip and package anti-resonance apparatus

A method for regulating resonance in a micro-chip has been developed. The circuit includes an on-chip de-coupled capacitor that is shunted across the supply and ground voltages, and a band-pass shunt regulator that is in parallel to the capacitor across the supply and ground voltages. The regulator will short circuit the supply and ground voltages at a pre-determined frequency to reduce the resonance effect on the micro-chip.

CMOS-microprocessor chip and package anti-resonance method

A circuit for regulating resonance in a micro-chip has been developed. The circuit includes micro-chip supply voltage and a ground voltage, and a band-pass shunt regulator that is in parallel to the capacitor across the supply and ground voltages. The regulator will short circuit the supply and ground voltages at a pre-determined frequency to reduce the resonance effect on the micro-chip.

CMOS-microprocessor chip and package anti-resonance pass-band shunt apparatus

A power distribution structure for a multichip module including, a base plate, a plurality of mesas arranged in a pattern are formed on the base plate, the mesas having electrically conductive upper surfaces which lie substantially in a single plane. A thin, conformal dielectric layer is formed over the exposed side surfaces of the mesas and the exposed surfaces of the support base and a conductive material is deposited over the dielectric material filling the area between and surrounding the mesas. The upper surfaces of the mesas and the upper surface of the conductive material surrounding the mesas lie in substantially one plane and are electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric material. A multilayered thin film structure for a multichip module may be formed over the power distribution structure and power and ground potentials supplied to microelectronic components, such as integrated circuit chips, mounted on the surface of the thin film structure using vias routed through the thin film structure.

Power supply distribution structure for integrated circuit chip modules

Disclosed is a redistribution layer having a patterned metallization layer for use in a flip chip integrated circuit device and a method for making the same. The redistribution layer includes a plurality of slot pads arranged along a periphery of the redistribution layer. The plurality of slot pads are formed from the patterned metallization layer. An array of bump pads are arranged in an inner portion of the redistribution layer such that the plurality of slot pads surround the array of bump pads, and the array of bump pads are formed from the patterned metallization layer. The redistribution layer further includes a plurality of traces that are formed from the patterned metallization layer and are configured to interconnect the plurality of slot pads to the array of bump pads. Each of the traces has a width that is selected to substantially equalize a resistance parameter associated with each of the plurality of traces. Additionally, each trace may include a bump pad area and possibly capacitance extending stubs that may be custom sized to substantially equalize a capacitance parameter associated with each of the plurality of traces.

Apparatus for equalizing signal parameters in flip chip redistribution

Described are methods of manufacturing large substrate capacitors for multi-chip module applications and the like using procedures compatible with common semiconductor fabrication procedures. A capacitor is formed where the top electrode thereof is divided into a plurality of segmented pads which are initially electrically isolated from one another. Each segmented pad forms a capacitor with the underlying dielectric layer and bottom capacitor electrode. Each segmented capacitor is electrically tested, and defective ones are identified. A conductive layer is thereafter formed over the segmented pads such that the conductive layer is electrically isolated from the pads of defective capacitors. The conductive layer electrically couples the good capacitors in parallel to form a high-value bypass capacitor which has low parasitic inductance. Large embedded MCM bypass capacitors can thereby be fabricated with minimal impact to the overall manufacturing yield. Novel testing methods within a scanning electron microscope environment are also disclosed.

High-yield methods of fabricating large substrate capacitors

A power distribution structure for a multichip module and a method for fabricating the same are shown. According to the method of the present invention, a base plate is provided, a plurality of mesas arranged in a pattern are formed on the base plate, the mesas having electrically conductive upper surfaces which lie substantially in a single plane. A thin, conformal dielectric layer is then formed over the exposed surfaces of the mesas and the support base and a conductive material is deposited over the dielectric material filling the area between and surrounding the mesas. The resulting structure is then planarized, as by polishing, such that the upper surfaces of the mesas and the upper surface of the conductive material surrounding the mesas lie in substantially one plane and are electrically isolated from each other by the dielectric material. A multilayered thin film structure for a multichip module may then be formed over the power distribution structure and power and ground potentials supplied to microelectronic components, such as integrated circuit chips, mounted on the surface of the thin film structure using vias routed through the thin film structure.

Methods of manufacturing power supply distribution structures for

Systems for controlling the current consumption of an integrated circuit chip and the like so as to reduce the inductive voltage drops occurring over the power supply lines within the chip and power supply lines to the chip are disclosed. The systems according to the present invention are applicable to circuits having two or more sub-circuits formed on a semiconductor substrate, each sub-circuit having two or more power supply inputs. An exemplary system comprises two or more current shunting elements formed on the substrate, with each current shunting element coupled in parallel with the power supply inputs of a selected sub-circuit. The system has at least two main power supply lines formed on the semiconductor substrate, with each selected sub-circuit having each of its power supply inputs coupled to a main power supply line. A current shunting element may comprise a Zener diode, an active shunt circuit, or equivalents thereof.

Systems for controlling power consumption in integrated circuits

A thin-film bypass capacitor is fabricated by forming a plurality of through holes through the thickness of a nonconductive base substrate and filling the through holes with a conductive material to form ground vias and power vias. A sequence of back side metalization layers are applied to the back side surface of the base substrate. A sequence of bottom contact layers are applied to the front side surface of the base substrate. A bottom contact power terminal is formed in the bottom contact layer and is electrically isolated from remaining portions of the bottom contact layers by insulating plugs. A bottom contact metalization layer is applied to the surface of the bottom contact layers and the insulating plugs. A dielectric layer is formed on the surface of the bottom contact metalization layer. A ground metalization via and a power metalization via are formed at the surface of the dielectric layer. A sequence of top contact layers are applied to the surface of the dielectric layer and a front side ground terminal and front side power terminal are formed. A back side ground terminal and a back side power terminal are formed at the back side of the base substrate.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Richard L Wheeler