3DIC system design impact, challenge and solutions

In three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D-IC) systems that use through-silicon via (TSV) technology, a significant design consideration is the coupling noise to or from a TSV. It is important to estimate the TSV noise transfer function and manage the noise-tolerance budget in the design of a reliable 3D-IC system. In this paper, a TSV noise coupling model is proposed based on a three-dimensional transmission line matrix method (3D-TLM). Using the proposed TSV noise coupling model, the noise transfer functions from TSV to TSV and TSV to the active circuit can be precisely estimated in complicated 3D structures, including TSVs, active circuits, and shielding structures such as guard rings. To validate the proposed model, a test vehicle was fabricated using the Hynix via-last TSV process. The proposed model was successfully verified by frequency- and time-domain measurements. Additionally, a noise isolation technique in 3D-IC using a guard ring structure is proposed. The proposed noise isolation technique was also experimentally demonstrated; it provided -17 dB and -10dB of noise isolation between the TSV and an active circuit at 100 MHz and 1 GHz, respectively.

<p>Information technology-to-internet of things may have succeeded because of fast silicon chip capability expansion. Moore's law, which reduces device size, boosted integrated circuit (IC) performance. Delay rises with highdensity connection parasitic capacitance. Interconnect delays have surpassed transistor delays and slowed progress. An alternative is required now to reduce connection latency. The third dimension is used in popular 3D IC technology IC technology requires through silicon via (TSV) for signal integrity and heat mitigation. Noise coupling hinders electrical communication between signal-carrying TSVs (aggressive TSVs) and ground TSVs (victim TSVs), a 3D IC bottleneck. TSVs must be dielectrically insulated from Si substrates to avoid electrical signal interference. Additionally, first-order modelling will confirm the suggestions. This article proposes using the nanosheet field effect transistor (NSFET) to overcome 3D IC noise coupling and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology nodes. After discussing the electronic industry and sub nm, several basic metrics and criteria for developing electronic components are presented. The first technique uses Perylene-N's exceptional noise-cancelling characteristics. Second technique uses electrical TSV (ETSV), thermal TSV (TTSV), and heat source models to measure noise coupling on numerous ICs. The third proposes many noise-reducing materials. The suggested structures outperform traditional approaches.</p>

To reduce interconnect delay and power consumption while improving chip performance, a three-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) has been developed with die-stacking and through-silicon via (TSV) techniques. The power supply problem is one of the essential challenges in 3D IC design because IR-drop caused by insufficient supply voltage in a 3D chip reduces the chip performance. In particular, power bumps and TSVs are placed to minimize IR-drop in a 3D power delivery network. In this paper, we propose a design methodology for 3D power delivery networks to minimize the number of power bumps and TSVs with optimum mesh structure and distribute voltage variation more uniformly by shifting the locations of power bumps and TSVs while satisfying IR-drop constraint. Simulation results show that our method can reduce the voltage variation by 29.7% on average while reducing the number of power bumps and TSVs by 76.2% and 15.4%, respectively.

3D IC technologies are now approaching the innovation and business activities of semiconductor industries. 3D IC can be heterogeneous from different chip, interposer or substrate to integrate into a single package by using through silicon via (TSV) technique. With increasing functionality and performance at minimum cost and power dissipation, wide I/O memory VLSI technologies are being aggressively scaled to meet this demand. Stack memory chips using TSV technique will lead to increase a significant manufacturing challenge for semiconductor industries. TSV formation and interconnected reliability on the intermetallic compound (IMC) between the metal-metal bounded micro-bumps are crucial for 3D IC technologies. As the number and power of IC increases, lots of heat will be generated and, in turn raises the junction temperature. This will greatly deteriorate the performance of IC. Heat dissipation for 3D IC, when the power density exceeds 100W/cm2, is an important design concern before marketing. In this paper, high density TSV formed by an ultrafast pico-second laser to evaluate the behavior between manufacturing process and silicon material is presented. In addition, thermal management using finite element analysis to predict the reliability of TSV model is demonstrated.

Through-silicon vias (TSVs) are essential for 3D integrated circuits (ICs) and advanced chiplet packaging. The semiconductor industry is transitioning toward 3D ICs, chiplets, and system-in-package (SiP) solutions due to the slowdown of Moore’s Law and limitations in conventional silicon scaling. In this paper, we propose an optimized TSV architecture for high-frequency transmission to enhance its suitability for 6G communication chips, and develop a comprehensive equivalent circuit model for fault-free and faulty TSVs. This model accounts for open-circuit and short-circuit fault conditions while considering the effects of higher frequencies, substrate type, doping concentration, and adjacent layers. At the physical level, the TSVs are simulated using the Ansys High-Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS), and the equivalent circuits are designed using the Cadence Virtuoso tool. An experimental evaluation is also conducted to validate the physical design. We position the TSVs in a pattern of ground-signal-ground (G-S-G) to reduce the effective inductance of the signal TSV, thereby minimizing inductive reactance at ultra-high frequencies. Consequently, the reflection coefficient remains below -10 dB across the frequency range of 0.1 to 146.3 GHz. Furthermore, we compare simulation outcomes from HFSS and Cadence for both fault-free and faulty TSVs under varying operating conditions. Additionally, the parasitic circuit components are characterized through extensive theoretical derivations for in-depth circuit verification. Collectively, the rigorous analysis, experimental validation, and thorough investigation of the proposed design and its equivalent circuit demonstrate their potential for use in creating datasets for a fault prediction machine learning model.

Through silicon via (TSV) based 3D integrated circuits have inspired a novel design paradigm which explores the vertical dimension, in order to alleviate the performance and power limitations associated with long interconnects in 2D circuits. TSVs enable vertical interconnects across stacked and thinned dies in 3D-IC designs, resulting in reduced wirelength, footprint, faster speed, improved bandwidth, and lesser routing congestion. However, the usage of TSVs itself gives rise to many critical design challenges towards the minimization of chip delay and power consumption. Therefore, realization of the benefits of 3D ICs necessitates an early and realistic prediction of circuit performance during the early layout design stage. The goal of this thesis is to meet the design challenges of 3D ICs by providing new capabilities to the existing floorplanning framework [87]. The additional capabilities included in the existing floorplanning tool is the co-placement of TSV islands with circuit blocks and performing non-deterministic assignment of signals to TSVs. We also replace the wirelength and number of TSVs in the floorplanning cost function with the total delay in the nets. The delay-aware cost function accounts for RC delay impact of TSVs on the delay of individual signal connection, and obviates the efforts required to balance the weight contributions of wirelength and TSVs in the wirelength-aware floorplanning. Our floorplanning tool results in 5% shorter wirelength and 21% lesser TSVs compared to recent approaches. The delay in the cost function improves total delay in the interconnects by 10% - 12% compared to wirelength-aware cost function. The influence of large coupling capacitance between TSVs on the delay, power and coupling noise in 3D interconnects also offers serious challenges to the performance of 3D-IC. Due to the degree of design complexity introduced by TSVs in 3D ICs, the importance of early stage evaluation and optimization of delay, power and signal integrity of 3D circuits cannot be ignored. The unique contribution of this work is to develop methods for accurate analysis of timing, power and coupling noise across multiple stacked device layers during the floorplanning stage. Incorporating the impact of TSV and the stacking of multiple device layers within floorplanning framework will help to achieve 3D layouts with superior performance. Therefore, we proposed an efficient TSV coupling noise model to evaluate the coupling noise in the 3D interconnects during floorplanning. The total coupling noise in 3D interconnects is included in the cost function to optimize positions of TSVs and

The rise of three-dimensional (3D) IC layouts necessitates the development of unique partitioning methods that will be suitable for the 3D component designs. Net lists partitioning is a key aspect of the physical design of a 3D IC. Reducing wire lengths between gates is possible with 3D-ICs since they have a small footprint as well as vertical connectivity among dies. As a result, they consume less power and have shorter connection delays. This paper presents an efficient genetic algorithm (GA) based layer partitioning technique for 3D ICs that focuses on proper layer assignment to reduce area deviation and minimization of Through Silicon Vias (TSVs) to reduce IC footprint. The method starts with random initial solutions and refines the solutions with efficient crossover and mutation operator till the optimized solution is achieved. Our methodology produces high-quality solutions on well-known benchmarks. The experimental findings are compared with state-of-the-art methodologies and the suggested strategy is found to be very effective in the case of decreasing the TSV count and space need of the 3-dimensional IC design. In addition, the performance of our strategy is also compared with two recent publications that use GA and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and it is found that the proposed method achieves 20.18% and 38.66% average reduction in terms of TSV count respectively. Thus, the suggested technique is beneficial for multilayered 3D IC partitioning, as it can reduce TSV count while also satisfying balancing criteria and latency.

Through-silicon via (TSV) based 3D integrated circuit (IC) testing is promising area to the researchers in modern day semiconductor industry. The manufacturing of 3D ICs may produce TSV defects which reduce yield. Recent work has proposed grouping of functional and redundant TSVs such that the faulty functional TSVs are supported by redundant TSVs and multiplexers (MUXs) are used to implement that group. This paper proposes grouping of functional and redundant TSVs such that a functional TSV is supported by redundant TSVs of other groups. We have presented an algorithm that finds the best grouping of functional and redundant TSVs such that maximum recovery of functional TSVs can be achieved with a given number of MUXs.

Semiconductor industry, for more than four decades, has rigorously followed Moore's Law in scaling down the CMOS technologies. Although several new materials and processes are being developed to address the challenges of future technology nodes, in the coming years they will be limited with respect to functionalities that future devices will require. As a consequence a clear trend of moving from CMOS to package and system architecture can be observed. Three-dimensional (3D) technology using the well-known Through Silicon Via (TSV) interconnect is one the emerging option, considered today the most advanced technology, that could enable various heterogeneous integration. Indeed such technology is not limited to the CMOS scaling in itself, it is rather based on bringing more functionalities by stacking different type of devices (Logic, Memory, Analog, MEMS, Passive component...) while reducing the form factor of the packaging. This functional diversification is also known as More-than-Moore. In addition, considering Known Good Die approach, each component of the 3D package could have a different manufacturer using different wafer sizes and node technology, thus bringing more complexity but also more opportunities and responsibilities to the supply chain. There are several business models identified, either using vertical integration or collaborative approach, if a dominant one will emerge or several tactics will co-exist, it is still remains a key question that need to be answered. The supply chain interaction and key players will be addressed in this presentation, including current and future standardization needs. This is today a key for the manufacturing of advanced 3D devices. 3D integration is considered today a new paradigm for the semiconductor industry, since it will drive evolution for packages for the coming decades. Due to several advantages that TSV technology can bring, several platforms have started. 3D WLCSP, 2.5D interposers & 3DIC are the main platforms that will be studied in this paper. Market forecasts in terms of wafer starts, market revenue, segments and end-products as well as supply chain activities and major player interactions will be presented. The industry has enthusiastically been waiting for mass production of 3D ICs. Although some small level of production has already been reported, the adoption rate in high volume manufacturing (HVM) is still low due to unresolved challenges that the industry still needs to address. Process technology is not fully mature, there are still many challenges in bonding and de-bonding, testing as well as thermal management that have to be overcome. Furthermore, design tools have to be fully released to enable proper 3D integration design. Looking at the time to market it is foreseen that device such as the Hybrid Memory Cube, combining high-speed logic with a multiple stacks of TSV bonded memories, will come into high volume production in 2014. This will definitely change the world of the memory market and will significantly speed up the adoption of 3D technologies. Technology roadmaps for 3D integration will also be included in the manuscript and reviewed during the presentation.

Through silicon vias (TSV) are an enabler for high performance Three Dimensional Integrated Circiuts (3DIC). TSVs are used for signal, power and ground lines in 3DICs. TSVs used to carry signals can induce noise in nearby circuitry and in those instances shielding is required. Traditional shielding is composed of guard rings surrounding the signal TSVs or if the signal is differential in nature, a careful arrangement of TSVs carrying the differential signals can aid in noise reduction. In the guard ring scenario, the guard rings are typically tied to ground. This paper proposes a technique for energy scavenging utilizing the guard rings for shielding TSVs. Energy absorbed by the guard rings can be stored for later use by the system. This paper examines the feasibility of configuring the guard rings to charge a decoupling capacitor instead of shunting energy to ground. It is shown that the decoupling capacitor can be charged using this method and that under certain conditions, the overall power of the system can be reduced by 4% to 15%

Three-dimensional integration circuit (3D IC) offers significant benefits in terms of performance and cost. Existing research in through-silicon via (TSV)-based 3D IC partitioning has focused on minimizing the number of TSVs to reduce costs. Partitioning methods based on heterogeneous integration have emerged as viable approaches for cost optimization. Leveraging mature processes to manufacture not timing-critical blocks can yield cost benefits. Nevertheless, none of the previous 3D partitioning work has focused on reducing the overall cost, including both design and manufacturing costs, for heterogeneous 3D integration. Moreover, throughput constraints have not been considered. This article presents a cost-aware integer linear programming-based formulation and a heuristic algorithm that partition the functional blocks in the design into different technological groups. Each group of functional blocks will be implemented using a particular process technology, and then integrated into a 3D IC. Our results show that 3D heterogeneous integration chip implementation can reduce overall cost while satisfying various timing constraints.

Convergence and miniaturization of consumer electronic products such as cameras, phones, etc. has been driven by enhanced performance and reduced microelectronics size. For past few decades Moore’s law has been driving the microelectronics industry to achieve high performance with small form-factors at a reasonable cost. While the continued miniaturization of the transistors has resulted in unparalleled growth of the electronics industry, further performance increment via size scaling could be cost-ineffective and difficult to manufacture. To satisfy the current/future integrated Circuit (IC) package requirements, vertical integration of chips holds the key, i.e., 3-D packaging. Chip-stacking (3-D) is emerging as a powerful technology to reduce package footprint, decrease interconnection power, higher frequencies, and provide efficient integration of heterogeneous devices. It allows further reduction in the form factor of current systems and eases the interconnect performance limitation since the components are integrated on top of each other instead of side-by-side, resulting in shorter interconnect lengths. Due to high package density and chip-stacking on top of each other, heat dissipation from the stacked chips becomes a concern. To overcome these thermal challenges and provide shorter/faster inter-chip electrical connection, Through Silicon Via (TSV) technology is being implemented in 3-D ICs. TSVs allow 3-D chips to be interconnected directly and provide high speed signal propagation. TSVs provide inter-chip heat/current path but the current flowing through the TSVs results in localized heat generation (Joule Heating) within the silicon, which could be detrimental to the overall performance of the system. In this paper, the effect of Joule heating on the device performance measured by trans-conductance, electron mobility (e− mobility), and channel thermal noise is analyzed. Thinned (100 μm) chips with a uniform power map and evenly distributed TSVs are analyzed in this work. Thermal distribution in the package is studied for different TSV currents including a base-line case of no-current (thermal TSV only) and the junction temperature is determined for each case. The response from the thermal analysis is correlated to the device performance through existing relations. Results indicate that joule heating has a significant effect on the thermal response of the 3D IC and subsequently proves to be detrimental to the chip performance. An understanding of the electrical performance dependence on TSV joule heating is developed through this work.

The use of portable electronic devices like smart phones and tablets results in high demand for more function, smaller dimensions and reduced power consumption requirements. To meet these challenges, electronic package design uses thinner chips with fine pitch bumping. There is active development in 2.5D and 3D IC packages with through silicon via (TSV). Tighter interconnection in addition to the increased density in the circuit in 2.5D and 3D IC systems provide higher performance with lower power consumption [1]. In addition, there is increased in the demand for fine pitch copper pillar bumping due to the lower silicon node, chip size reduction and TSV technology. Fine pitch interconnections are required in 2.5D and 3DIC integration for the demands of electrical continuity and high performance. In the existing interconnection methods, solder micro bumps have received a great deal of attentions because of its low material and process cost [2]. The major difference of copper pillar FC bonding process comparing to traditional FC bonding process is the reduction of the solder volume on each solder bump. As a result, there is no advantage of self-alignment of the solder during solder reflow process. Flip-chip bonder having accurate chip placement capability is needed to ensure good solder joint formation. Conventional reflow method is still applicable for sizable solder bump of diameter being greater than 100 μm and larger than 150μm pitch [3]. The post underfill processes such as capillary underfill (CUF) and molded underfill (MUF) can be followed after the solder joints are formed. On the other hand, when the pitch of bumps and/or the thickness of the FC go down further, FC with copper pillar bumps bonded by TC process would be one of the solutions for fine-pitch FC applications. It has been shown that the bump pitch can be reduced to as small as 50 μm (inline pitch). This process also allows for better control on the solder squeezed out effect. However this process requires tight control on (i) the planarization between the FC and the bonding substrate and (ii) the stand-off of each solder joint. Good process parameters have to be established to ensure no solder collapse or open joint.

Through silicon via (TSV) based 3-dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) has become the key solution to satisfy continuously increasing demands for small form factor, wide bandwidth, high performance, and low power consumption on electronic devices. However, there still remain several challenges to be solved; one of the most significant issues in 3D IC is TSV to active circuit noise coupling. In this paper, we analyzed the noise coupling between TSV and LC-VCO, which is an important component in RF communication system. When TSV is located near LC-VCO, the noise can easily travel through silicon substrate to the body of MOSFETs in LC-VCO. The noise coupling mechanisms of TSV to PMOS and NMOS are analyzed by voltage transfer functions in frequency-domain obtained by 3D electromagnetic solver simulation. The voltage transfer function between TSV and MOS is analyzed under variations of several physical parameters to clarify the tendencies of noise coupling. In addition, the noise coupling effect on PMOS and NMOS in LCVCO are investigated and compared in terms of sensitivity, such as phase noise.

Through silicon via (TSV) is one of the key components of the emerging 3D ICs. However, increasing number of TSVs in smaller silicon area leads to some severe negative impacts on the performance of the 3D IC. Growing signal integrity issues in TSVs is one of the major challenges of 3D integration. In this paper, different materials for the cores of the vias and the interposers are investigated to find the best possible combination that can reduce crosstalk and other losses like return loss and insertion loss in the TSVs. We have explored glass and silicon as interposer materials. The simulation results indicate that glass is the best option as interposer material although silicon interposer has some distinct advantages. For via cores three materials — copper (Cu), tungsten (W) and Cu-W bimetal are considered. From the analysis it can concluded that W would be better for high frequency applications due to lower transmission coefficient. Cu offers higher conductivity, but it has larger thermal expansion coefficient mismatch with silicon. The performance of Cu-W bimetal via would be in between Cu and W. However, W has a thermal expansion coefficient close to silicon. Therefore, bimetal Cu-W based TSV with W as the outer layer would be a suitable option for high frequency 3D IC. Here, we performed the analysis in terms of return loss, transmission coefficient and crosstalk in the vias.