IC package with integral vertical passive delay cells
OwnerHeping Yue, Hongwei Liang +1inventors
InventorsHeping Yue, Hongwei Liang, Michael A. Lamson
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Abstract
Multi-layer semiconductor devices and methods for their assembly are described in which the IC packages are endowed with vertical passive delay cells in order to approximately equalize, within selected design tolerances, the signal propagation delays among electrical traces within the package.
Claims17
In a multi-layer semiconductor device having a plurality of interconnecting metallic traces of various lengths and various signal propagation times, a method of approximately matching the signal propagation times through a plurality of the traces, the method comprising:
- selecting a first trace having an inherent signal propagation time;
- selecting a second trace having an inherent signal propagation time less than the inherent signal propagation time of the first trace;
- and
- providing one or more vertical passive delay cells in the second trace, thereby introducing signal propagation delay suitable to adjust the signal propagation time of the second trace to approximate the inherent signal propagation time of the first trace.
A method for manufacturing a packaged IC comprising the steps of:
- providing a multi-layer semiconductor device having at least two metal layers;
- in at least one of the metal layers, providing a plurality of signal traces for coupling terminals located at various horizontal distances from one another;
- and
- providing one or more vertical passive delay cells in one or more of the traces, thereby approximately matching the propagation delay of at least one trace having one or more vertical passive delay cells to that of at least one other trace.
A packaged microelectronic semiconductor device comprising:
- an IC having a plurality of metal layers;
- in at least one of the metal layers, a plurality of signal traces coupling terminals located at various horizontal distances from one another;
- and
- one or more vertical passive delay cells in one or more of the traces, wherein the signal propagation delay of at least one trace having one or more vertical passive delay cells approximately matches that of at least one other trace.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.