Systems and Methods for Enabling ESD Protection on 3-D Stacked Devices
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsKenneth Kaskoun, Shiqun Gu, Matthew Nowak
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Abstract
An electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection device is fabricated in a vertical space between active layers of stacked semiconductor dies thereby utilizing space that would otherwise be used only for communication purposes. The vertical surface area of the through silicon vias (TSVs) is used for absorbing large voltages resulting from ESD events. In one embodiment, an ESD diode is created in a vertical TSV between active layers of the semiconductor dies of a stacked device. This ESD diode can be shared by circuitry on both semiconductor dies of the stack thereby saving space and reducing die area required by ESD protection circuitry.
Claims22
A semiconductor die comprising:
- at least one active circuit within at least one via constructed in a substrate on a first semiconductor die.
A 3-D stacked semiconductor device comprising:
- first and second semiconductor dies stacked relative to each other;
- at least one through silicon via (TSV) constructed to extend substantially between active layers of the first and second semiconductor dies;
- and
- active circuitry constructed at least partially within the at least one through silicon via.
A method for constructing a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- constructing a first semiconductor die having therein at least one through silicon via (TSV), the through silicon via containing at least one active circuit;
- and
- stacking the first semiconductor die with a second semiconductor die such that the through silicon via extends between active layers of the first and second semiconductor dies.
A method for electrostatic discharge protection in stacked semiconductor devices, the method comprising:
- coupling through silicon vias (TSVs) from a portion of one semiconductor die of the semiconductor device to a portion of an adjacent semiconductor die, the coupling comprising:
- coupling I/O pads from at least one of the semiconductor dies to electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuitry constructed at least partially within at least one of the TSVs.
A stacked semiconductor device comprising:
- first and second semiconductor dies positioned in parallel relationship to each other;
- and
- means for coupling active layers of the positioned dies, the coupling means including active elements.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.