Characterizing tsv structures in a semiconductor chip stack
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAnand Haridass, Subramanian S. Iyer, Saravanan Sethuraman, Ming Yin
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Abstract
A first signal is transmitted through a first path. A computing device determines a signal propagation time of the first signal. The computing device transmits a second signal through a second path, wherein the second path includes the second signal traversing across at least one interconnecting structure. The computing device determines a signal propagation time of the second signal. The computing device determines a propagation time difference between the signal propagation time of the first signal and the signal propagation time of the second signal. The computing device adjusts a clock based on the determined propagation time difference.
Claims20
A method for determining signal propagation time delays for signals transmitted in a microelectronic device, wherein the microelectronic device comprises of a first layer and a second layer interconnected by at least one interconnecting structure, comprising the steps of:
- transmitting a first signal through a first path;
- determining, by one or more computer processors, a signal propagation time of the first signal;
- transmitting a second signal through a second path, wherein the second path includes the second signal traversing across at least one interconnecting structure, and wherein the at least one interconnecting structure comprises of one or more of a through silicon via and a micro C4 bump;
- determining, by one or more computer processors, a signal propagation time of the second signal;
- determining, by one or more computer processors, a propagation time difference between the signal propagation time of the first signal and the signal propagation time of the second signal;
- and
- adjusting a clock based on the determined propagation time difference.
A computer program product for determining signal propagation time delays for signals transmitted in a microelectronic device, wherein the microelectronic device comprises of a first layer and a second layer interconnected by at least one interconnecting structure, the computer program product comprising:
- one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising:
- program instructions to transmit a first signal through a first path;
- program instructions to determine a signal propagation time of the first signal;
- program instructions to transmit a second signal through a second path, wherein the second path includes the second signal traversing across at least one interconnecting structure, and wherein the at least one interconnecting structure comprises of one or more of a through silicon via and a micro C4 bump;
- program instructions to determine a signal propagation time of the second signal;
- program instructions to determine a propagation time difference between the signal propagation time of the first signal and the signal propagation time of the second signal;
- and
- program instructions to adjust a clock based on the determined propagation time difference.
A system for determining signal propagation time delays for signals transmitted in a microelectronic device, wherein the system comprises of a first layer and a second layer interconnected by at least one interconnecting structure, the system comprising:
- one or more processors, one or more computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising:
- program instructions to transmit a first signal through a first path;
- program instructions to determine a signal propagation time of the first signal;
- program instructions to transmit a second signal through a second path, wherein the second path includes the second signal traversing across at least one interconnecting structure, and wherein the at least one interconnecting structure comprises of one or more of a through silicon via and a micro C4 bump;
- program instructions to determine a signal propagation time of the second signal;
- program instructions to determine a propagation time difference between the signal propagation time of the first signal and the signal propagation time of the second signal;
- and
- program instructions to adjust a clock based on the determined propagation time difference.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.