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US 9,431,298 B2Granted
Integrated circuit chip customization using backside access
AssigneeQUALCOMM Incorporated
InventorsDaniel W. Perry, Shiqun Gu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit, a method for making an integrated circuit product, and methods for customizing an integrated circuit are disclosed. Integrated circuit elements including programmable elements, such as fuses, PROMs, RRAMs, MRAMs, or the like, are formed on the frontside of a substrate. Vias are formed through the substrate from its frontside to its backside to establish conduction paths to at least some of the programmable elements from the backside. A programming stimulus is applied to at least some of the vias from the backside to program at least some of the frontside programmable elements.
Claims66
An apparatus, comprising:
- a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface;
- a programmable element located on said frontside surface;
- and
- a plurality of vias through said substrate configured to provide an electrical connection from said backside surface to said programmable element on said frontside surface, wherein each of said plurality of vias couple to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming, and wherein said programmable element is configured to be programmed by a programming stimulus selectively applied to said plurality of vias from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface.
1 more element
A method for customizing an integrated circuit, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface;
- forming a plurality of vias through said substrate to provide an electrical connection from said backside surface to a programmable element located on said frontside surface, wherein forming said plurality of vias comprises coupling each of said plurality of vias to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming;
- and
- applying a programming stimulus to said plurality of vias from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface to program said programmable element to establish a functionality of said integrated circuit.
1 more element
A method for customizing an integrated circuit, comprising:
- providing a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface;
- forming conductors through said substrate to provide electrical connections from said backside surface to a programmable element located on said frontside surface, wherein forming said conductors includes coupling each of said conductors to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming;
- and
- applying a programming stimulus to said conductors from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface to program said programmable element to uniquify said integrated circuit.
1 more element
A method for making an integrated circuit product, comprising:
- forming integrated circuit elements including one or more programmable elements located on a frontside surface of a substrate;
- forming a plurality of vias through said substrate to establish conduction paths from a backside surface to at least one of said one or more programmable elements on said frontside surface, wherein each of said plurality of vias couple to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming;
- and
- applying at least one programming stimulus to at least one of said plurality of vias from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface to program said at least one of said one or more programmable elements to establish a functionality of said integrated circuit product.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- means for applying a programming stimulus to a plurality of vias formed through a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface, wherein each of said plurality of vias couple to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming, and wherein said programming stimulus is applied to said plurality of vias from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface;
- and
- means for programming a programmable element located on said frontside surface using said programming stimulus applied to said plurality of vias, wherein said plurality of vias provide an electrical connection from said backside surface to said programmable element located on said frontside surface.
A computer readable medium comprising at least one instruction for causing a machine to:
- apply a programming stimulus to a plurality of vias formed through a substrate having a frontside surface and a backside surface, wherein each of said plurality of vias connect to sacrificial contacts on said backside surface, said sacrificial contacts configured to only be used for programming, and wherein said programming stimulus is applied to said plurality of vias from said sacrificial contacts on said backside surface;
- and
- program a programmable element located on said frontside surface using said programming stimulus applied to said plurality of vias, wherein said plurality of vias provide an electrical connection from said backside surface to said programmable element located on said frontside surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.