Electrical redundancy for bonded structures
View Patent ↗An element that is configured to bond to another element is disclosed. A first element that can include a first plurality of contact pads on a first surface. The first plurality of contact pads includes a first contact pad and a second contact pad that are spaced apart from one another. The first and second contact pads are electrically connected to one another for redundancy. The first element can be prepared for direct bonding. The first element can be bonded to a second element to form a bonded structure. The second element has a second plurality of contact pads on a second surface. At least one of the second plurality of contact pads is bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of contact pads.
1 . A hybrid bonded structure comprising:
a first element having a first zone of first contact pads and a second zone of second contact pads at a first surface, wherein the first contact pads and second contact pads are electrically redundant with respect to one another; and
a second element having a second surface hybrid bonded to the first surface of the first element, the second element comprising a third zone of third contact pads and a fourth zone of fourth contact pads at the second surface, wherein the third contact pads and fourth contact pads are electrically redundant with respect to one another, the third zone aligned with and facing the first zone, the fourth zone aligned with and facing the second zone; and
circuitry for switching operative zones to selectively enable electrical communication between the first contact pads and the third contact pads or between the second contact pads and the fourth contact pads.
2 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry for switching operative zones is part of internal circuitry of the elements electrically connected to each of the first, second, third and fourth zones.
3 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 2 , wherein the circuitry for switching operative zones includes switches and/or fuses for routing zones of contact pads for communication between the first and second elements.
4 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 2 , wherein the internal circuitry further comprises logic circuits for selection of zones for re-routing connections from unconnected pads to connected pads.
5 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 2 , wherein the internal circuitry further comprises logic circuits for selection of zones for communication between the first and second elements.
6 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the first zone and the second zone is between about 10 μm and 1000 μm.
7 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein a spacing between the first zone and the second zone is between about 50 μm and 1500 μm.
8 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first element comprises a fifth zone of fifth contact pads, wherein the first contact pads and fifth contact pads are electrically redundant with respect to one another.
9 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein first and second contact pads comprise signal pads.
10 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact pads include power and/or ground pads.
11 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact pads connect to the circuitry for switching operative zones by way of conductive traces formed in back-end-of line (BEOL) layers.
12 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises between about 50 and 100 first contact pads.
13 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first zone comprises between about 200 and 500 first contact pads.
14 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 1 , wherein the first contact pads within the first zone or the second contact pads within the second zone each carry different signals.
15 . A first element configured to hybrid bond to a second element without an intervening adhesive, the first element comprising:
a first zone comprising a plurality of first contact pads at a first surface of the first element;
a second zone comprising a plurality of second contact pads at the first surface of the first element, the second contact pads being redundant with respect to the first contact pads;
a plurality of conductive lines selectively connecting the first contact pads in the first zone to the second contact pads in the second zone;
switching circuitry for selecting between operation of the first zone of the first contact pads or the second zone of second contact pads; and
a first dielectric field region at the first surface of the first element, the first dielectric field region disposed at least partially between the first and second contact pads, the first dielectric field region prepared for direct bonding.
16 . The first element of claim 15 , wherein the switching circuitry includes switches and/or fuses for routing signals to either the first zone or the second zone for communication between the first and second elements.
17 . The first element of claim 15 , further comprising logic circuits for determining the first zone includes unconnected first contact pads when the first element is hybrid bonded to the second element, and instructing the switching circuitry to re-route connections from the first zone to the second zone.
18 . The first element of claim 15 , wherein a spacing between the first zone and the second zone is between about 10 μm and 1000 μm.
19 . The first element of claim 15 , wherein a wherein spacing between the first zone and the second zone is between about 50 μm and 1500 μm.
20 . The first element of claim 15 , wherein the first zone comprises between about 50 and 100 first contact pads.
21 . The first element of claim 15 , wherein the first contact pads of the first zone are non-redundant with respect to each other.
22 . A hybrid bonded structure, comprising:
a first element having a first surface comprising a first nonconductive field region surrounding a first zone of grouped first contact pads and a second zone of grouped second contact pads, the second zone being redundant with respect to the first zone; and
a second element having a second surface comprising second nonconductive field region surrounding a third zone of grouped third contact pads and a fourth zone of grouped fourth contact pads, the fourth zone being redundant with respect to the third zone, wherein:
the first nonconductive field region is directly bonded to the second nonconductive field region;
at least some contact pads of the first element are directly bonded to at least some contact pads of the second element;
the first zone is aligned over the third zone; and
the second zone is aligned over the fourth zone.
23 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein the first contact pads and the second contact pads comprise signal pads.
24 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein a spacing between the first zone and the second zone is between about 50 μm and 1500 μm.
25 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 22 , further comprising internal circuitry including circuitry for switching operative zones to select either electrical communication between the first contact pads of the first zone and the third contact pads of the third zone or electrical communication between the second contact pads of the second zone and the fourth contact pads of the fourth zone.
26 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 25 , wherein the internal circuitry further comprises logic circuits for instructing the circuitry for switching operative zones.
27 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 26 , wherein the logic circuitry identifies unconnected pads between the first and second elements.
28 . The bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein the first contact pads are electrically shorted to the second contact pads.
29 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein the first element comprises a third zone of grouped third contact pads, the third zone being redundant with respect to the first and second zone.
30 . The hybrid bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the first element and the second element comprises an integrated circuit.