IP Library Granted Patent US 8,106,520
Granted Patent B2
US 8,106,520 · App. 12/209,052 · Granted Jan 31, 2012

Signal delivery in stacked device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,106,520
App. No.
12/209,052
Granted
Jan 31, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments include apparatus, systems, and methods having a base, a first die, a second arranged in a stacked with the first die and the base, and a structure located in the stack and outside at least one of the first and second dice and configured to transfer signals between the base and at least one of the first and second dice.

Claims (54)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals;

a first die including conductive paths at least partly through the first die;

a second die arranged in a stack with the first die and the base; and

a structure located in the stack and outside at least one of the first die and the second die and configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals between the base and at least one of the first die and the second die, the first die being located between the base and the second die, wherein the structure includes an interposer located between the first die and the second die, the interposer including conductive paths coupled to the first die and the second die, the structure including a first structure portion and a second structure portion, the first structure portion being located at a first side of the first die, the second structure portion being located at a second side of the first die, and wherein the interposer includes a length measured between edges of the interposer, and the length of the interposer is greater than a length of the first die.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first structure portion includes conductive paths coupled to the second die.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a substrate having an organic material and conductive paths through the organic material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base includes circuit components to perform signal filtering.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals;

a first device including first conductive paths at least partly through the first device, the first device including a first die and a second die;

a second device;

an interposer arranged in a stack with the base, the first device, and the second device, the interposer being located between the first and second devices and configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals to one of the first and second devices, the interposer including a first surface, a second surface opposite from the first surface, first conductive contacts located at the first surface and coupled to the first device, second conductive contacts located at the second surface and coupled to the second device, and second conductive paths coupling the first conductive contacts to the second conductive contacts; and

a structure portion located between the first die and the second die and including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the interposer includes a length measured between edges of the interposer, the length of the interposer is greater than a length of the first device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interposer includes a via extending from the first surface to the second surface, at least a portion of one of the second conductive paths passing through the via.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interposer includes multiple layers, each of the multiple layers including at least one conductive portion coupled to at least one of second conductive paths to transfer a different subset of the signals.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the interposer includes a first conductive portion coupled to a first selected conductive path of the second conductive paths to transfer a first power signal having a positive value, and a second conductive potion coupled to a second selected conductive path of the second conductive paths to transfer a second power signal having a ground potential, at least one of the first and second conductive portions extending in a dimension perpendicular to the first and second selected conductive paths.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the first selected conductive path goes through a via that only extends partly through the interposer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second selected conductive path goes through an additional via that only extends partly through the interposer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first device include a conductive segment coupled to a selected conductive path of the first conductive paths to transfer a data signal, the conductive segment extending in a dimension perpendicular to the selected conductive path.

12. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals; and

a first device including first conductive paths at least partly through the first device;

a second device arranged in a stack with the base and the first device, the first device being located between the base and the second device, the first device having a length less than a length of the second device; and

a structure configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals to the second device, the structure including a first structure portion located at a first side of the first device and a second structure portion located at a second side of the first device, each of the first and second structure portions including a first surface, a second surface opposite from the first surface, first conductive contacts located at the first surface and coupled to the base, second conductive contacts located at the second surface and coupled to the second device, and second conductive paths coupling the first conductive contacts to the second conductive contact, wherein the structure includes an interposer located between the first device and the second device, the interposer including conductive paths coupled to the first device and the second device, and wherein the interposer includes a length measured between edges of the interposer, and the length of the interposer is greater than a length of the first device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first structure portion includes a first via extending from the first surface to the second surface of first structure portion, at least a portion of one of the second conductive paths passing through the first via, and the second structure portion includes a second via extending from the first surface to the second surface of the second structure portion, at least a portion of one of the second conductive paths passing through the second via.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein a height of the structure is equal to a height of the first device.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first device includes a first stack of dice and a second stack of dice arranged side by side with each other.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the structure further includes a third structure portion located between the first stack of dice and the second stack of dice, third structure portion including conductive paths coupled to the base and the second device.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals;

a first device including first conductive paths at least partly through the first device, the first device including a first die and a second die;

a second device;

an interposer arranged in a stack with the base, the first device, and the second device, the interposer being located between the first and second devices and configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals to one of the first and second devices, the interposer including a first surface, a second surface opposite from the first surface, first conductive contacts located at the first surface and coupled to the first device, second conductive contacts located at the second surface and coupled to the second device, and second conductive paths coupling the first conductive contacts to the second conductive contacts; and

a structure portion located between the first die and the second die and including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer;

a first additional structure portion, the first additional structure portion including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the structure between the first die and the second die is located at a first side of the first die, and the first additional structure portion is located at a second side of the first die.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a second additional structure portion, the second additional structure portion including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the second die is between the structure portion and the second additional structure portion.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein at least one of the structure portion, the first additional structure portion, and the second additional structure portion is incorporated into one of the first die and the second die.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals;

a first device including first conductive paths at least partly through the first device, the first device including a first die and a second die;

a second device;

an interposer arranged in a stack with the base, the first device, and the second device, the interposer being located between the first and second devices and configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals to one of the first and second devices, the interposer including a first surface, a second surface opposite from the first surface, first conductive contacts located at the first surface and coupled to the first device, second conductive contacts located at the second surface and coupled to the second device, and second conductive paths coupling the first conductive contacts to the second conductive contacts; and

a structure portion located between the first die and the second die and including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein a height of the structure portion is equal to a height of the first device.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the base includes a substrate having an organic material and conductive paths through the organic material.

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the base includes circuit components to perform signal filtering.

23. An apparatus comprising:

a base configured to receive signals;

a first device including first conductive paths at least partly through the first device, the first device including a first die and a second die;

a second device;

an interposer arranged in a stack with the base, the first device, and the second device, the interposer being located between the first and second devices and configured to transfer at least one subset of the signals to one of the first and second devices, the interposer including a first surface, a second surface opposite from the first surface, first conductive contacts located at the first surface and coupled to the first device, second conductive contacts located at the second surface and coupled to the second device, and second conductive paths coupling the first conductive contacts to the second conductive contacts; and

a structure portion located between the first die and the second die and including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the first device further includes a first additional die and a second additional die, the first additional die being arranged in a stack with the first die, the second additional die being arranged in a stack with the second die.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 , further comprising a first additional structure portion, the first additional structure portion including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the structure between the first die and the second die is located at a first side of the first die, and the first additional structure portion is located at a second side of the first die.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 , further comprising a second additional structure portion, the second additional structure portion including conductive paths coupled to the base and the interposer, wherein the second die is between the structure portion and the second additional structure portion.

Assignments (7)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2023
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP, LLC
Reel/Frame 064987/0323 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 3, 2008
From: KEETH, BRENT; HIATT, MARK; LEE, TERRY R.; TUTTLE, MARK; ADVANI, RAHUL; SCHRECK, JOHN F.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 021632/0305 →