Configurable memory sheet and package assembly
View Patent ↗A configurable memory sheet includes a plurality of segmentable memory banks arranged on a repeating grid such that the plurality of segmentable memory banks can be configured for applications with a variety of circuit elements, where the plurality of segmentable memory banks are configured into memories by their connections to the variety of circuit elements.
1. A configurable memory sheet, comprising:
a plurality of segmentable memory banks arranged on a repeating grid such that the plurality of segmentable memory banks can be configured for applications with a variety of circuit elements, where the plurality of segmentable memory banks are configured into memories by their connections to the variety of circuit elements.
2. The configurable memory sheet of claim 1 , further comprising:
a front side redistribution layer (RDL) configured to electrically couple active memory elements on the segmentable memory banks to circuitry on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
3. The configurable memory sheet of claim 2 , further comprising:
a plurality of pads located on the configurable memory sheet, wherein each of the plurality of pads is associated with each of a plurality of locations in a power distribution network; and
a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) located in the configurable memory sheet, each of the plurality of TSVs associated with each of the plurality of pads, wherein each of a plurality of external signals and power pads on the ASIC has a direct vertical connection through a TSV to a solder bump located on a rear surface of the configurable memory sheet.
4. The configurable memory sheet of claim 3 , wherein a portion of the pads are power pads that are used to test the configurable memory sheet before integrating the configurable memory sheet with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
5. The configurable memory sheet of claim 4 , wherein the configurable memory sheet is fabricated using a dedicated process and wherein the ASIC is fabricated using a dedicated process and in which the ASIC is located in a face-to-face orientation with the configurable memory sheet and wherein the ASIC is electrically connected to the configurable memory sheet using a fine-pitch area array interdie interconnect.
6. The configurable memory sheet of claim 5 , further comprising a heatsink coupled to the ASIC, wherein the ASIC is located over the configurable memory sheet to facilitate efficient cooling.
7. The configurable memory sheet of claim 5 , further comprising using at least a portion of the plurality of TSVs of a de-activated segmentable memory bank to carry signals and power of input/output elements of the ASIC.
8. The configurable memory sheet of claim 5 , further comprising locating solder bumps on a rear surface of the configurable memory sheet adjacent to a surface of a package substrate, the solder bumps insulated from the rear surface of the configurable memory sheet with a strong dielectric thereby alleviating effects of die-to-package thermal expansion mismatch.
9. The configurable memory sheet of claim 5 , wherein the configurable memory sheet is sized to closely match the dimensions of the ASIC to facilitate conducting electrical power into and heat out of the ASIC.
10. The configurable memory sheet of claim 5 , wherein the configurable memory sheet further comprises active memory banks and inactive memory banks, wherein the inactive memory banks are deactivated and isolated from the active memory banks by patterning the front side RDL.
11. The configurable memory sheet of claim 7 , wherein the front side RDL is further configured to connect a segmentable memory bank to a power pad, to isolate a segmentable memory bank from a power pad, and to assign a TSV to the input/output elements of the ASIC.
12. A circuit package assembly, comprising:
a configurable memory sheet having a plurality of segmentable memory banks arranged on a repeating grid such that the plurality of segmentable memory banks can be configured for a particular application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), where the plurality of segmentable memory banks are configured into memories by their connections to the ASIC;
a front side redistribution metal layer (RDL) configured to electrically couple active memory elements on the segmentable memory banks to circuitry on the ASIC;
a plurality of pads located on the configurable memory sheet, wherein each of the plurality of pads is associated with each of a plurality of locations in the power distribution network; and
a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) located in the configurable memory sheet, each of the plurality of TSVs associated with each of the plurality of pads, wherein each of a plurality of external signals and power pads on the ASIC has a direct vertical connection through a TSV to a solder bump located on a rear surface of the configurable memory sheet.
13. The circuit assembly of claim 12 , wherein the power pads are used to test the configurable memory sheet before integrating the configurable memory sheet with the ASIC.
14. The circuit assembly of claim 13 , wherein the configurable memory sheet is sized by cutting through circuitry so as to closely match dimensions of the ASIC to facilitate conducting electrical power into and heat out of the ASIC.
15. The circuit assembly of claim 14 , wherein the configurable memory sheet further comprises active memory banks and inactive memory banks, wherein the inactive memory banks are deactivated and isolated from the active memory banks by patterning the front side RDL.
16. The circuit assembly of claim 12 , wherein the front side RDL is further configured to electrically couple active memory elements on the segmentable memory banks to the power pads, to connect a segmentable memory bank to a power pad, to isolate a segmentable memory bank from a power pad, and to assign a TSV to the input/output elements of the ASIC.
17. A method for making a configurable memory sheet, comprising:
forming a plurality of segmentable memory banks on a repeating grid such that the plurality of segmentable memory banks can be configured for applications with a variety of circuit elements, where the plurality of segmentable memory banks are configured into memories by their connections to the variety of circuit elements.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
forming a front side redistribution metal layer (RDL) on the configurable memory sheet, the front side RDL configured to electrically couple active memory elements on the segmentable memory banks to circuitry on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), to connect a segmentable memory bank to a power pad, to isolate a segmentable memory bank from a power pad, and to assign a TSV to the input/output elements of the ASIC.
19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
forming a plurality of pads on the configurable memory sheet, wherein each of the plurality of pads is associated with each of a plurality of locations in a power distribution network; and
forming a plurality of through silicon vias (TSVs) located in the configurable memory sheet, each of the plurality of TSVs associated with each of the plurality of pads, wherein each of a plurality of external signals and power pads on the ASIC has a direct vertical connection through a TSV to a solder bump located on a rear surface of the configurable memory sheet.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising using a portion of the power pads to test the configurable memory sheet before integrating the configurable memory sheet with the (ASIC).
21. The method of claim 15 , further comprising sizing the configurable memory sheet to closely match the dimensions of the ASIC to facilitate conducting electrical power into and heat out of the ASIC.