Semiconductor device including stacked semiconductor chips
View Patent ↗A method is disclosed for selecting a semiconductor chip in a stack of semiconductor chips interconnected by through-lines by receiving selection signals at the first terminals located on a first surface of the semiconductor chip, connecting each first terminal to a selected second terminal located on a second surface of the semiconductor chip where each selected second terminal is not aligned with the first terminal to which it is connected, and generating an internal signal based on a selected one of the received selection signals.
1. A method for selecting a semiconductor chip in a stack of semiconductor chips interconnected by through lines comprising:
receiving a first plurality of selection signals at a first plurality of first terminals located on a first surface of the semiconductor chip;
connecting each of the first terminals to a selected one of a first plurality of second terminals located on a second surface of the semiconductor chip and aligned with the first plurality of first terminals, wherein said second terminals are not aligned with the first terminals to which they are connected;
generating an internal signal based on a selected one of the first plurality of selection signals received on a predetermined one of the first plurality of first terminals;
receiving a second plurality of selection signals at a second plurality of third terminals located on the first surface of the semiconductor chip;
connecting each of the third terminals to a selected one of a second plurality of fourth terminals located on a second surface of the semiconductor chip and aligned with the second plurality of third terminals, wherein said fourth terminals are not aligned with the third terminals to which they are connected; and
generating an additional internal signal based on a selected one of the second plurality of selection signals received on a predetermined one of the second plurality of third terminals.
2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first plurality of selection signals comprises M selection signals, and the first to (M−1)th of the first plurality of first terminals are connected to the second to Mth of the first plurality of second terminals, and the Mth one of the first plurality of first terminals is connected to the first one of the first plurality of second terminals.
3. The method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the second plurality of selection signals comprises N selection signals, and the first to (N−1)th of the second plurality of third terminals are connected to the second to Nth of the second plurality of fourth terminals, and the Nth one of the second plurality of third terminals is connected to the first one of the second plurality of fourth terminals.
4. The method as claimed in claim 3 wherein N and M are coprime.
5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first plurality of first terminals and the first plurality of second terminals comprise polygons.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5 wherein the connections between the first plurality of first terminals and the first plurality of second terminals comprise a polygonal helix.
7. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising generating an identification signal on the basis of the first plurality of selection signals.
8. The method as claimed in claim 7 further comprising generating the internal signal when the identification signal matches a layer designation signal.
9. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein first plurality of selection signals are bank address signals.
10. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein first plurality of selection signals are chip select signals.
11. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the semiconductor chip is a DRAM.