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 first element configured to directly bond to a second element without an intervening adhesive, the first element comprising:
a first plurality of contact pads at a first surface of the first element, the first plurality of contact pads including a first contact pad and a second contact pad spaced apart from one another by at least 10 microns, the first plurality of contact pads prepared for direct bonding;
a conductive line electrically connecting the first and 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,
wherein the first plurality of contact pads further includes a third contact pad positioned between the first contact pad and the second contact pad, the third contact pad is electrically non-redundant of the first and second contact pads.
2. The first element of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is in a range of two to 1000 times a pitch of two adjacent contact pads of the first plurality of contact pads.
3. The first element of claim 1 , wherein the conductive line is a signal line.
4. The first element of claim 1 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart by a spacing in a range of 10 microns to 1000 microns.
5. The first element of claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of contact pads is prepared to directly bond to each of a second plurality of contact pads of the second element without an intervening adhesive, and the first dielectric field region on the first element is prepared to directly bond to a second dielectric field region of the second element without an adhesive.
6. The first element of claim 1 , further comprising a circuitry coupled to the first contact pad and the second contact pad along the conductive line, the circuitry configured to selectively enable electrical shorting the first contact pad to the second contact pad.
7. A bonded structure comprising:
a first element having a first plurality of contact pads at a first surface, the first plurality of contact pads including a first contact pad and a second contact pad spaced apart from one another by at least 10 microns, the first and second contact pads electrically shorted to one another; and
a second element stacked on the first element, the second element having a second plurality of contact pads at a second surface, at least one of the second plurality of contact pads bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of contact pads,
wherein the first plurality of contact pads further includes a third contact pad positioned between the first contact pad and the second contact pad, and wherein no electrical redundancy is provided for the third contact pad.
8. The bonded structure of claim 7 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by at least five times a first pitch of the first plurality of contact pads.
9. The bonded structure of claim 7 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart by a spacing in a range of 50 microns to 1500 microns.
10. The bonded structure of claim 7 , further comprising first and second dielectric field regions on the first and second elements, the first and second dielectric field regions directly bonded to one another without an adhesive, wherein the at least one of the first plurality of contact pads is directly bonded to the at least one of the second plurality of contact pads without an intervening adhesive.
11. The bonded structure of claim 7 , wherein the first contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fourth contact pad of the second element, wherein the second contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fifth contact pad of the second element, wherein a void is disposed between at least a portion of the first and fourth contact pads, and wherein the second and fifth contact pads physically and electrically contact one another.
12. The bonded structure of claim 7 , wherein the first contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fourth contact pad of the second element, wherein the second contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fifth contact pad of the second element, wherein at least a portion of the first and fourth contact pads are located at a bonding fault along a bonding interface between the first and second elements, and wherein the second and fifth contact pads physically and electrically contact one another.
13. A bonded structure comprising:
a first element having a first plurality of contact pads at a first surface, the first plurality of contact pads including a first contact pad and a second contact pad spaced apart from one another, and an intervening contact pad disposed between the first and second contact pads, wherein the first and second contact pads are electrically connected to one another and the intervening contact pad is electrically non-redundant of the first and second contact pads; and
a second element stacked on the first element, the second element having a second plurality of contact pads on a second surface, at least one of the second plurality of contact pads bonded and electrically connected to at least one of the first plurality of contact pads.
14. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by at least five times a pitch of the first plurality of contact pads.
15. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is in a range of two to 1000 times a pitch of the first plurality of contact pads.
16. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing that is in a range of two to 500 times a pitch of the first plurality of contact pads.
17. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the at least one of the first plurality of contact pads is directly bonded to the at least one of the second plurality of contact pads without an intervening adhesive.
18. The bonded structure of claim 17 , further comprising first and second dielectric field regions on the first and second elements, the first and second dielectric field regions directly bonded to one another without an adhesive.
19. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a third contact pad of the second element, wherein the second contact pad of the first element is disposed opposite a fourth contact pad of the second element, wherein a void is disposed between at least a portion of the first and third contact pads, and wherein the second and fourth contact pads physically and electrically contact one another.
20. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first contact pad and the second contact pad are spaced apart from one another by at least twice a pitch of the first plurality of contact pads.
21. The bonded structure of claim 7 , wherein the first element comprises a first zone having a third plurality of contact pads including the first contact pad and a second zone having a fourth plurality of contact pads including the second contact pad, the third plurality of contact pads are electrically shorted to corresponding pads of the fourth plurality of contact pads in the second zone.
22. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads electrically connected to one another through a conductive trace.
23. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are signal pads.
24. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by at least 10 microns.
25. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 1 micron to 10 microns.
26. The bonded structure of claim 13 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 2 microns to 100 microns.
27. The bonded structure of claim 26 , wherein the first and second contact pads are spaced apart from one another by a spacing in a range of 50 microns to 100 microns.
28. The bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein the conductive trace is formed in a back-end-of line (BEOL) layer.
29. The bonded structure of claim 22 , wherein the conductive trace lacks switches and other circuitry between the first and second contact pads.
30. The bonded structure of claim 13 , further comprising a plurality of pads disposed between the first and second contact pads, the plurality of pads comprising the intervening contact pad.
31. The first element of claim 1 , wherein no electrical redundancy is provided for the third contact pad.
32. The first element of claim 31 , wherein the first and second contact pads are signal pads.
33. The first element of claim 32 , wherein the third contact pad is a power or ground pad.