IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,424,455
Granted Patent B2
US 12,424,455 · App. 18/509,801 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Seal ring designs supporting efficient die to die routing

Inventors: Sanjay Dabral (Cupertino, CA); Chi Nung Ni (Foster City, CA); Long Huang (San Jose, CA); SivaChandra Jangam (Milpitas, CA)
Assignee: Apple Inc.
H01L21/56H01L24/32H01L25/0655H01L2224/32059H01L2224/32137H01L2924/183
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,424,455
App. No.
18/509,801
Granted
Sep 23, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Chip sealing designs to accommodate die-to-die communication are described. In an embodiment, a chip structure includes a split metallic seal structure including a lower metallic seal and an upper metallic seal with overlapping metallization layers, and a through seal interconnect navigating through the split metallic seal structure.

Claims (51)

1. A structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) die area of a first die patterned into the semiconductor substrate;

a second FEOL die area of a second die patterned into the semiconductor substrate; and

a back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) build-up structure including:

a first metallic seal surrounding the first FEOL die area,

a second metallic seal surrounding the second FEOL die area,

one or more passivation layers spanning over the first FEOL die area, the second FEOL die area, the first metallic seal and the second metallic seal to provide a first sealed box structure over the first die area and a second sealed box structure over the second die area; and

an optical communication path spanning over the first sealed box structure and the second sealed box structure to connect the first die area to the second die area.

2. The structure of claim 1 , wherein the optical communication path comprises a waveguide.

3. The structure of claim 2 , wherein the optical communication path comprises a photonic wire bond.

4. The structure of claim 1 , further comprising an electromagnetic field communication transceiver in the BEOL build-up structure within the first sealed box structure.

5. The structure of claim 4 , further comprising an electromagnetic field communication receiver in the BEOL build-up structure within the second sealed box structure.

6. The structure of claim 4 , further comprising:

a second electromagnetic field communication receiver directly over the one or more passivation layers and the electromagnetic field communication transceiver within the first sealed box structure;

a second electromagnetic field communication transceiver directly over the one or more passivation layers and the electromagnetic field communication receiver within the second sealed box structure;

wherein the optical communication path is coupled between the second electromagnetic field communication receiver and the second electromagnetic field communication transceiver.

7. The structure of claim 4 , further comprising an optical via to facilitate vertical photonic communication through the one or more passivation layers.

8. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the optical communication path further comprises faceted mirrors.

9. The structure of claim 4 , further comprising one or more repeaters along the optical communication path.

10. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic field communication transceiver is an optical transceiver, and the electromagnetic field communication receiver is an optical receiver.

11. The structure of claim 4 , wherein the electromagnetic field communication transceiver comprises a first coil or first capacitor plate, and the electromagnetic field communication receiver comprises a second coil or second capacitor plate.

12. A structure comprising:

a first die;

a second die;

a chiplet including a first electromagnetic field communication transceiver in wireless communication with the first die and a first electromagnetic field communication receiver in wireless communication with the second die;

wherein the first electromagnetic field communication transceiver comprises a first coil or first capacitor plate, and the first electromagnetic field communication receiver comprises a second coil or second capacitor plate.

13. The structure of claim 12 , wherein:

the first die comprises a second electromagnetic field communication receiver in wireless communication with the first electromagnetic field communication transceiver of the chiplet;

the second die comprises a second electromagnetic field communication transceiver in optical communication with the first electromagnetic field communication receiver of the chiplet.

14. The structure of claim 13 , further comprising a semiconductor substrate, wherein the first die includes a first front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) die area patterned into the semiconductor substrate, and the second die includes a second FEOL die area patterned into the semiconductor substrate.

15. The structure of claim 14 , wherein the chiplet is fusion bonded to a package level passivation layer spanning over the first die and the second die.

16. The structure of claim 15 , further comprising a back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) build-up structure spanning over the first FEOL die area and the second FEOL die area, the BEOL build-up structure comprising a first metallic seal surrounding the first FEOL die area, and a second metallic seal surrounding the second FEOL die area, wherein the second electromagnetic field communication receiver is inside of the first metallic seal and the second electromagnetic field communication transceiver is inside of the second metallic seal.

17. The structure of claim 13 , wherein the first die is in a first chip and the second die is in a second chip.

18. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the chiplet is fusion bonded to a package level passivation layer spanning over the first chip and the second chip.

19. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the chiplet is laterally adjacent a plurality of solder bumps.

20. The structure of claim 17 , wherein the chiplet is embedded in a package level redistribution layer.

21. A structure comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;

a first front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) die area of a first die patterned into the semiconductor substrate;

a second FEOL die area of a second die patterned into the semiconductor substrate; and

a back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) build-up structure including:

a first metallic seal surrounding the first FEOL die area,

a second metallic seal surrounding the second FEOL die area,

one or more waveguides that meander through the first metallic seal and the second metallic seal.

22. The structure of claim 21 , further comprising an optical transceiver in the BEOL build-up structure within the first metallic seal.

23. The structure of claim 22 , further comprising an optical receiver in the BEOL build-up structure within the second metallic seal.

24. The structure of claim 22 , further comprising one or more repeaters along the waveguide between the first metallic seal and the second metallic seal.

25. The structure of claim 21 , further comprising:

a first optical transceiver and a first optical receiver located on laterally opposite sides of the first metallic seal; and

a second optical transceiver and a second optical receiver located on laterally opposite sides of the second metallic seal.

Continuity (3)
Continuation 17460806 · Aug 30, 2021
Provisional Application 63158632 · Mar 9, 2021
Related Publication 20240096648A1 · Mar 21, 2024
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