A Thermal Isolation Technique Using Through-Silicon Vias for Three-Dimensional ICs

• Published in: IEEE transactions on electron devices Vol. 60; no. 3; pp. 1282 - 1287
• Main Authors: Sanming Hu, Hoe, Yen Yi Germaine, Hongyu Li, Dan Zhao, Jinglin Shi, Yong Han, Keng Hwa Teo, Yong Zhong Xiong, Jin He, Xiaowu Zhang, Minkyu Je, Madihian, M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.03.2013; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; Couplings; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; Electronic circuits; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Guard ring; Heating; Integrated circuit modeling; Integrated circuits; Metals; Oscillators; Oscillators, resonators, synthetizers; ring oscillator (RO); Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; thermal isolation; three-dimensional integrated circuit (3-D IC); through-silicon via (TSV); Through-silicon vias; three-dimensional integrated circuit (3-D IC); Oscillation frequency; High temperature; through-silicon via (TSV); Implementation; Ring oscillator; Guard ring; Frequency shift; Three dimensional model; thermal isolation; Three dimensional structure; Interconnection; Complementary MOS technology; Integrated circuit; ring oscillator (RO); Silicon; Electrical characteristic; Via hole
• ISSN: 0018-9383; 1557-9646
• DOI: 10.1109/TED.2013.2243452

This brief proposes a guard ring using through-silicon vias (TSVs) to isolate thermal coupling in a 3-D integrated circuit (3-D IC). To verify this idea, simulation and measurement are carried out. A ring oscillator (RO) is implemented in a 65-nm CMOS and then measured in four different conditions. The results show that, without affecting the inherent electrical performance of the RO, the designed TSV ring shields the RO from high-temperature environments. The oscillation frequency shifting is mitigated from 5.96 MHz without TSV to 2.11 MHz with the proposed TSV ring. This TSV-based structure provides a good option to alleviate thermal coupling in a highly integrated 3-D IC.