The present disclosure generally concerns electronic devices and, more particularly, supports for electronic dies.
Supports enabling to mechanical hold and to cool an electronic die, for example, a die adapted to operating in a cryogenic environment, are known. Such supports are often expensive, bulky, and provided with a restricted number of contacting elements of the die.
There is a need to improve existing electronic die supports.
An embodiment overcomes all or part of the disadvantages of known electronic die supports.
An embodiment provides a support for an electronic die, comprising:
According to an embodiment, the via is filled with a thermally conductive material.
According to an embodiment, the via is hollow and has lateral walls coated with a thermally-conductive material.
According to an embodiment, the die is a die adapted to operating at cryogenic temperatures, preferably a die comprising superconductive circuits.
According to an embodiment, one or a plurality of third conductive regions, preferably four third conductive regions, are interposed between the first region and the second region, the via connecting the third regions to one another.
According to an embodiment:
According to an embodiment, stacked metallization levels are separated by an insulating layer.
According to an embodiment, the first region has a surface area of approximately 50 mm2.
According to an embodiment, the first board comprises approximately one hundred first elements for contacting the die.
According to an embodiment, the first contacting elements are located on a same side of the first board, with respect to the first region.
According to an embodiment, the first board, of substantially rectangular shape, has a length of approximately 12 cm and a width of approximately 3 cm.
According to an embodiment, the support further comprises at least one second printed circuit board, stacked to the first board.
According to an embodiment, each second board comprises second contacting elements intended to be connected to third contacting elements of the die by conductive wires.
An embodiment provides a system comprising:
The foregoing features and advantages, as well as others, will be described in detail in the following description of specific embodiments given by way of illustration and not limitation with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Like features have been designated by like references in the various figures. In particular, the structural and/or functional features that are common among the various embodiments may have the same references and may dispose identical structural, dimensional and material properties.
For the sake of clarity, only the steps and elements that are useful for an understanding of the embodiments described herein have been illustrated and described in detail. In particular, the installation and the connection of the dies on these supports are not detailed, the invention being compatible with usual techniques of installation and connection of dies on supports.
Unless specified otherwise, when reference is made to two elements connected together, this signifies a direct connection without any intermediate elements other than conductors, and when reference is made to two elements coupled together, this signifies that these two elements can be connected or they can be coupled via one or more other elements.
In the following description, when reference is made to terms qualifying absolute positions, such as terms “front,” “back,” “top,” “bottom,” “left,” “right,” etc., or relative positions, such as terms “above,” “under,” “upper,” “lower,” etc., or to terms qualifying directions, such as terms “horizontal,” “vertical,” etc., unless otherwise specified, it is referred to the orientation of the drawings.
Unless specified otherwise, the expressions “around,” “approximately,” “substantially” and “in the order of” signify within 10%, and preferably within 5%.
Cryogenic system 1 comprises a cryostat 100, for example a dilution cryostat using two isotopes of helium. Cryostat 100 is, in
At a first end of measuring stick 104 (the lower end of stick 104, in
Support 108 is intended to ensure a plurality of functions. In particular, support 108 enables to:
Support 108 comprises contacting elements 112. The elements 112 for contacting die 110 are, in the example of
Signals can thus be exchanged between the inside and the outside of cryostat 100. More precisely, as illustrated in
The cooling of die 110 is performed by means of a cold source. In the example of
As a variant, die 110 is directly cooled. This for example corresponds to a configuration where support 108 is at least partially plunged into cryogenic fluid 102, enclosure 122 then being omitted.
In system 1, the number of elements 112 for contacting die 110 is generally conditioned by dimensions and by a geometry of support 108. The dimensions and the geometry of support 108 are themselves constrained by the dimensions and by a geometry of the upper opening of cryostat 100, closed by flange 106, to enable to freely introduce and remove measuring stick 104.
In a case where the upper opening of cryostat 100 (having substantially circular cross-section, in this example), has a small inner diameter, for example, smaller than 5 cm, the number of elements 112 for contacting die 110 is strongly limited. This is often an issue, in particular when die 110 is a microprocessor exchanging many signals with electronic device 118.
It could have been devised to enlarge the upper opening of cryostat 100 to enable to increase the number of contacting elements 112 of die 110. However, in cryogenic system 1, it is generally aimed at reaching and maintaining close to die 110 a very low temperature, for example in the order of −269° C. (that is, approximately 4.2 K) or in the order of −273.15° C. and −271° C. in a case where the outer pressure of the dewar is decreased by pumping of the cryogenic fluid in the gaseous state, the pumping being performed for example through a hole (not shown) crossing flange 106. It is in particular desired to avoid or to limit any heat exchange capable of occurring, for example, at the level of flange 106, between the inside the outside of cryostat 100, since such exchanges are likely to adversely affect the operation of die 110. It is thus in particularly ascertained that the upper opening of cryostat 100 has as small an exchange surface area, and thus an inner diameter, as possible.
Conversely to the cryogenic system 1 of
In the shown example, cryogenic system 1′ comprises a cryostat 150 having the die 110 to be cooled placed therein. Cryostat 150 for example comprises a reservoir 152. Reservoir 152 is for example intended to contain a first cryogenic fluid.
In the shown example, cryostat 150 further comprises another reservoir 154. Reservoir 154 is for example intended to contain a second cryogenic fluid, for example, different from the first cryogenic fluid.
As an example, the first cryogenic fluid is liquid nitrogen and the second cryogenic fluid is liquid helium.
As an example, a decreased saturating vapor pressure of reservoir 154 is obtained by pumping of the second cryogenic fluid in the gaseous state, for example to take advantage of the excellent thermal conductivity properties of superfluid helium below the lambda point. This further enables to decrease the temperature of die 110 with respect to the temperature that would be obtained with no pumping. Similar provisions may be implemented for reservoir 152.
In the orientation of
In the shown example, reservoir 154, plate 156, and die 110 are located in a vacuum enclosure 158. Enclosure 158 is for example intended to create a partial vacuum around die 110.
Although this has not been shown in
In cryogenic system 2, die 110 is assembled on a first surface 108i of support 108 (the lower surface of support 108, in side view and in cross-section view in
Thermal connector 200 is made of at least one thermally-conductive material, that is, a material having a thermal conductivity at room temperature greater than 60 W·m−1·K−1. As an example, thermal connector 200 is made of a metal or of a metal alloy, for example, an alloy of tin and copper. A cold source 202 (SOURCE), enabling to cool die 110, is coupled or connected to thermal connector 200.
In the example of
In system 2, thermal connector 200 is not in direct contact with die 110. Die 110 is indeed separated from thermal connector 200 by the thickness, noted E, of substrate 108 in side view in
It could have been devised to implant thermal connector 200 directly on die 110. This would however have caused significant issues in terms of connection of support 108 to the contacting elements 112 of die 110. It could then also have been devised to decrease the thickness E of support 108. This would however have tended to too significantly fragilizing support 108. This would further adversely affect the signal transmission quality.
According to this embodiment, support 108 comprises a printed circuit board 300. The orientation of
On the side of surface 108i, board 300 comprises a first conductive region 310 intended to receive die 110 (DIE). Die 110 is, as illustrated in
On the side of surface 108s, board 300 comprises a second conductive region 320 intended to receive thermal connector 200 (CONNECTOR). Thermal connector 200 is, as illustrated in
According to this embodiment, first region 310 is connected to second region 320 by conductive vias 330 crossing board 300, and thus support 108, across its entire thickness E. Conductive vias 330 are located vertically in line with first region 310 and with second region 320, to form thermal conduction paths having a length substantially equal to the thickness E of board 300.
Conductive vias 330 are for example integrally filled with at least one thermally-conductive material, preferably a thermally- and electrically-conductive material, for example, copper. As a variant, only the inner walls of conductive vias 330 are coated with the thermally-conductive material, for example, in a case where support 108 is immersed in the cryogenic fluid. Thermal connector 200 then for example has through ports, aligned with respect to hollow conductive vias 330, to allow a circulation of the cryogenic fluid inside of vias 330. Heat exchanges are thus further improved by enabling the cryogenic fluid to implement a thermal convection.
Still according to this embodiment, printed circuit board 300 comprises at least one third conductive region 340, preferably four third regions 340, interposed between first region 310 and second region 320. Third region(s) 340 are respectively formed in third intermediate metallization levels 342, located between the surface 108i and the surface 108s of board 300. Third regions 340 are connected to one another by conductive vias 330. Thus, as illustrated in
The first, second, and third metallization levels 312, 322, and 342 are separated from one another by electrically-insulating layers 350. In other words, two stacked metallization levels, and thus two stacked regions, are separated by an insulating layer 350.
One of the advantages of the embodiment discussed in relation with
According to a preferred embodiment, the first region 310 of first metallization level 312 located on the surface 108i of support 108 has, in top view in
The distribution of conductive vias 330 may be designed to optimize the cooling of die 110. In particular, conductive vias 330 may advantageously be located under areas of die 110 which are desired to be preferentially cooled. The number and the geometry of conductive vias 330 may further be adjusted according to a thermal performance to be achieved.
According to this embodiment, support 108 has, in top view in
Support 108 comprises the contacting elements 112 of a die 110 (not shown in
As an example, through conductive vias 506 are entirely filled with a metal, for example, copper. As a variant, through conductive vias 506 are hollow and their lateral walls are coated with a metal, for example, copper.
According to a preferred embodiment, contacting elements 112 are all arranged on a same side of board 300 with respect to first region 310 (on the left-hand side with respect to first region 310, in
Contacting elements 112 form together a connector 508 enabling to convey up to 96 independent paths, or 48 differential paths.
Holes 510 may be provided in board 300 to ensure a mechanical hold or a grounding of support 108.
The arrangement of the contacting elements of board 300 enables to minimize the width of support 108. A more compact support 108 is thus obtained, which facilitates its use in a cryogenic environment, in particular its passage through the port of a cryostat.
Although
The support 108′ of
The support 108′ of
According to the shown embodiment, board 300 comprises intermediate levels 342 separated by insulating layers 350. However, the via 330 of support 108′ contacts no third region formed in an intermediate metallization level. Via 330 and regions 310 and 320 may be made of a same material, preferably copper.
According to another embodiment, a so-called “double-sided” printed circuit board, in other words, a board having no third metallization levels, interposed first metallization level 312 and second metallization 322, is used. First level 312 and second level 322 are in this case separated by a single insulating layer 350.
According to a preferred embodiment, the conductive via 330 of support 108′ has, in top view in
The position, the dimensions, and/or the geometry of the conductive via 330 of support 108′ are designed to optimize the cooling of die 110. In particular, the cross-section of the conductive via 330 of support 108′ may be adjusted according to thermal and/or mechanical performance to be obtained. In the case of hollow conductive vias 330, the dimensions of these vias may further be adjusted to obtain a cryogenic fluid flow rate generating a heat transfer adapted to the cooling of die 110.
In the shown example, support 800 comprises three stacked printed circuit boards 802 (PCB1), 804 (PCB2), and 806 (PCB3). Board 804 partially covers the upper surface of board 802. Board 806 partially covers the upper surface of board 804. More precisely, board 804 has a central rectangular-shaped cutting exposing a portion of the upper surface of board 802. In the shown example, board 806 also has a central rectangular-shaped cutting of dimensions greater than the opening of board 804, exposing a portion of the upper surface of board 804.
In the shown example, die 110 is on top of and in contact with the upper surface of board 802, inside of the cutting of board 804. The cuttings of boards 804 and 806 are for example substantially centered with respect to die 110.
In the shown example, the exposed portions of the upper surfaces of boards 802, 804, and 806 comprise contacting elements 808, for example, connection pads. The upper surface of die 110 for example comprises contacting elements 810, for example, connection pads. The contacting elements 810 of die 110 are for example connected to the contacting elements 808 of boards 802, 804, and 806 by conductive wires 812.
In the shown example, the board 802 intended to receive die 110 comprises conductive vias 814. Vias 814 are for example similar to the vias 330 previously described in relation with
As illustrated in
An advantage of support 800 lies in the fact that the stack of printed circuit boards 802, 804, 806 enables to provide a number of contacts 808 larger than in the case of a support comprising a single printed circuit board. As compared with the support 108 previously described in relation with
Although an example where support 800 comprises a stack of three boards 802, 804, and 806 has been shown, it will be within the abilities of those skilled in the art to adapt the number of boards of the stack of support 800, for example, according to the number of contacts 810 of die 110.
Various embodiments and variants have been described. Those skilled in the art will understand that certain features of these various embodiments and variants may be combined, and other variants will occur to those skilled in the art. In particular, the forming of a support enabling to receive a plurality of dies and/or a plurality of thermal connectors on a same printed circuit board is within the abilities of those skilled in the art based on the above indications.
Further, it will be within the abilities of those skilled in the art to combine the embodiments of support 108, 108′ described in relation with
Finally, the practical implementation of the described embodiments and variations is within the abilities of those skilled in the art based on the functional indications given hereabove. In particular, the sizing and the distribution of conductive vias 330 vertically in line with the die 110 to be cooled is within the abilities of those skilled in the art based on the above indications.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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20/10777 | Oct 2020 | FR | national |
This application claims the benefit of PCT/EP2021/078761, filed Oct. 18, 2021, which claims the benefit of French Patent Application No. 20/10777, filed Oct. 21, 2020, and incorporates the disclosure of each application by reference.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/EP2021/078761 | 10/18/2021 | WO |