The semiconductor industry is moving toward a new era of super-integration, where the relationship between 3D IC design and power integrity has become increasingly complex. While many have traditionally focused on adding features to a single die, integrating multiple functions into one chip presents significant challenges. One promising solution is 3D IC technology, which combines 3D modules and interposers—making it a key trend in the industry. A common application today is pairing high-bandwidth memory with the processor side by side, enabling high-speed communication through low-impedance, high-parallel connections between the DRAM stack and main memory.
Of course, every innovation brings new challenges. One major issue is managing power integrity across the package and board levels. Traditionally, we’ve treated power integrity as something managed per core, but with the rise of 3D integration, this approach no longer suffices. High impedance between packages and the increasing operating frequencies of chips can reduce the impact of inter-chip communication on on-chip power noise. However, modern systems now include a wide range of resonant frequencies—from MHz at the board level, to 100 MHz in the interposer/TSV layer, up to GHz at the chip level. These characteristics create a large potential for power integrity issues, especially in intermediate frequency ranges that must not be overlooked.
As a result, power integrity analysis can no longer assume each chip operates independently. It must consider the entire 3D IC package. Recently, a webinar highlighted this exact challenge, emphasizing two key components: first, building a precise power model for the full 3DIC system suitable for detailed transient and AC Spice analysis; second, ensuring the model captures a broad frequency response, from MHz at the board/package level to GHz at the chip level.
When creating an accurate power model, several layers need attention. Chip/die-level analysis is well-established and can be done using tools like RedHawk or Totem (for analog designs). RedHawk is also recommended for interposer extraction, as the interposer can be viewed as another semiconductor device supported by manufacturing files. For TSV extraction, SIwave or HFSS are ideal. These components can then be combined into a System-on-Chip Power Model (CPM) for detailed analysis in a Chip Model Analyzer (CMA).
In the next phase, the CPM must accurately represent the full system’s response. At the chip level, we can observe activity over tens of nanoseconds, but at larger time scales, discrete events like switching a chip from active to idle mode within the 3DIC package can cause significant power fluctuations. Similarly, activity on the board itself can impact power integrity.
Analyzing power noise at the nanosecond level in the microsecond range is impractical. Instead, CMA provides a method to generate a representative power noise spectrum based on high-frequency chip responses and low-frequency inputs. These inputs can come from various sources, such as interposer/TSV and package/board responses to discontinuities.
For longer time-scale events, methods like analyzing long-term envelopes are used. This can involve exporting configurations from PowerArTIst or manually specifying them to reflect on-board sensor behavior. Alternatively, random noise from the 3DIC or board PDN can be generated, sensitive to impedance changes.
With 3DIC devices spanning a wide frequency range—from chip to board—optimizing the system-level PDN has become more critical than ever. Broader, more comprehensive analysis is now essential to ensure reliable performance in next-generation designs.
Usb To Usb-C Cables,Fast Charging Usb C Data Cable,Customizable Type-C Data Cable,Premium Type-C Data Cable
Dongguan Pinji Electronic Technology Limited , https://www.iquaxusb4cable.com