An Anisotropic Equivalent Thermal Model for Shield Differential Through-Silicon Vias

Area of Science:

• Thermal modeling
• Semiconductor device physics
• 3D Integrated Circuits (3D ICs)

Background:

• Shield differential through-silicon vias (SDTSV) are crucial for 3D ICs.
• Accurate thermal analysis of SDTSV is essential for performance and reliability.
• Existing models may lack efficiency or accuracy for anisotropic SDTSV.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose an accurate equivalent thermal model for calculating the equivalent thermal conductivity (ETC) of SDTSV.
• To investigate the thermal distribution within SDTSV considering anisotropy.
• To enhance computational efficiency for thermal analysis in 3D IC design.

Main Methods:

• Deduction of mathematical expressions for ETC in horizontal and vertical directions.
• Consideration of SDTSV anisotropy in the model.
• Verification using the finite element method (FEM) and comparison with COMSOL simulations.

Main Results:

• The proposed model achieves high accuracy, with average temperature errors below 3.42% compared to FEM.
• Significant improvement in computational efficiency compared to COMSOL.
• Investigated the impact of SiO2 thickness and pitch on thermal distribution and conductivity.

Conclusions:

• The developed model accurately and efficiently describes the thermal distribution of SDTSV.
• The model shows great promise for optimizing the design of 3D ICs.
• Understanding parameter effects aids in thermal management strategies for SDTSV.