Electromagnetic coupling in multilayer thin-film organic packages with chip-last embedded actives

During the last decade, the trend in consumer electronics has been to develop products with better performance, smaller size, lower cost and enhanced functionality. This emerging trend in consumer electronics, referred to as convergent systems, need technologies that can integrate digital, RF, analog and sensor functions with minimal interference. Enhanced multi-functionality in a given form factor requires innovative integration technologies, such as System-on-Chip (SOC), System-in-Package (SIP) and System-on-Package (SOP). Multi-function integration within a single chip is targeted by the SOC approach, while integration at the package level is sought by the SIP and SOP approaches. SIP involves stacking ICs and wire bonding to interconnect each other and SOP aims for total system miniaturization that includes actives, passives, thermal interfaces, power sources as well as packages .SIP and SOP are significantly better than SOC in terms of cost, system complexity and product development time, just to name a few. In order to further system miniaturization, SOP approach has been embedding passive components within the package substrates for some time now. However, sustaining the miniaturization trend requires embedding active chips as well, which is now being actively explored by both academia and industry. Embedding components within the package causes strong unwanted interferences between the digital and analog-radio frequency (RF) sections of the package, which is a major challenge yet to be addressed. Figure 1 shows one such configuration of a multilayer package containing embedded active (digital, analog/RF chips) and passive components. Solving these challenges require a thorough understanding of the underlying issues with the packaging technology as well as their impact on the system performance in terms of signal distribution and power delivery.;The objective of this dissertation is to address power integrity problems in packages with active chips embedded within the substrate layers, and to develop solutions for electromagnetic interference and noise coupling. Power integrity is an important system performance driver and it is therefore essential to acquire an in-depth understanding of the issues that impact the power integrity of packages with embedded actives. The predominant challenge encountered with respect to power integrity in mixed signal systems, and especially in the case of multilayer packages with embedded chips, is the electromagnetic coupling through the power distribution network. This dissertation demonstrates various mechanisms of interaction and interference between the embedded chip and the package. Also, the influence of the cavity, formed to embed the chip, on the electromagnetic coupling through the package is studied. Based on the analysis of the package under various configurations, methods are proposed to effectively suppress the propagation of noise both horizontally and vertically through the package. The electromagnetic coupling through the package and the suppression methodology are demonstrated through simulations and measurements for packages with different layer stack-up. The effects of electromagnetic coupling on the chip embedded within the package are investigated and compared with conventional packaging where chips are surface mounted. In particular, the influence of the package electromagnetic fields on the bulk substrate and the bond-pads of the chip are demonstrated. Finally, the challenges with power integrity in packages with embedded chips are summarized, and guidelines for overcoming them are provided.;This dissertation establishes the important factors that impact the noise coupling at the package level when chips are embedded, develops suitable suppression methodologies to tackle the noise coupling, and demonstrates the factors due to which the chip experiences strong electromagnetic interference when embedded within the substrate cavity. In other words, the dissertation puts forth issues that are foremost in influencing the power integrity of packages with embedded actives, which is crucial to designing efficient power delivery networks.;These are the major contributions of this dissertation: 1. Identification, analysis and demonstration of electromagnetic coupling in multilayer packages with embedded actives. 2. A suppression methodology for electromagnetic coupling in packages with embedded actives, which is effective even in the GHz range of operating frequencies. 3. A novel synthesis method for the coupling suppression technique in (2) that provides noise isolation within the desired frequency bands for multilayer packages. 4. Analysis and demonstration of the impact of electromagnetic coupling on the bond pads and substrate of the chip embedded within the cavity formed in the package. 5. Design guidelines for efficient power distribution in multilayer packages with embedded chips.