Method for direct attachment of an on-chip bypass capacitor in an integrated circuit

Claim 2

An integrated circuit including a V DD pad and a first conductive trace coupled thereto, and a V SS pad and a second conductive trace coupled thereto, and further including at least one commercially available bypass capacitor, the integrated circuit including: a first columnar electrically conductive element having a first end in electrical contact with at least a portion of said first conductive trace and having a second end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said integrated circuit; a second columnar electrically conductive element having a first end in electrical contact with at least a portion of said second conductive trace and having a second end extending upward to at least said uppermost surface of said integrated circuit; said second columnar electrically conductive element being spaced-apart laterally from said first columnar conductive element by a distance ΔX corresponding to a lateral distance between first and second connecting pads on said capacitor; and said capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally said distance ΔX, and being mounted on said uppermost surface directly over said integrated circuit such that said first and second connecting pads on said capacitor directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective uppermost regions of the first and second columnar electrically conductive elements such that electrical contact to said capacitor is made without laterally extending said uppermost regions of said columnar electrically conductive elements.

Claim 3

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein said first conductive trace and said second conductive trace are formed on different metallization layers within said integrated circuit.

Claim 4

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second columnar electrically conductive elements is formed using a focussed ion beam depositing a metal selecting from the group consisting of (i) tungsten, and (ii) platinum.

Claim 5

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second columnar electrically conductive elements is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of (i) aluminum, (ii) silver, and (iii) doped polysilicon.

Claim 6

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein said bypass capacitor has at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of (i) a capacitance ranging from about 1 nF to 100 nF, and (ii) a transverse dimension ranging from about 1.3 mm to about 2.6 mm.

Claim 7

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first columnar electrically conductive element and said second columnar electrically conductive element is formed during fabrication of said integrated circuit.

Claim 8

The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first columnar electrically conductive element and said second columnar electrically conductive element is formed after fabrication of said integrated circuit.

Claim 9

The integrated circuit if claim 1, wherein formation of at least one of said first columnar electrically conductive element and said second columnar electrically conductive element includes forming a column-shaped opening having an inner surface, and then performing at least one process selected from the group consisting of (i) depositing metal along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening, (ii) depositing platinum within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iii) depositing tungsten within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iv) depositing a conductive layer along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening using sputtering, (v) filling said column-shaped opening with a metal, and (vi) filling said column-shaped opening with polysilicon that is doped.

Claim 10

The integrated circuit of claim 1, further including a conductive adhesive disposed between at least one of said connecting pads of said capacitor and an underlying uppermost surface of a said columnar electrically conductive element.

Claim 11

The IC of claim 1, wherein formation of at least one of said columnar electrically conductive elements includes forming a column-shaped opening having an inner surface, and then performing at least one process selected from the group consisting of (i) depositing metal along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening, (ii) depositing platinum within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iii) depositing tungsten within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iv) depositing a conductive layer along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening using sputtering, (v) filling said column-shaped opening with a metal, and (vi) filling said column-shaped opening with polysilicon that is doped.

Claim 12

The integrated circuit of claim 9, wherein said conductive adhesive includes a conductive epoxy material.

Claim 13

An integrated circuit (IC) including a V DD pad and a first conductive trace coupled thereto, and a V SS pad and a second conductive trace coupled thereto, and further including at least one commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX, said IC including: a pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spacedapart laterally from one another said distance ΔX, said elements respectively making electrical contact with said first trace and with second trace, each of said elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; and said bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface and directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads on said capacitor directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective ends of said elements such that electrical contact to said capacitor is made without laterally extending uppermost regions of said elements.

Claim 14

An integrated circuit (IC) including a V DD pad and a first conductive trace coupled thereto, and a V SS pad and a second conductive trace coupled thereto, and further including at least one commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX, said IC including: a pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spacedapart laterally from one another said distance ΔX, said elements respectively making electrical contact with said first trace and with second trace, each of said elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; and said bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface and directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads on said capacitor directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective ends of said elements such that electrical contact to said capacitor is made without laterally extending uppermost regions of said elements.

Claim 15

The IC of claim 12, wherein said first trace and said second trace are formed on different metallization layers within said IC.

Claim 16

The IC of claim 12, wherein at least one of said columnar electrically conductive elements is formed using a focussed ion beam depositing a metal selecting from the group consisting of (i) tungsten, and (ii) platinum.

Claim 17

The IC of claim 12, wherein at least one of said columnar electrically conductive elements is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of (i) aluminum, (ii) silver, and (iii) doped polysilicon.

Claim 18

An integrated circuit (IC) including a V DD pad and a first conductive trace coupled thereto, and a V SS pad and a second conductive trace coupled thereto, and further including a first commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX1, and a second commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX2, said IC including: a first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spaced-apart laterally from one another by said distance ΔX1, one of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said first trace and the other of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said second trace, each of said first pair of elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; a second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spaced-apart laterally from one another by said distance ΔX2, one of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said first trace and the other of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said second trace, each of said first pair of elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; said first bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective first ends of said first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements such that electrical contact to said first bypass capacitor is made without laterally extending said upper-most regions of said first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements; and said second bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads of said second bypass capacitor directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective first ends of said second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements such that said electrical contact to said second bypass capacitor is made without laterally extending said uppermost regions of said second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements.

Claim 19

An integrated circuit (IC) including a V DD pad and a first conductive trace coupled thereto, and a V SS pad and a second conductive trace coupled thereto, and further including a first commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX1, and a second commercially available bypass capacitor having first and second connecting pads spaced-apart laterally a distance ΔX2, said IC including: a first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spaced-apart laterally from one another by said distance ΔX1, one of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said first trace and the other of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said second trace, each of said first pair of elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; a second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements, spaced-apart laterally from one another by said distance ΔX2, one of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said first trace and the other of said first pair of elements making electrical contact with said second trace, each of said first pair of elements having an end extending upward to at least an uppermost surface of said IC; said first bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective first ends of said first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements such that electrical contact to said first bypass capacitor is made without laterally extending said upper-most regions of said first pair of columnar electrically conductive elements; and said second bypass capacitor, mounted on said uppermost surface directly over said IC such that said first and second connecting pads of said second bypass capacitor directly overlie and make electrical contact with respective first ends of said second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements such that said electrical contact to said second bypass capacitor is made without laterally extending said uppermost regions of said second pair of columnar electrically conductive elements.

Claim 20

The IC of claim 16, wherein said first trace and said second trace are formed on different metallization layers within said IC.

Claim 21

The IC of claim 16, wherein at least one of said pairs of columnar electrically conductive elements is formed using a focussed ion beam depositing a metal selecting from the group consisting of (i) tungsten, and (ii) platinum.

Claim 22

The IC of claim 16, wherein at least one of said pairs of columnar electrically conductive elements is formed from a material selected from the group consisting of (i) aluminum, (ii) silver, and (iii) doped polysilicon.

Claim 23

The IC of claim 16, wherein formation of at least one of said pairs of columnar electrically conductive elements includes forming a column-shaped opening having an inner surface, and then performing at least one process selected from the group consisting of (i) depositing metal along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening, (ii) depositing platinum within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iii) depositing tungsten within said column-shaped opening using a focussed ion beam, (iv) depositing a conductive layer along at least an inner surface of said column-shaped opening using sputtering, (v) filling said column-shaped opening with a metal, and (vi) filling said column-shaped opening with polysilicon that is doped.