age regulator 440 with embedded passive components as described above may, according to one embodiment, provide currents of several amps to the die 430.
In an alternative configuration, some of the embedded passive components may be replaced with vias in the packaging substrates. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary voltage regulator on a die with an embedded parasitic inductance according to a second embodiment.
The packaging substrate 420 includes vias 526 having a parasitic inductance used by the active portion of the voltage regulator 440 as inductors for supplying voltage to the die 430. The vias 526 may be through vias, which extend the entire height of the packaging substrate 420. The through vias 526 may be coupled through the packaging connection 422 to through vias 516 in the PCB 410 if a larger inductance is desired than obtained with the through vias 526 alone. The use of parasitic inductance in through vias within the packaging substrate as a passive component simplifies semiconductor manufacturing by reducing a number of processes to embed inductors in the packaging substrate.
According to a third embodiment, an active portion of a voltage regulator may be separated from the die and mounted on the packaging substrate. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary voltage regulator on a packaging substrate according to a third embodiment. An IC product 600 includes a packaging substrate 620 coupled to a PCB 610 through a packaging connection 622 such as bumps or pillars. A die 630 is coupled to the packaging substrate 620 through an interconnect structure 632 such as bumps or pillars. Additionally, an active portion of a voltage regulator 640 is coupled to the packaging substrate 620 through an interconnect structure 642 such as bumps or pillars. Inside the packaging substrate 620 is an embedded inductor 650 and an embedded capacitor 660.
The embedded capacitor 660 is coupled to the die 630 through an electrical path 628 and to the embedded inductor 650 through an electrical path 627. The embedded inductor 650 is coupled to the active portion of the voltage regulator 640 by an electrical path 626. Voltage is provided to the active portion of the voltage regulator 640 by an electrical path 624 from the PCB 610 through the packaging connection 622, the electrical path 624, and the interconnect structure 642.
The voltage regulator of FIG. 6 is an off-die voltage regulator coupled to the same packaging substrate as the die to which the voltage regulator supplies voltage. Locating the active portion of the voltage regulator on the packaging substrate but separate from the die allows different processes to be used for manufacturing the active portion of the voltage regulator and the die. For example, the die may be fabricated with 32 nm or 45 nm processes while the active portion of the voltage regulator may be fabricated with 0.18 m processes. Additionally, the active portion of the voltage regulator may be manufactured at a different fabrication site than the die.
Turning now to a fourth embodiment, some of the embedded passive components may be replaced with vias in the packaging substrates. FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an exemplary voltage regulator on a packaging substrate with a parasitic inductance according to a fourth embodiment. An IC product 700 includes vias 726 in the packaging substrate 620 having a parasitic inductance that act as a filter for voltage provided from the active portion of the voltage regulator 640. Additional vias 716 in the PCB 610 may couple to the vias 726 through the packaging connection 622, if additional inductance is desired. The vias 716 are coupled through a conducting layer 730 on the PCB 610. The vias 716 or the vias 726 may be through vias, which extend the entire height of the PCB 610 or the packaging substrate 620, respectively.
Voltage is provided to the active portion of the voltage regulator 640, for example, through the electrical path 624. Regulated voltage is then output to the vias 726 and the vias 716. An elect