The market for mobile devices, personal computers, laptop computers, so-called “all-in-one” computers, data storage devices, and other electronic devices has driven a demand for smaller, higher capacity, and more reliable semiconductor devices such as memory devices, processors, and controllers. Multi-chip packages have been developed in an attempt to meet the market demands by combining multiple semiconductor devices into a single semiconductor device package.
Some semiconductor device packages include multiple types of semiconductor devices, such as non-volatile memory (e.g., NAND Flash memory) devices and a controller element. Such semiconductor device packages may include a controller element underlying a stack of non-volatile memory devices, a controller element over a stack of non-volatile memory devices, or a controller element laterally adjacent to a stack of non-volatile memory devices. Each of these arrangements offers benefits as well as challenges in terms of manufacturability, cost, performance, reliability, and area savings.
For example, in existing semiconductor device packages that include a controller element underlying a stack of non-volatile memory devices, the controller element may be embedded within an interposer substrate, within a cavity opening in the interposer substrate, or between the stack and the interposer substrate. In packages with the controller element embedded within the interposer substrate, the substrate vendor is relied on to embed the controller, adding to the cost of the substrate. In packages with the controller element within a cavity opening in the interposer substrate, it may be difficult to achieve a desired cavity depth within the substrate, and there may be challenges associated with a dielectric film for attaching the stack of non-volatile memory devices covering the cavity opening. In packages with the controller element between the stack and the interposer substrate, a dielectric film for adhering the stack over the controller element may squeeze out during assembly and curing, since the film is provided with additional thickness to accommodate the controller element and to cover wire bonds to the controller element.
By way of another example, in existing semiconductor device packages that include a controller element over the stack of non-volatile memory devices, long wire bonds used to provide electrical access to the controller element may deform during encapsulation, increasing the risk of forming electrical shorts to adjacent wire bonds or to the non-volatile memory devices. In addition, the wire bonds to the controller element may be close to a top of the encapsulant, increasing a risk of exposing the wire bond, such as upon laser marking the package.
By way of another example, in existing semiconductor device packages that include a controller element adjacent to the stack of non-volatile memory devices, the area that the package covers is increased, which is not suitable for some applications.
Accordingly, improved semiconductor device packages that provide benefits while reducing associated challenges are disclosed herein.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds