Analysis and measurement of thermal resistance in a 3-dimensional silicon multichip module populated with assembly test chips

A three-dimensional multichip module (MCM) using a silicon-on-silicon architecture has been constructed to evaluate the thermal performance of various design schemes. The module has three planes of die, each populated of four assembly test chips (ATCs). Each chip has an array of 48 temperature sensing diodes, which are used to map the temperature distribution across the chip surface. The design and construction of the module are discussed and the calibration of the diodes are reviewed. Experimental results are presented for the top surface temperature distribution with the bottom substrate connected to a heat sink. These results are compared to those from a full finite element calculation as well as to results using more approximate thermal analysis tools.<>