Patent Publication Number: US-2012025898-A1

Title: Circuit Device

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This Application claims priority of Taiwan Patent Application No. 99125307, filed on Jul. 30, 2010, the entirety of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to integrated circuit fabrication, and in particular relates to a circuit device with bonding-option structures. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     In the design of an integrated circuit (IC), a bonding option structure is usually provided for the IC so as to selectively alter an aspect of the hardware configuration in the IC. Thus, various aspects of hardware configuration in a circuit chip of an integrated circuit such as internal logic functions, specific functions, and clocking functions thereof can be selectively altered by manufacturers according to various application needs; thereby providing integrated circuit devices with similar hardware structures having multiple options. 
     One of the conventional bonding option structures is a power/ground bonding option structure. In  FIG. 1 , a conventional integrated circuit (IC) device  300  using a power/ground bonding option structure is illustrated. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a top view of the IC device  300  is illustrated. The IC device  300  comprises a package substrate  100  and a circuit device  200  disposed over a portion of the package substrate  100 . Herein, the circuit device  200  can be disposed over the package substrate  100  by packaging techniques such as a surface mounting technology (SMT). 
     In one embodiment, the circuit device  200  can be a semiconductor chip fabricated from a silicon wafer, and a plurality of bonding pads  202 ,  204 ,  206 ,  208 ,  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 ,  218 ,  220 ,  222 ,  224 ,  226 ,  228 , and  230  are separately disposed over various portions of a top surface of the circuit device  200  around an edge thereof. In one embodiment, the package substrate  100  can be formed of, for example, ceramic substrates or printed circuit boards (PCBs), and a plurality of bonding elements  102   1 ,  102   2 ,  104   1 ,  104   2 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  can be disposed on various portions over a top surface of the package substrate  100  around an edge thereof. 
     In  FIG. 1 , the bonding elements  102   1 ,  102   2 ,  104   1 ,  104   2 ,  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  are illustrated as conductive bonding pads, but are not limited thereto, and the bonding elements can be also provided as other configurations such as leads or pins. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 1 , the bonding elements  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  disposed over the packaging substrate  100  may be used for functional circuit elements such as input/output, control, or clocking elements, and the bonding elements  102   1  and  102   2  may be used as power source elements, and the bonding elements  104   1 ,  104   2  may be used as ground elements. The bonding pads  202  and  204  formed over the top surface of the circuit device  200  may function as a power source pad and a ground pad, respectively, and are electrically connected to the bonding element  102   1  as a power source element and the bonding element  104   1  as a ground element. The bonding pad  206  may function as an option pad and is coupled to the bonding structure  102   2  which also functions as a power source element by a wire  400  or is coupled to the bonding structure  104   2  which also functions as a ground element by a wire  400 ′ (illustrated in dotted lines); thereby allowing related circuit functions such as internal logic functions, specific functions, or clocking functions in the circuit device  200  of the IC device  300  to be assigned. The other bonding pads  208 ,  210 ,  212 ,  214 ,  216 ,  218 ,  220 ,  222 ,  224 ,  226 ,  228 , and  230  disposed over the top surface of the circuit device  200  may provided for other functional circuit pads such as input/output, control, and clocking pads and can be respectively coupled to one of the bonding elements  106 ,  108 ,  110 ,  112 ,  114 ,  116 ,  118 ,  120 ,  122 ,  124 ,  126 , and  128  disposed over the packaging substrate  100  by wire bond methods; thereby providing electrical connections between the circuit device  200  and the packaging substrate  100 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , although the two possible coupling configurations between the option pad  206  and the bonding element  102   1  functioning as a power source element or the bonding element  104   1  functioning as a ground element can be used for assigning related circuit functions such as internal logic functions, specific functions, and clocking functions of the circuit device  200  such that the IC device  300  is provided with two different functions. The bonding elements  102   2  and  104   2 , however, are additional power source and ground bonding elements formed over the packaging substrate  100 ; thereby requiring increased surface area of the packaging substrate  100  since the bonding elements are additionally formed over the packaging substrate  100 . In addition, formations of the bonding elements  102   2  and  104   2  may occupy areas where other functional circuit elements may be formed; thereby decreasing amounts of bonding elements for electrically connecting the functional circuit bonding pads formed over the circuit device  200 . 
     The above power/ground bonding elements used in the IC device  300  are unfavorable for size reduction of the package substrate  100  therein and positions of the bonding elements formed thereon may be thus occupied. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Therefore, an improved power/ground bonding option structure is needed for mitigating the above problems found in the conventional power/ground bonding option structures. 
     Circuit devices with improved circuit/ground bonding option pads capable of mitigating the above mentioned problems are provided. 
     An exemplary circuit device comprises an option pad, a first power source pad, and a first ground pad, wherein the option pad, the first power source pad, and the first ground pad are formed over various portions of a top surface of the circuit device, and a function of the circuit device is determined by coupling the option pad with one of the first power source pad and the first ground pad through a wire bond. 
     A detailed description is given in the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing a conventional integrated circuit device having a bonding option structure; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram showing an integrated circuit device having a bonding option structure according to an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 3  is a schematic diagram showing an integrated circuit device having a bonding option structure according to another embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The following description is of the best-contemplated mode of carrying out the invention. This description is made for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention and should not be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the invention is best determined by reference to the appended claims. 
       FIGS. 2-3  are schematic diagrams showing exemplary embodiments of the invention. In the figures, the same references represent the same elements. 
     In  FIG. 2 , an integrated circuit (IC) device  500  using a power/ground bonding option structure according to an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , a top view of the IC device  500  is illustrated. The IC device  500  comprises a package substrate  600  and a circuit device  700  disposed over a portion of the package substrate  600 . Herein, the circuit device  700  can be disposed over the package substrate  600  by packaging techniques such as a surface mounting technology (SMT) packaging technique. 
     In one embodiment, the circuit device  700  can be a semiconductor chip fabricated from a silicon wafer, and a plurality of bonding pads  702   1 ,  702   2 ,  706   1 ,  706   2 ,  710 ,  712 ,  714 ,  716 ,  718 ,  720 ,  722 ,  724 ,  726 ,  728 ,  730 ,  732 , and  734  are separately disposed over various portions of a top surface of the circuit device  700  around an edge thereof. In one embodiment, the package substrate  600  can be formed of, for example, ceramic substrates or printed circuit boards (PCBs), and a plurality of bonding elements  602 ,  604 ,  606 ,  608 ,  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630 , and  632  can be disposed on various portions over a top surface of the package substrate  600  around an edge thereof. 
     In  FIG. 2 , the bonding elements  602 ,  604 ,  606 ,  608 ,  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630 , and  632  are illustrated as conductive bonding pads, but are not limited thereto, and the bonding elements can be also provided as other configurations such as leads or pins. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 2 , the bonding elements  602 ,  604 ,  606 ,  608 ,  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630 , and  632  disposed over the packaging substrate  600  may be used as functional circuit elements such as input/output, control, or clocking elements, and the bonding element  602  may be used as a power source element, and the bonding elements  604  may be used as a ground element. The bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  formed over various portions of the top surface of the circuit device  700  may function as power source pads, and the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  are electrically connected by a power source bus line  704  (illustrated as dotted lines) disposed in the circuit device  700 . The bonding pads  706   1  and  706   2  formed over various portions of the top surface of the circuit device  700  may function as ground pads, and the bonding pads  706   1  and  706   2  are electrically connected by a ground bus line  708  (illustrated as dotted lines) disposed in the circuit device  700 . One of the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  and one of the bonding pads  706   1  and  706   2  are coupled to the bonding element  602  as a power source element and the bonding element  604  as a ground element, respectively. The bonding pad  710  disposed over the circuit device  700  may function as an option pad and is coupled to one of the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  which function as a power source bonding pads by a wire  800  or one of the bonding pads  706   1  and  706   2  which function as a ground bonding pad by a wire  800 ′ (illustrated in dotted lines); thereby allowing related circuit functions such as internal logic functions, specific functions, or clocking functions in the circuit device  700  of the IC device  500  to be assigned. It is noted that the wire  800  coupled to the power source element or the ground element over the package substrate is not formed over the power source pad or the ground pad coupled to the bonding pad  710  which functions as the bonding option pad. The other bonding pads  712 ,  714 ,  716 ,  718 ,  720 ,  722 ,  724 ,  726 ,  728 ,  730 ,  732  and  734  disposed over the top surface of the circuit device  700  may provide for other functional circuit pads such as input/output, control, and clocking pads and can be respectively coupled to one of the bonding elements  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630  and  632  disposed over the packaging substrate  600  by wire bonds; thereby providing electrical connections between the circuit device  700  and the packaging substrate  600 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , though the electrically connected two power source pads (e.g. the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2 ) and the two ground pads (e.g. the bond pads  706   1  and  706   2 ), and through the two possible coupling configurations between the bonding option pad  710  and one of the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  functioning as a power source pad and one of the bonding pad  706   1  and  706   2  functioning as a ground pad, related circuit functions such as internal logic functions, specific functions, and clocking functions of the circuit device  700  can be assigned such that the IC device  500  is provided with two different functions. Thus, there is no need to additionally provide the bonding elements  102   2  and  104   2  functioning as power source and ground elements of the integrated circuit device  300  shown in  FIG. 1  over the package substrate  600 , saving usable areas over the package substrate  600  and increasing the bonding pads for functional circuit pads over the package substrate  600  for adequately utilizing surface areas over the package substrate  600 . In addition, through the connections of the bonding pad  710 , functioning as ? option pads as shown in  FIG. 2 , amounts of the bonding pads  712 ,  714 ,  716 ,  718 ,  720 ,  722 ,  724 ,  726 ,  728 ,  730 ,  732  and  734  can be decreased according size reduction demand of the circuit device  700 , and amounts of the bonding elements  610 ,  612 ,  614 ,  616 ,  618 ,  620 ,  622 ,  624 ,  626 ,  628 ,  630  and  632  over the package substrate  600  can be correspondingly decreased such that size of the IC device  500  is reduced. Thus, usage of the power/ground bonding option structure of the IC device  500  shown in  FIG. 2  is advantageous for size reduction of the circuit device  700  and the package substrate  600 . 
     In  FIG. 2 , the option pad  710  is illustrated as being adjacent to a side of the bonding pad  706   2  functioning as a ground pad but is not limited thereto. In another embodiment, the option pad  710  can be also disposed at different locations such as at a place between the bonding pads  720  and  722 , as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     In the exemplary embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the bonding pads  702   1  and  702   2  are not limited to being power source pads and may function as ground pads while the bonding element  602  over the package substrate  600  functions as a ground element. Similarly, in the exemplary embodiments shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the bonding pads  7026   1  and  706   2  are not limited to functioning as ground pads and may function as power source pads while the bonding element  604  over the package substrate  600  functions as a power source element. Functions of the above elements can be properly adjusted according to practical applications. 
     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of the preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. To the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements (as would be apparent to those skilled in the art). Therefore, the scope of the appended claims should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements.