Optimized I/O drivers: design, development, and verification for MCMs

The Multichip Module (MCM) package environment presents a different environment than that for which most Integrated Circuit (IC) drivers are designed The MCM-D environment was studied, modeled, and new IC drivers were designed for inter-die (IC to IC) interconnections MCM and IC traces (interconnects) were modeled m HSPICE® using lossy transmission lines From the modeling results, new IC drivers were designed for incorporation m a test system designed to study various driver-net-load combinations for different delays and signal integrity Four different test strategies were developed to measure the delay of MCM traces, and a test strategy was developed to test the need for electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection between inter-die (IC to IC) traces.

The drivers were fabricated via MOSIS on Hewlett-Packard's 0 5-μm CM0S-14B process, and they have been solder-bumped by MCNC for area-array I/O Four of these ICs were to be assembled on an MCM-D substrate being fabricated by Micro Module Systems via MIDAS This thesis describes the modeling procedure and results and the test design and layout considerations of both the IC and the MCM Testing of the IC drivers and tire MCM-D environment was never completed due to problems in the ICs that were fabricated The problems with the IC are described and possible solutions are discussed