Smoltek strengthens Interposer IP enabling AI chip capacitors

Smoltek strengthens Interposer IP enabling AI chip capacitors

Smoltek has been granted an additional patent within its Interposer patent family, further protecting the company’s CNF-MIM capacitor technology for advanced semiconductor packaging. With this European patent approval, the company has secured Interposer IP in all major global markets.

The patented technology enables ultra-thin, high-performance capacitors to be integrated closer to processors and power rails in AI, HPC and next-generation semiconductor applications. This improves power delivery, energy efficiency and chip performance in increasingly demanding computing environments.

As AI, HPC and chiplet-based systems increasingly require compact, low-inductance decoupling solutions placed closer to the point of load, the ability to integrate ultra-thin, high-capacitance-density CNF-MIM capacitors directly into or onto interposers becomes highly relevant. The patent gives Smoltek additional protection around this integration concept and supports our long-term business opportunity by reinforcing our technology differentiation, increasing the value of our IP portfolio, and improving our position in discussions with potential industrial partners, customers and licensees.

Farzan Ghavanini, CTO at Smoltek, said:

The new grant also confirms that Smoltek’s CNF-MIM platform is not limited to standalone capacitor components but can become an enabling technology for next-generation heterogeneous integration and advanced packaging architectures.

Interposers are frequently used in today’s advanced packaging architectures for integrated circuits, for example commonly used for microprocessors and heterogeneous integrations. The present patent protected concepts are built on the need to improve circuit performance by enabling smarter interposers that integrates one or several compact energy storage devices. 

The Interposer patent footprint now covers all important markets, including USA, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Smoltek’s patent portfolio now globally comprises 98 granted patents.

Key features and benefits of interposers

• Advanced packaging (2.5D/3D): Interposers are essential for connecting multiple chiplets in a single package, eliminating the need for wire bonds.
• Bridge: They act as a bridge connecting the chip and the circuit board, often by redistributing fine connections from the chip to a coarser pitch on the circuit board.
• Through Silicon Vias (TSV): Many interposers (especially silicon-based ones) use TSV to create copper vias vertically through the silicon wafer, providing extremely short and efficient connections.
• Improved performance: By reducing the distance between chips (e.g. between a GPU and HBM memory), bandwidth is improved and power consumption is reduced.
• Areas of application: AI accelerators, High-performance GPUs, HBM memory systems, Data-center processors, Networking ASICs, Advanced heterogeneous SoCs.

READ the latest news shaping the AI Chips market at AI Chips News

Smoltek strengthens Interposer IP enabling AI chip capacitors, source