US20060038168A1 - Terahertz interconnect system and applications - Google Patents
Terahertz interconnect system and applications Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20060038168A1 US20060038168A1 US11/258,297 US25829705A US2006038168A1 US 20060038168 A1 US20060038168 A1 US 20060038168A1 US 25829705 A US25829705 A US 25829705A US 2006038168 A1 US2006038168 A1 US 2006038168A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- electrical
- signal
- receiving
- arrangement
- waveguide
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
- 230000005641 tunneling Effects 0.000 claims description 266
- 239000000758 substrate Substances 0.000 claims description 99
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 claims description 53
- 230000003287 optical effect Effects 0.000 description 169
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 43
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 42
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 42
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 description 37
- 230000005693 optoelectronics Effects 0.000 description 27
- 239000012212 insulator Substances 0.000 description 23
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 23
- 238000013461 design Methods 0.000 description 21
- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 description 18
- 238000009826 distribution Methods 0.000 description 18
- 230000006870 function Effects 0.000 description 18
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 description 18
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 description 18
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 description 16
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 15
- 230000005670 electromagnetic radiation Effects 0.000 description 15
- 238000011982 device technology Methods 0.000 description 13
- 238000000429 assembly Methods 0.000 description 12
- 230000000712 assembly Effects 0.000 description 12
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 12
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000012545 processing Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000012546 transfer Methods 0.000 description 12
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 11
- XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicon Chemical compound [Si] XUIMIQQOPSSXEZ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 10
- 229910052710 silicon Inorganic materials 0.000 description 10
- 239000010703 silicon Substances 0.000 description 10
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 9
- 239000004065 semiconductor Substances 0.000 description 9
- 238000003860 storage Methods 0.000 description 9
- 230000015572 biosynthetic process Effects 0.000 description 8
- 238000004519 manufacturing process Methods 0.000 description 8
- 238000004806 packaging method and process Methods 0.000 description 7
- 230000010354 integration Effects 0.000 description 6
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 6
- 230000008054 signal transmission Effects 0.000 description 6
- 230000001360 synchronised effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000005253 cladding Methods 0.000 description 5
- 230000005855 radiation Effects 0.000 description 5
- PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N Nickel Chemical compound [Ni] PXHVJJICTQNCMI-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 239000011810 insulating material Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 4
- VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silicium dioxide Chemical compound O=[Si]=O VYPSYNLAJGMNEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 230000008859 change Effects 0.000 description 3
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000003780 insertion Methods 0.000 description 3
- 230000037431 insertion Effects 0.000 description 3
- 230000002441 reversible effect Effects 0.000 description 3
- 239000010409 thin film Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910001218 Gallium arsenide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000011449 brick Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000001413 cellular effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000006243 chemical reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000000151 deposition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000008021 deposition Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000011161 development Methods 0.000 description 2
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 230000006872 improvement Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000002955 isolation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000001459 lithography Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000002156 mixing Methods 0.000 description 2
- 229910052759 nickel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000004038 photonic crystal Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229920000642 polymer Polymers 0.000 description 2
- 230000001902 propagating effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000002829 reductive effect Effects 0.000 description 2
- 230000035945 sensitivity Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000004544 sputter deposition Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000002887 superconductor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000006096 absorbing agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000011358 absorbing material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001668 ameliorated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000003466 anti-cipated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000000231 atomic layer deposition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002238 attenuated effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000015556 catabolic process Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001149 cognitive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002860 competitive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000295 complement effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000001816 cooling Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000013500 data storage Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007423 decrease Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000002950 deficient Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000006731 degradation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000001934 delay Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001419 dependent effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000012938 design process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 239000003989 dielectric material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000001747 exhibiting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000005350 fused silica glass Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000002784 hot electron Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000005286 illumination Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000003384 imaging method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000670 limiting effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- GQYHUHYESMUTHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N lithium niobate Chemical compound [Li+].[O-][Nb](=O)=O GQYHUHYESMUTHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 150000002739 metals Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 238000000845 micromoulding in capillary Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000003278 mimic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006855 networking Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910000480 nickel oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 229910052758 niobium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000010955 niobium Substances 0.000 description 1
- GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N niobium atom Chemical compound [Nb] GUCVJGMIXFAOAE-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910000484 niobium oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- URLJKFSTXLNXLG-UHFFFAOYSA-N niobium(5+);oxygen(2-) Chemical compound [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Nb+5].[Nb+5] URLJKFSTXLNXLG-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000011368 organic material Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003647 oxidation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007254 oxidation reaction Methods 0.000 description 1
- GNRSAWUEBMWBQH-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxonickel Chemical compound [Ni]=O GNRSAWUEBMWBQH-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- BPUBBGLMJRNUCC-UHFFFAOYSA-N oxygen(2-);tantalum(5+) Chemical compound [O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[O-2].[Ta+5].[Ta+5] BPUBBGLMJRNUCC-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000003071 parasitic effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000003909 pattern recognition Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000135 prohibitive effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011084 recovery Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000009467 reduction Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011160 research Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004044 response Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000377 silicon dioxide Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000012239 silicon dioxide Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000001228 spectrum Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000002269 spontaneous effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052715 tantalum Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- GUVRBAGPIYLISA-UHFFFAOYSA-N tantalum atom Chemical compound [Ta] GUVRBAGPIYLISA-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 229910001936 tantalum oxide Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 230000007723 transport mechanism Effects 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B6/12004—Combinations of two or more optical elements
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y10/00—Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B82—NANOTECHNOLOGY
- B82Y—SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- B82Y20/00—Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B6/122—Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths
- G02B6/1226—Basic optical elements, e.g. light-guiding paths involving surface plasmon interaction
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
- G02B6/4201—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
- G02B6/4201—Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
- G02B6/4274—Electrical aspects
- G02B6/4279—Radio frequency signal propagation aspects of the electrical connection, high frequency adaptations
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
- G02B6/43—Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L23/00—Details of semiconductor or other solid state devices
- H01L23/48—Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation, e.g. leads, terminal arrangements ; Selection of materials therefor
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L25/00—Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof
- H01L25/03—Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes
- H01L25/04—Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes the devices not having separate containers
- H01L25/065—Assemblies consisting of a plurality of individual semiconductor or other solid state devices ; Multistep manufacturing processes thereof all the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. assemblies of rectifier diodes the devices not having separate containers the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
- H01L25/0657—Stacked arrangements of devices
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/0248—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies
- H01L31/0352—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof characterised by their semiconductor bodies characterised by their shape or by the shapes, relative sizes or disposition of the semiconductor regions
- H01L31/035236—Superlattices; Multiple quantum well structures
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/04—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices
- H01L31/06—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof adapted as photovoltaic [PV] conversion devices characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L31/00—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof
- H01L31/08—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors
- H01L31/10—Semiconductor devices sensitive to infrared radiation, light, electromagnetic radiation of shorter wavelength or corpuscular radiation and specially adapted either for the conversion of the energy of such radiation into electrical energy or for the control of electrical energy by such radiation; Processes or apparatus specially adapted for the manufacture or treatment thereof or of parts thereof; Details thereof in which radiation controls flow of current through the device, e.g. photoresistors characterised by at least one potential-jump barrier or surface barrier, e.g. phototransistors
- H01L31/101—Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B2006/12083—Constructional arrangements
- G02B2006/12123—Diode
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B2006/12083—Constructional arrangements
- G02B2006/1213—Constructional arrangements comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/10—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type
- G02B6/12—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings of the optical waveguide type of the integrated circuit kind
- G02B2006/12133—Functions
- G02B2006/12142—Modulator
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/26—Optical coupling means
- G02B6/34—Optical coupling means utilising prism or grating
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G02—OPTICS
- G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
- G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
- G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
- G02B6/4292—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements the light guide being disconnectable from the opto-electronic element, e.g. mutually self aligning arrangements
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2225/00—Details relating to assemblies covered by the group H01L25/00 but not provided for in its subgroups
- H01L2225/03—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00
- H01L2225/04—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00 the devices not having separate containers
- H01L2225/065—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00 the devices not having separate containers the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
- H01L2225/06503—Stacked arrangements of devices
- H01L2225/06513—Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections between devices, e.g. flip-chip connection, solder bumps
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2225/00—Details relating to assemblies covered by the group H01L25/00 but not provided for in its subgroups
- H01L2225/03—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00
- H01L2225/04—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00 the devices not having separate containers
- H01L2225/065—All the devices being of a type provided for in the same subgroup of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/648 and H10K99/00 the devices not having separate containers the devices being of a type provided for in group H01L27/00
- H01L2225/06503—Stacked arrangements of devices
- H01L2225/06527—Special adaptation of electrical connections, e.g. rewiring, engineering changes, pressure contacts, layout
- H01L2225/06531—Non-galvanic coupling, e.g. capacitive coupling
- H01L2225/06534—Optical coupling
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/0001—Technical content checked by a classifier
- H01L2924/0002—Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L2924/00—Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
- H01L2924/30—Technical effects
- H01L2924/301—Electrical effects
- H01L2924/3011—Impedance
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Definitions
- the present invention relates generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to interconnection of electronic devices at carrier frequencies in a range from a few gigahertz to several hundreds of terahertz, and more specifically to terahertz interconnection of electronic devices.
- VSR very short reach
- Radio frequency (RF) inter-chip and intra-chip connections have been developed as a possible way of transferring data within and between chips.
- RF interconnects use large antennae and/or waveguides on or connected to chips, thus requiring valuable on-chip and device “real estate.”
- RF interconnects are limited in data transfer speed due to the use of radio frequencies.
- It is submitted that the design and manufacture of such RF lines for high signal frequencies is an expensive part of prior art RF interconnection design.
- optical signals as an alternative to electrical signals in providing inter- and intra-chip connections.
- parallel fiber-optic interconnects which are edge-connected to semiconductor devices have been developed for use within systems with a large number of electronic components (e.g., computers).
- optical interconnect technology promises the possibility of higher rate data transfer than electrical interconnects
- optical interconnect technology as heretofore suggested, is still cost prohibitive in comparison.
- There is potentially a huge market for high speed interconnect arrangements because all desktop computers and local area networks would benefit from the use of high speed interconnects between components on chips, between chips, etc.
- electrical interconnects are generally used in communication and computing systems for power and data signal distribution, such as in bus lines, etc.
- Electrical interconnects require hardwired connections such as, for example, lithographed lead lines on a chip, wire bonds from the chip to a chip package, pins leading from inside the package to a circuit board, printed circuit board wiring, edge connectors from circuit board to other boards, input/output (I/O) devices, data storage devices, and others.
- hardwired connections add parasitic capacitance, inductance, and resistance, which seriously degrade data transmission at high data bandwidths.
- the cost and performance limitations of electrical interconnects are compounded as circuits are made to operate at increasingly high frequencies.
- Second issue is the relative change in material properties, such as refractive index and electromagnetic radiation propagation speed, over the bandwidth of the signal.
- a second, and perhaps more significant, issue is the relative difference in wavelength over the bandwidth of the signal. For example, if the signal bandwidth is centered at zero frequency (i.e., DC), then the wavelength of different signal components may range from infinity (for the DC components) to, for instance, centimeters for components at tens of gigahertz. This enormous range in wavelength makes it difficult to design electrical transmission paths which will work efficiently over the entire bandwidth range.
- the millimeter wave region is generally considered to correspond to 30 GHz to 300 GHz. 3
- Duling discloses a communication system for transmitting and receiving terahertz signals, which involves the generation of sub-picosecond (i.e., terahertz) pulses for transmission of data.
- ultrashort pulse generation such as that disclosed in Duling, require complex systems such as femtosecond lasers that are impractical to use as a replacement for local electrical interconnects.
- the present invention recognizes certain problems with both the electrical interconnects and wireless interconnection schemes which are thought to be unresolved by the prior art.
- the present invention provides a significant improvement over the prior art as discussed above by virtue of its ability to provide the increased performance while, at the same time, having significant advantages in its manufacturability.
- This assertion is true for electromagnetic devices generally, which take advantage of the present invention, as well as data communication and computing devices in particular.
- an integrated circuit chip including a formation of integrated layers.
- the integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component as well as an integrated electron tunneling device.
- the integrated electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the integrated electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the integrated electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers, and the integrated electron tunneling device is electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- a method for fabricating an integrated circuit chip includes forming a plurality of integrated layers, where the forming step includes the steps of defining at least one integrated electronic component and defining an integrated electron tunneling device.
- the integrated electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the integrated electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the integrated electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the method further includes electrically connecting the integrated electron tunneling device with the integrated electronic component.
- an integrated circuit chip in another aspect of the invention, includes a formation of integrated layers, which integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component.
- the integrated circuit chip also includes an electron tunneling device including first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers, and the electron tunneling device is formed on top of and separately from the formation of integrated layers without interference with an intended function of the integrated electronic component and its spatial location while being electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- an integrated circuit chip includes a formation of integrated layers, which formation of integrated layers is configured to define at least one integrated electronic component and is further configured to define an integrated optoelectronic device having an antenna.
- the antenna is configured to receive an optical signal.
- the integrated optoelectronic device is electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- an integrated circuit chip in yet another aspect of the invention, includes a formation of integrated layers defining at least one integrated electronic component.
- the integrated circuit chip also includes an optoelectronic device having an antenna, which antenna is configured to receive an optical signal incident thereon.
- the optoelectronic device is formed on top of and separately from the formation of integrated layers without interference with an intended function of the integrated electronic component and its spatial location while being electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- the optoelectronic device is configured to provide an optical signal while the antenna is configured instead to transmit the optical signal.
- an integrated circuit chip in a further aspect of the invention, includes at least one substrate and circuitry formed on the substrate, which circuitry includes at least first and second integrated electronic components.
- the integrated circuit chip also includes a first optoelectronic device for providing an optical signal.
- the first optoelectronic device includes a first antenna, which first antenna is configured to emit the optical signal, and the first optoelectronic device is supported on the substrate while being electrically connected with the first integrated electronic component.
- the integrated circuit chip further includes a second optoelectronic device.
- the second optoelectronic device includes a second antenna, which second antenna is configured to receive the optical signal from the first antenna such that first and second optoelectronic devices are in optical communication with one another, while the second optoelectronic device is also supported on the substrate and is electrically connected with the second integrated electronic component.
- an integrated circuit assembly includes first and second substrates. First circuitry, including at least a first integrated electronic component, is formed on the first substrate, and second circuitry, including at least a second integrated electronic component, is formed on the second substrate.
- the integrated circuit assembly also includes a first optoelectronic device for providing an optical signal.
- the first optoelectronic device includes a first antenna, which is configured to emit the optical signal, and is supported on the first substrate while being electrically connected with the first integrated electronic component.
- the integrated circuit assembly further includes a second optoelectronic device including a second antenna. The second optoelectronic device is supported on the second substrate and is electrically connected with the second integrated electronic component.
- the second antenna is configured to receive the optical signal from the first antenna such that the first and second optoelectronic devices are in optical communication with one another.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes an optoelectronic system, in which an optical signal is present and which includes at least one optoelectronic device configured to act on the optical signal.
- the assembly also includes an electron tunneling device also configured to act on the optical signal.
- the electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers, which arrangement is configured serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes a first amorphous layer configured such that using only the first amorphous layer in the arrangement would result in a given value of nonlinearity in the transport of electrons, with respect to the given voltage.
- the arrangement also includes a different, second layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with the first amorphous layer such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling through the first amorphous layer and the second layer, and such that the nonlinearity, with respect to the given voltage, is increased over and above the given value of nonlinearity by the inclusion of the second layer without the necessity for any additional layer.
- the assembly further includes an optical configuration cooperating with the electron tunneling device and with the optoelectronic device such that the optical signal is transmitted therebetween.
- a device in a still another aspect of the invention, includes a waveguide, which waveguide in turn includes an optical input port.
- the optical input port is configured for receiving an input light.
- the waveguide also includes an optical output port and is configured for directing the input light from the optical input port toward the optical output port.
- the device also includes an optoelectronic assembly, which includes an electron tunneling device.
- the electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided thereacross, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the optoelectronic assembly also includes a coupling arrangement configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling device and the waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light from the waveguide into the electron tunneling device.
- an arrangement in yet another aspect of the invention, includes an optical waveguide with an optical input port, which optical input port is configured for receiving an input light, and an optical output port.
- the optical waveguide is configured for directing the input light from the optical input port toward the optical output port.
- the arrangement further includes an optoelectronic assembly with a surface plasmon device, which is configured to act on an input signal.
- the surface plasmon device includes a device input port, which is configured to receive the input signal, a device output port and a structure including a tunneling junction connected with the device input port and the device output port.
- the tunneling junction is configured in a way (i) which provides electrons in a particular energy state within the structure, (ii) which produces surface plasmons in response to the input signal, (iii) which causes the structure to act as a surface plasmon waveguide for directing at least a portion of the surface plasmons along a predetermined path toward the device output port such that the surface plasmons so directed interact with the electrons in a particular way, and (iv) which produces at the device output port an output signal resulting from the particular interaction between the electrons and the surface plasmons.
- the optoelectronic assembly further includes a coupling arrangement, which is configured to cooperate with the surface plasmon device and the optical waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light from the waveguide into the surface plasmon device as the input signal.
- an integrated circuit chip in a further aspect of the invention, includes a substrate and a formation of integrated layers supported on the substrate, which integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component.
- the integrated circuit chip also includes an optical waveguide, which is also supported on the substrate and includes an optical input port configured for receiving an input light including a clock signal encoded thereon.
- the integrated circuit chip further includes at least one optoelectronic assembly electrically connected with the integrated electronic component and including an electron tunneling device.
- the electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided thereacross.
- the electron tunneling device also includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulting layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the optoelectronic assembly also includes a coupling arrangement configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling device and the optical waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light including the clock signal from the waveguide into the electron tunneling device.
- the electron tunneling device is configured to (i) receive the portion of the input light, (ii) produce an electric signal and (iii) transmit the electric signal toward the integrated electronic component electrically connected with the optoelectronic assembly for use by the integrated electronic component.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data.
- a transmitting arrangement is connected with the first electrical circuitry and is configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- a method for use in an assembly including at least a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data and a second electrical circuitry for receiving a second electrical signal.
- the method includes connecting the first electrical circuitry with a transmitting arrangement configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz.
- the method further includes connecting the second electrical circuitry with a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into the second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data to be received by the second electrical circuitry.
- another method for use in an assembly including at least a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data and a second electrical circuitry for receiving a second electrical signal.
- the method includes, at a first location, receiving the first electrical signal from the first electrical circuitry, and converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz.
- the method further includes, at a second location, receiving the electromagnetic signal, converting the electromagnetic signal into the second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and directing the second electrical signal to the second electrical circuitry.
- an assembly in a further aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, which includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- an assembly in a still further aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency of at least three gigahertz.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device.
- an assembly in a yet further aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes a metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing first data, and a first transceiver arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into a first electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the first data.
- the assembly further includes a second transceiver arrangement configured for receiving the first electromagnetic signal and for converting the first electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the first data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the second transceiver arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- At least one of the first and second transceiver arrangements includes an electron tunneling device.
- the electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- an assembly in still another aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving at least the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical, signal.
- At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements is configured to provide electron tunneling and includes an antenna connected therewith.
- an assembly in a further aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz.
- the assembly also includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- the transmitting arrangement and the receiving arrangement are disposed in close proximity to one another such that the electromagnetic signal is transmitted from the transmitting arrangement to the receiving arrangement at least in part by means of coupled-mode energy transfer.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data.
- the assembly further includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, which in turn includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be applied across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- the electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers, where the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- the transmitting arrangement and the receiving arrangement are disposed in close proximity to one another such that the electromagnetic signal is transmitted from the transmitting arrangement to the receiving arrangement at least in part by means of coupled-mode energy transfer.
- an assembly in still another aspect of the invention, includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate.
- the integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module for receiving the output electrical signal and for converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment, where the first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing data is disclosed.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate.
- the integrated circuit package is configured for accommodating the integrated circuit module thereon, and includes a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module for receiving the output electrical signal and for converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data is disclosed.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes an integrated circuit package configured for accommodating the integrated circuit module thereon.
- the integrated circuit package includes a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module and configured for receiving the output electrical signal, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the integrated circuit package.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package.
- the integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package.
- the assembly further includes a socket arrangement supported on the substrate and configured for receiving the integrated circuit package thereon.
- the socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement disposed therein such that the transceiver arrangement receives the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the assembly also includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment, where the first segment is also supported on the substrate and is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module, for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs, for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package is disclosed.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes a substrate and a socket arrangement supported on the substrate and configured for receiving the integrated circuit package thereon.
- the socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement disposed therein such that the transceiver arrangement receives the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment.
- the first segment is also supported on the substrate and is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module, for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs, for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting said output data includes a socket arrangement configured for accommodating the integrated circuit package thereon.
- the socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement configured for receiving the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the socket arrangement.
- an assembly in another aspect of the invention, includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate and containing an integrated circuit module.
- the integrated circuit module is configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data.
- the assembly also includes an electrical interconnect also supported on the substrate and having first and second ends, where the first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end.
- the assembly further includes a transceiver package also supported on the substrate and including a transceiver chip. The transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect such that the transceiver chip receives the output electrical signal and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the assembly includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment.
- the first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes a substrate configured for supporting the integrated circuit module thereon.
- the substrate includes an electrical interconnect having first and second ends. The first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end.
- the substrate also includes a transceiver package including a transceiver chip.
- the transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect such that the transceiver chip receives the output electrical signal and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data.
- the substrate further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data.
- This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes an electrical interconnect having first and second ends. The first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end.
- the assembly also includes a transceiver package including a transceiver chip.
- the transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect and is configured for receiving the output electrical signal, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the transceiver package.
- FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate an embodiment including a planar waveguide on a chip as the interconnection.
- FIGS. 1B and 1C are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, showing details of electron tunneling devices suitable for use in the interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention.
- FIG. 1D is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of an alternative embodiment of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of a double antenna electron tunneling device.
- FIGS. 1E and 1F are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of additional embodiments of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of surface plasmon devices.
- FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, of embodiments of an edge-fed, optical clock distribution scheme of the present invention.
- FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrammatic illustrations of a top-fed, optical clock distribution scheme of the present invention.
- FIGS. 4A-4D are diagrammatic illustrations of another interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate embodiments including optical fiber as the interconnection between devices on separate chips.
- FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of still another interconnected electron tunneling device in accordance with the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of free-space optical interconnection between electron tunneling devices on separate chips.
- FIGS. 6A-6E are diagrammatic illustrations of a waveguide-coupled device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate various embodiments of the coupling of electron tunneling devices with a waveguide, as used in the aforementioned interconnected electron tunneling devices.
- FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrammatic illustrations of an alternative waveguide-coupled device of the present invention and applications.
- FIGS. 8A-8C are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of examples of packaging options and applications for the waveguide-coupled device of the present invention.
- FIGS. 9A-9D are diagrammatic illustrations of examples of layout configurations for a terahertz interconnect system in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of a power/clock distribution scheme designed in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic illustration of a terahertz optocoupler designed in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of examples of a three-dimensional interconnection system designed in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGS. 13A-13D are diagrammatic illustrations of assemblies for integrating electrical circuitry such as, for example, standard integrated circuit chips, into the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention.
- FIGS. 14A-14C are diagrammatic illustrations of a board-to-board interconnection scheme based on the terahertz interconnect of the present invention.
- FIG. 14A a diagrammatic illustration of a side view of a plurality of boards interconnected by a plurality of interconnected, transceiver chip pairs
- FIGS. 14B-14C are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of two examples of pairs of interconnected, transceiver chips in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGS. 15A-15C are diagrammatic illustrations of terahertz interconnect systems including guided wave configurations in accordance with the present invention.
- FIGS. 16A-16C are diagrammatic illustrations of embodiments of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention, shown here to illustrate an example of a transmitter/receiver pair including coupled transmission lines on a surface of a substrate ( FIG. 16A ), a close-up of the coupled transmission lines ( FIG. 16B ), and an alternative arrangement of the transmitter and receiver on opposing faces of a substrate ( FIG. 16C ).
- FIGS. 17A-17C are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, of exemplary embodiments of coupling schemes to establish communication between two electronic circuitry on two separate substrates, such as two integrated circuit chips, based on the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention.
- interconnection arrangements must be capable of high speed transmission of data and should be low cost.
- the interconnection arrangements and systems need to be competitive and compatible with current state-of-the-art electrical interconnects in terms of cost, speed, power, distance, requirement for signal processing and allowance of plug-n-play.
- the interconnect components may be integrated directly onto silicon integrated circuitry.
- the interconnect should ideally be compatible with standardized systems and interfaces provided by existing suppliers.
- the interconnect should be compatible with multi-mode fibers and be time division multiplexing (TDM) or coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) compatible.
- TDM time division multiplexing
- CWDM coarse wavelength division multiplexing
- single-mode fibers might also be used.
- Polarization-insensitivity is desirable in order to reduce signal loss.
- VCSEL devices are the mainstay light sources in the current art; therefore the interconnection arrangement should be compatible with VCSEL devices.
- Currently-available VCSEL devices operate at 850 nm and, potentially, at 1300 and 1550 nm wavelengths.
- current VCSELs operate at 2.5 Gbps, while 10 Gbps and, in the future, 80 Gbps devices may be available.
- the interconnect should also be temperature-insensitive in order for the interconnect to be incorporated onto silicon integrated circuitry.
- the interconnect may be top-side coupled onto CMOS-integrated components.
- the electron tunneling devices as disclosed in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents as well as P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications are particularly suited for integration onto existing chips because combination of metal and insulating layers forming each electron tunneling device may be deposited directly on the chips without the need for additional semiconductor processing steps. That is, the electron tunneling devices of the aforementioned applications may be formed monolithically on existing semiconductor devices without high temperature or crystalline growth procedures. Additionally, unlike hybrid integration assemblies, in which separately-fabricated devices are surface mounted or flip-chip bonded onto existing chips, the electron tunneling devices developed by the assignee of the present invention may be formed directly on the chips themselves.
- the electron tunneling devices as disclosed in these applications are capable of operating at high speeds, thus enabling these devices to function in optical regimes and at high data rates.
- the electron tunneling devices may be integrated into the circuitry itself (i.e., formed during the fabrication procedure of the circuitry as a part of the circuitry components), if so desired. Therefore, by incorporating the electron tunneling devices of the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications as part of an optical interconnect assembly, a high speed interconnection solution for use between components on chips, between chips and so on may be attained.
- the electron tunneling devices developed by the assignee of the present invention may be fabricated directly adjacent to a waveguide and be configured to cooperate with the waveguide so as to absorb an evanescent field portion of a lightwave traveling through the waveguide.
- the electron tunneling device may include an antenna designed to couple light of a particular wavelength (e.g., optical wavelengths) out of the waveguide and into a tunneling junction region of the electron tunneling device.
- the electron tunneling devices may be fabricated within a waveguide so as to absorb the propagating field portion of the a lightwave traveling through the waveguide.
- the concept of combining the electron tunneling devices with a waveguide is significant in that it allows the coupling of light energy into and out of the waveguide as well as the directing of light energy to electronic devices as electrical energy. This concept may be utilized to provide high speed interconnections between optical and electronic components, as will be discussed in detail immediately hereinafter.
- FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of an interconnect assembly 10 .
- Interconnect assembly 10 includes a chip 11 , which includes circuitry 12 formed on top of a substrate 13 .
- a waveguide region 14 is defined on chip 11 , and a first electron tunneling device 16 and a second electron tunneling device 18 are formed on top of waveguide region 14 .
- First and second electron tunneling devices 16 and 18 may be, for instance, high speed electron tunneling devices and variants as disclosed in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications, which high speed electron tunneling devices are formed of thin film layers of non-insulating and insulating materials.
- Waveguide region 14 may be formed, for example, of polymers, dielectric materials such as glass, fused silica and silicon-on-insulator, photonic crystals, lithium niobate, organic materials and photonic bandgap materials.
- first and second electron tunneling devices 16 and 18 include antenna arms 20 A- 20 B and 22 A- 22 B, respectively, defining bowtie antennae.
- First and second electron tunneling devices 16 and 18 may be connected to integrated electronic components in the existing electronic circuitry (represented by squares 24 and 26 ) on the chip by, for example, pairs of metal lines 28 A and 28 B and 30 A and 30 B, respectively.
- the integrated electronic components 24 and 26 may be, for example, driver transistors or amplifier transistors.
- first electron tunneling device 16 may be a modulator, as described in the P2 patent or P3 or P3-cip application
- second electron tunneling device 18 may be a detector, as described in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications.
- an external continuous wave (CW) light source may feed a CW light, indicated by an arrow 40 , into waveguide 14 , then the circuitry on the chip may cause first electron tunneling device 16 (modulator) to modulate the CW light in the waveguide so as to produce a modulated light, indicated by a wavy arrow 42 .
- first electron tunneling device 16 modulator
- Waveguide region 14 may be further configured to act as an interconnect between the first electron tunneling device 16 and second electron tunneling device 18 such that second electron tunneling device 18 (detector) detects modulated light 42 to generate an electrical signal, indicated by an arrow 44 .
- second electron tunneling device 18 may be configured to detect only a portion of modulated light 42 such that a slightly attenuated, output light, indicated by a wavy arrow 46 , is further directed through waveguide 14 to be coupled out of the chip.
- second electron tunneling device 18 may be replaced by a conventional detector which is not based on electron tunneling such as, for example, a semiconductor-based detector.
- interconnect assembly 10 is advantageous in that an optical means of interconnecting various devices on-chip as well as off-chip is provided without additional complications in the chip circuitry itself.
- the electron tunneling devices disclosed by the assignee of the present invention may be formed of readily depositable materials, such as metals and insulators.
- first electron tunneling device 16 may be formed directly on top of a chip, as shown in FIG. 1A , without interference with the intended function of the integrated electronic components in the chip circuitry or displacing existing circuitry on the chip, using relatively simple, deposition and lithography, rather than semiconductor crystalline growth techniques.
- modulated light 46 which contains information as encoded onto first electron tunneling device 16 acting as a modulator, may be directed onto a site away from chip 11 such that the encoded information is transmitted off-chip at optical speeds.
- FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electron tunneling device suitable for use in the interconnect assembly of the present invention as shown in FIG. IA.
- This electron tunneling device is similar in design to those shown in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents.
- An electron tunneling device 16 B includes a first non-insulating layer 50 , which forms one of the antenna arms (e.g., antenna arm 20 in FIG. 1A ) of the first electron tunneling device.
- first non-insulating layer 50 is deposited on top of waveguide 14 , which in turn has been formed on top of circuitry 12 .
- First non-insulating layer 50 may be, for example, a metal, semi-metal, semiconductor or superconductor.
- a first layer 52 is deposited also on top of waveguide 14 such that first layer 52 partially overlaps first non-insulating layer 50 .
- First layer 52 may be, for example, an amorphous or crystalline insulating material.
- the portion which overlaps with first non-insulating layer 50 may be, for instance, an oxide of the first non-insulating layer or a separately deposited, amorphous insulating layer.
- a second non-insulating layer 54 is deposited on top of first layer 52 such that a tunneling junction region 60 B is formed by the overlapping portions of first non-insulating layer 50 , first layer 52 and second non-insulating layer 54 .
- Second insulating layer 54 defines the other of the antenna arms (e.g., antenna arm 21 in FIG. 1A ) of first electron tunneling device 16 B, and may be formed of, for example, a metal, semi-metal, semiconductor or superconductor.
- first and second non-insulating layers are spaced apart from one another such that a voltage (not shown) may be applied thereacross.
- First layer 52 is further configured to cooperate with the materials forming the first and second non-insulating layers such that electrons are allowed to travel therethrough by means of tunneling depending on the voltage placed across the first and second non-insulating layers.
- first layer 52 as well as the material from which the first layer is formed are selected such that first electron tunneling device exhibits the desired electron tunneling characteristics.
- first non-insulating layer may be 40 nm of nickel
- second non-insulating material may also be 40 nm of nickel, both deposited by sputtering.
- the first layer may consist of, for example, a layer of nickel oxide, 4 nm thick, formed by thermal oxidation.
- FIG. 1C a variation of the electron tunneling device of FIG. 1B is illustrated.
- An electron tunneling device 16 C is based on the structures described in the co-assigned P1 patent mentioned earlier. Like electron tunneling device 16 B shown in FIG. 1B , electron tunneling device 16 C includes first and second non-insulating layers 50 and 54 , respectively, with a first layer 52 disposed therebetween. Additionally, a tunneling region 60 C of electron tunneling device 16 C includes a second layer 62 . As described in detail in the P1 patent, the addition of second layer 62 serves to increase the nonlinearity in the current-voltage characteristics of the electron tunneling device.
- Second layer 62 may be, for example, an amorphous or crystalline insulating layer.
- the first non-insulating layer may be 40 nm of niobium
- the second non-insulating material may be 40 nm of tantalum, both deposited by sputtering.
- the first layer may consist of amorphous niobium oxide, 1.5 nm thick, on top of which is deposited amorphous tantalum oxide, also 1.5 nm thick, both deposited by atomic layer deposition.
- FIGS. 1B and 1C may be applied to one or both of first and second electron tunneling devices 16 and 18 of FIG. 1A . Additional modifications, such as the addition of three or more adjacent insulating layers or a combination of metal and insulating layers between the first and second non-insulating layers as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C , are also contemplated and discussed in the aforementioned co-assigned U.S. patent applications.
- FIGS. 1D-1F Additional variations on the interconnect assembly of the present invention are shown in FIGS. 1D-1F .
- FIG. 1D is similar to the interconnect assembly shown in FIG. 1A , but first electron tunneling device 16 has been replaced with an electron tunneling modulator 72 .
- Electron tunneling modulator 72 includes first and second pairs of antenna arms.
- First pair of antenna arms 20 and 21 is essentially the same as that shown in, for example, FIG. 1A , and is designed to receive input light 40 and modulate it so as to produce modulated light 42 .
- antenna arms 20 and 21 may be configured to overlap such that a tunneling junction region (not shown) is formed.
- Electron tunneling device 72 further includes a second pair of antenna arms 73 and 74 , which may be configured to receive an optical modulation input 75 .
- Optical modulation input 75 acts as an optical modulation signal to vary the electron transport characteristics of the tunneling junction region, thus, again, such that electron tunneling device 72 yields modulated light 42 in accordance with the optical modulation signal. Details of such a crossed-bowtie antenna modulator are disclosed in the aforementioned P2 patent.
- second pair of antenna arms 73 and 74 may be connected with an integrated electronic component 78 in circuitry 12 via wires 76 A and 76 B.
- FIG. 1E shows yet another alternative embodiment of an interconnect assembly 80 , this time using a surface plasmon device of the P3 application as a detector device, in place of second electron tunneling device 18 in interconnect assembly 10 of FIG. 1A .
- a surface plasmon device 82 includes a pair of antenna arms 84 and 86 , which are configured to receive modulated light 42 from first electron tunneling device 16 .
- Antenna arms 84 and 86 direct the modulated light so received into a surface plasmon waveguide region 88 as surface plasmon waves.
- Surface plasmon waveguide region 88 then provides electrical signal 44 in accordance with the received modulated light.
- an interconnect assembly 90 may include a surface plasmon device 92 acting as an emitter, such as described in the P3 application.
- surface plasmon device 92 receives an electrical signal 93 from integrated electrical component 28 , which is a part of the chip circuitry. The received electrical signal generates surface plasmon waves (not shown) in a surface plasmon waveguide region 94 .
- a pair of antenna arms 96 and 98 of surface plasmon device 92 acts as an emitter antenna to emit the generated surface plasmon waves as an output light 46 .
- FIGS. 1A-1F illustrate interconnect assemblies in which light coupling from the waveguide into and out of electron tunneling devices and surface plasmon devices is performed using antennae. It should be noted that other light coupling schemes are also possible. For example, as disclosed in the P3 application, surface plasmon evanescent couplers and grating couplers may also be used in the interconnect assembly of the present invention.
- FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of an integrated circuit chip 100 A including an optical clock distribution configuration.
- Integrated circuit chip 100 A includes circuitry 12 disposed on substrate 13 as discussed earlier.
- Integrated circuit chip 100 A also includes a tunneling device layer 102 based on an insulator 104 with a waveguide layer 110 disposed thereon.
- Tunneling device layer 102 includes two or more electron tunneling devices 116 , which are connected to circuitry 12 through, for example, vias 118 .
- Each one of the electron tunneling devices may be configured as a detector as described, for example, in the P1 and P2 patents and P3 application.
- FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an integrated circuit chip 100 A including an optical clock distribution configuration.
- Integrated circuit chip 100 A includes circuitry 12 disposed on substrate 13 as discussed earlier.
- Integrated circuit chip 100 A also includes a tunneling device layer 102 based on an insulator 104 with a waveguide layer 110 disposed thereon.
- an optical signal 120 carrying a clock signal shown as a waveform 122 , is edge-coupled into waveguide layer 110 .
- Optical signal 120 may have a sufficiently long wavelength (e.g., 1550 nm) such that the optical signal is not absorbed by, for example, a silicon substrate or silicon components in the circuitry but only by the electron tunneling devices.
- each one of electron tunneling devices 116 detects a portion of the optical signal, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal (not shown) and communicates the electrical signal to circuitry 12 .
- the clock signal encoded onto optical signal 120 is very quickly distributed across the entire chip with minimal clock phase skew.
- FIG. 2B A variation of the optical distribution configuration of FIG. 2A is illustrated in FIG. 2B , showing a cross-sectional view of an integrated circuit chip 100 B.
- integrated circuit chip 100 B includes substrate 13 and waveguide 110 , but the electronic circuitry and electron tunneling device layers have been combined.
- a combination layer 130 includes circuitry 132 with electron tunneling devices 116 monolithically integrated thereon such that electron tunneling devices 116 B are disposed alongside electrical components (not individually shown) in the circuitry layer. Electron tunneling devices 116 B may be formed during the same fabrication steps as those used to form circuitry 132 or may be formed separately following the fabrication of circuitry 132 .
- the optical clock distribution configurations shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B present an improvement over the conventional, electrical clock distribution schemes, in which clock signals are provided as electrical signal through electrical lines that take up chip real estate, produce significant clock skew and produce electromagnetic pickup.
- the optical clock distribution configurations of FIGS. 2A and 2B avoid these problems inherent to electrical clock signals by taking advantage of the fact that the interconnect assembly of the present invention, including the electron tunneling devices and waveguide, may be added on top of an existing integrated circuitry chip. It is often a difficult task in chip layout design to ensure that the clock signal reaches all parts of the chip simultaneously without degradation and while maintaining a constant phase across the chip.
- an optical clock signal may be distributed over the chip much more quickly than an electrical clock signal.
- the optical clock signal broadcast into the waveguide layer may be picked up by the electron tunneling devices through, for instance, vias where needed.
- an integrated circuit chip 150 shown in FIG. 3A includes circuitry 12 on top of a substrate 13 .
- integrated circuit chip 150 also includes tunneling device layer 102 .
- Integrated circuit chip 150 further includes a modified waveguide layer 152 , which is designed to receive optical signal 120 carrying a clock signal 122 when the optical signal is incident normally on modified waveguide layer 152 .
- a grating coupler 154 which is integrated into modified waveguide layer 152 , couples optical signal 120 into modified waveguide layer 152 such that optical signal 120 is radially broadcast throughout modified waveguide layer 152 as an optical clock signal (represented by arrows 156 ).
- modified waveguide layer 152 includes grating coupler 154 , which is designed to receive optical signal 120 and to direct the optical signal so received throughout modified waveguide layer 152 as optical clock signal 156 .
- Optical clock signal 156 is picked up by electron tunneling devices 116 at desired points across the integrated circuit chip. Electron tunneling devices 116 then communicate the optical clock signal to electrical components in the circuitry wherever needed.
- the optical clock distribution scheme used in integrated circuit chip 150 is advantageous because the optical clock signal is distributed over the entire chip within picoseconds without being hampered by electrical delays. As a result, the clock signal received at the chip circuitry does not experience significant delay that may cause phase differences in different part of the chip. Also, since the optical clock signal is transmitted optically and is converted to an electrical signal by an electron tunneling device only where needed, electromagnetic pickup is reduced in comparison to conventional, electrical clock distribution through electrical transmission lines.
- the optical clock signal may be broadcast over the integrated circuit chip through free-space and subsequently picked up by the electron tunneling devices at various locations on the integrated circuit chip.
- a free-space transmission scheme may include, for instance, additional optical components such as lenses, holographic optical elements and filters.
- Other modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art while remaining within the spirit of the present invention.
- FIG. 4A shows an interconnect assembly 200 .
- Interconnect assembly 200 includes first and second chips 202 and 204 , respectively.
- First chip 202 includes a substrate 206 , on which circuitry 208 is formed.
- second chip 204 includes a substrate 210 with circuitry 212 formed thereon.
- the first and second chips further include a first electron tunneling device 216 and a second electron tunneling device 218 , respectively, formed thereon.
- first electron tunneling device 216 is configured to act as an emitter, such as those disclosed in the patent applications referenced above.
- First electron tunneling device 216 emits a light beam 220 , which is focused by a first lens arrangement 222 onto an optical fiber input 224 .
- Light beam 220 is then transmitted through an optical fiber 226 in the direction indicated by an arrow 228 toward an optical fiber output 230 .
- second lens arrangement 232 onto second electron tunneling device 218 .
- second electron tunneling device 218 may be an electron tunneling device, as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications, which is configured to act as a detector so as to receive light beam 220 .
- a conventional detector such as a silicon-based detector, may be used as second electron tunneling device 218 .
- an optical interconnection is established between devices on first and second chips 202 and 204 , thereby allowing transfer of data therebetween.
- Such an optical interconnection is advantageous over, for example, electrical interconnections in terms of speed, signal loss, propagation distance and drive power.
- FIG. 4B shows an alternative embodiment of an interconnect assembly using optical fiber.
- An interconnect assembly 250 is similar to interconnect assembly 200 of FIG. 4A with a number of key differences.
- Interconnect assembly 250 includes a laser 252 configured to direct an input laser light (not shown) through an input optical fiber 254 in the direction indicated by an arrow 256 .
- Input optical fiber 254 directs the input laser light into an optical circulator 258 , which then directs the input laser light through a fiber segment 260 toward first electron tunneling device 216 .
- first electron tunneling device 216 is configured to act as a reflective modulator, which receives and modulates the input laser light.
- a light beam 262 as shown in FIG.
- Circulator 258 is configured such that any light entering the circulator from input optical fiber 254 is directed into fiber segment 260 while light entering the circulator from fiber segment 260 is directed toward optical fiber 226 in direction 228 . In this way, modulated light from first electron tunneling device 216 is directed through optical fiber 226 and detected at second electron tunneling device 218 . It is noted that multi-mode optical circulators are not commercially available at the current state of technology. Therefore, input optical fiber 254 and fiber segment 260 shown in FIG.
- optical circulator 4B would be required to be single mode fibers if single mode circulators are used. However, it is anticipated that future development of a multi-mode optical circulator would enable the interconnect scheme of FIG. 4B to be compatible with multi-mode optical signal transmission, therefore the use of single mode optical fiber as well as the use of multi-mode optical fiber in the configuration shown in FIG. 4B are considered to be within the spirit of the present invention.
- the optical circulator may be replaced by an optical coupler, albeit with loss of optical power into fiber 226 .
- first electron tunneling device 216 may be configured to receive a modulation signal from on-chip circuitry 208 . Consequently, data from circuitry 208 may be encoded onto the modulated light produced at first electron tunneling device 216 and optically transmitted at high speeds to devices on chip 204 by way of second electron tunneling device 218 . Also, second electron tunneling device 218 may be configured with a second optical circulator such that light reflected by second electron tunneling device 218 may be passed down a chain or around a token ring.
- an interconnect assembly 270 includes first and second chips 202 and 204 , respectively.
- interconnect assembly 270 includes first and second waveguides 272 and 274 , which are connected with first and second electron tunneling devices 216 and 218 , respectively.
- First and second waveguides 272 and 274 couple light into or out of the electron tunneling devices such that light from the electron tunneling devices may be fed into optical fiber 226 and vice versa.
- first electron tunneling device 216 is configured as an emitter (as described, for example, in the P2 patent or the P3 application)
- first electron tunneling device 216 is coupled through first waveguide 272 and into one end of optical fiber 226 .
- the light then travels through optical fiber 226 and, at a distinct end of the optical fiber, is coupled through second waveguide 274 and into second electron tunneling device 218 , which receives the transmitted light.
- Optical fiber 226 may be, for example, butt-coupled to first and second waveguides 272 and 274 , which are disposed on top of circuitry 208 and 212 , respectively, as shown in FIG. 4C .
- the waveguides may be embedded in the chip circuitry, as shown in FIG. 4D as first and second waveguides 282 and 284 .
- alignment aids such as first and second v-grooves 286 and 288 , may be included in the chips to assist in the alignment of the optical fiber with respect to the waveguides.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an interconnect assembly 300 in a free space optical interconnect scheme.
- Interconnect assembly 300 includes a first chip 310 , which includes a first substrate 312 and first circuitry 314 .
- a first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a - 316 e are disposed on first circuitry 314 .
- Interconnect assembly 300 also includes a complementary, second chip 320 , which includes a second substrate 322 , second circuitry 324 and a second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a - 326 e formed thereon.
- FIG. 5 illustrates an interconnect assembly 300 in a free space optical interconnect scheme.
- Interconnect assembly 300 includes a first chip 310 , which includes a first substrate 312 and first circuitry 314 .
- a first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a - 316 e are disposed on first circuitry 314 .
- Interconnect assembly 300 also includes a complementary, second chip 320 , which includes a second substrate 322 ,
- first chip 310 and second chip 320 are positioned such that first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a - 316 e on chip 310 are spaced apart from and in opposing relationship with second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a - 326 e on chip 322 .
- first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a - e are configured to each emit a light beam of at least a given frequency, indicated by arrows 328 and second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a - 326 e are configured to detect light of at least the given frequency.
- Interconnect assembly 300 further includes a lens arrangement 330 , which is configured to direct light from each of first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a - 316 e to a corresponding one of second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a - 326 e.
- lens 330 is designed such that light beam 328 emitted by electron tunneling device 316 b on chip 310 is directed to electron tunneling device 326 b on chip 320 .
- one or more additional optical components as represented by a component 332 , may also be included to perform additional optical operations.
- component 332 may be another lens, filter, holographic optical element, reflector, grating, transmissive spatial light modulator, etc. In this way, data may be transferred optically from chip 310 to chip 320 through a free space optical interconnect scheme.
- lens arrangement 330 may be configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling devices on chips 310 and 320 such that operation of the interconnect assembly in the reverse direction is possible. That is, it is possible to configure the second plurality of electron tunneling devices on chip 320 to act as emitters and configure the first plurality of electron tunneling devices on chip 310 to act as detectors so as to enable the transfer of data from chip 320 to chip 310 .
- component 332 may be configured as, for instance, a waveguide including a grating or evanescent coupler such that at least portions of light beams 328 and 328 ′ may be transferred out of interconnect assembly 300 .
- an additional light beam (not shown) may also be inserted into the interconnect assembly at component 332 configured as a waveguide.
- the free space interconnect assembly of FIG. 5 may be combined, for instance, with the optical clock distribution schemes illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3A and 3 B such that, rather than having an optical clock signal be indiscriminately broadcast over the entire chip, the optical clock signal may be selectively imaged onto specific electron tunneling devices on the chip.
- the interconnect assembly of the present invention including electron tunneling devices, is advantageous due to the high speed and integrability with silicon devices (such as chips).
- the interconnect assembly of the present invention allows high speed interconnection between components on a chip, between chips, between boards and racks, etc., by taking advantage of high speeds possible in the optical regime.
- an important benefit of the approach of the present invention involving the use of electron tunneling devices in optical interconnect arrangements is the fact that the present invention takes advantage of the ability of the electron tunneling devices to detect, modulate or emit light directly into or out of a waveguide or optical fiber.
- the electron tunneling device technology developed by the assignee of the present invention allows efficient coupling and conversion between optical and electrical signals in a compact configuration which is compatible with existing integrated circuit chip technology.
- This feature is in contrast to conventional silicon devices with waveguides, in which light traveling through the waveguide must be redirected away from the waveguide and into the silicon in order to be detected or otherwise acted upon.
- the electron tunneling devices may be fabricated directly adjacent to a waveguide to allow fast, guided transmission of optical signals from one electron tunneling device to another.
- the electron tunneling devices may be used to couple light energy into and out of the waveguide as well as to direct light energy to electronic devices as electrical energy. Further details of such waveguide-coupled assemblies are discussed in further detail immediately hereinafter.
- Waveguide-coupled assembly 400 includes a substrate 402 , which supports a first insulating layer 404 .
- substrate 402 may be formed of silicon, while insulating layer 404 is formed of silicon dioxide.
- Waveguide-coupled assembly 400 further includes an optical waveguide layer 406 and a second insulating layer 408 .
- Optical waveguide layer 406 and second insulating layer 408 cooperate to define a raised, rib waveguide section 410 .
- Rib waveguide section 410 includes an optical input end 412 , which directs input light incident thereon (indicated by an arrow 414 ) into the rib waveguide section.
- Waveguide-coupled assembly 400 further includes at least one electron tunneling device 416 , which is formed on top of rib waveguide section 410 .
- Electron tunneling device 416 is designed to receive a portion of input light 414 , modulate the received portion of the input light, and produce a modulated, output light (indicated by an arrow 418 ), which output light 418 is directed toward an optical output end 420 .
- bowtie antenna arms 422 and 424 of electron tunneling device 416 may be formed in a particular shape and size so as to pick up a portion of the input light of a given wavelength.
- Different antenna designs may also be used to optimize coupling to particular waveguide modes, such as transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes.
- Electron tunneling device 416 may be a modulator fabricated in accordance with the disclosure in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications.
- waveguide-coupled assembly 400 of FIG. 6A is shown to include a linear array of four electron tunneling devices 416 to provide additional interaction with an evanescent light field portion of the input light so as to provide output light 418 having a desired degree of modulation.
- More or fewer electron tunneling devices may be used in a linear or two-dimensional array such that the resulting waveguide-coupled assembly provides a particular function. That is, by using more than one electron tunneling devices in the waveguide-coupled assembly, the interaction length between the input light and the electron tunneling devices may be effectively increased. Coupling between the antenna and waveguide may also be controlled by varying the spacing or cladding thickness between antenna and waveguide core. Any combination of the aforedescribed variations is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
- FIG. 6B shows a cross-sectional view of waveguide-coupled assembly 400 of FIG. 6A .
- electron tunneling devices 416 a - 416 d pick up evanescent field portions of input light 414 (shown as arrows 430 a - 430 d ), modulate the received portions, then re-transmit modulated light (indicated by arrows 432 a - 432 d ) back into waveguide layer 406 so as to provide modulated, output light 418 .
- Evanescent coupling between the rib waveguide region and the electron tunneling devices is particularly efficient for thin, high index waveguides. 4
- each of electron tunneling devices 416 a - 416 d may be configured to pick up a different wavelength of input light such that waveguide-coupled assembly 400 acts as a wavelength-dependent modulator of input light, which input light may include a variety of wavelengths.
- one or more of electron tunneling devices 416 a - 416 d may be configured as a detector (see, for example, aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3 application) so as to receive a portion of the input light and generate an electrical signal in accordance with the input light so received, which electrical signal may be directed to an electronic device located off of substrate 402 or also supported on the substrate.
- one or more of electron tunneling devices 416 a - 416 d may be configured as an amplifier (see, for instance, aforementioned P2 patent and P3 application) so as to receive a portion of the input light or a portion of modulated light, as produced by another of the electron tunneling devices, and produce an amplified output light.
- one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured as an emitter (see, for example, aforementioned P2 patent and P3 application) so as to emit additional light into the rib waveguide region to contribute to the output light. Still further, one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured to re-emit the portion of input light received at that electron tunneling device, for example, in a direction away from the waveguide and the substrate so as to produce a free-space optical signal in accordance with the input light. As yet another option, one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured to receive free-space illumination and re-transmit the received optical energy into the waveguide.
- FIGS. 6C and 6D illustrate still more alternative configurations to waveguide-coupled assembly 400 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B .
- modified electron tunneling devices 416 a ′- 416 d ′ are integrated into a modified insulating layer 404 ′, rather than being formed on top of rib waveguide section 410 .
- FIGS. 6C and 6D illustrate still more alternative configurations to waveguide-coupled assembly 400 shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B .
- modified electron tunneling devices 416 a ′- 416 d ′ are integrated into a modified insulating layer 404 ′, rather than being formed on top of rib waveguide section 410 .
- the modified electron tunneling devices also couple to evanescent field portions of input light 414 (shown as arrows 430 a ′- 430 d ′), modulate the received portions, then re-transmit modulated light (indicated by arrows 432 a ′- 432 d ′) back into waveguide layer 406 so as to provide modulated, output light 418 .
- modified electron tunneling devices 416 a ′′- 416 d ′′ shown in FIG. 6D , are integrated into a modified optical waveguide layer 406 ′′. In this case, input light 414 directly couples into modified electron tunneling device 416 a ′′, which re-emits a modulated light 432 a ′′.
- Modulated light 432 a ′′ then couples into modified electron tunneling device 416 b ′′, and so on until the output from the last device in the series, in this case modified electron tunneling device 416 d ′′, becomes output light 418 .
- each one of the configurations shown in FIGS. 6B-6D is advantageous in different situations, depending on the level of integration required.
- the electron tunneling devices are most readily fabricated on top of the rib waveguide region, it may be desirable in certain cases to have the direct coupling of the principal portion of the input light with the electron tunneling devices as allowed by the configuration shown in FIG. 6D .
- closer coupling of the evanescent field portions of input light 414 may be enabled by the positioning of the electron tunneling regions as shown in FIG. 6C without drastically altering the lightwave-guiding characteristics of the rib waveguide region.
- FIG. 6E illustrates an end-fire variation of the waveguide-coupled assembly of FIG. 6A , generally indicated by a reference number 450 .
- waveguide-coupled assembly 450 resembles previously described waveguide-coupled assembly 400 , for example, with respect to its layered structure and the location of the electron tunneling devices, such descriptions are not repeated for purposes of brevity.
- a substrate 451 of waveguide-coupled assembly 450 includes first and second v-grooves 452 and 453 , respectively, for accommodating an input optical fiber 454 and an output optical fiber 456 , respectively.
- input optical fiber 454 includes a fiber core 458 surrounded by a cladding 460 , and is designed to direct an input optical signal 462 therethrough and into rib waveguide region 410 as input light 414 .
- Output light 418 provided at optical output end 420 is then coupled into output optical fiber 456 .
- output optical fiber 456 includes a fiber core 464 surrounded by a cladding 466 so as to direct at least a portion (indicated by an arrow 468 ) of output light 418 away from optical output end 420 .
- the coupling of optical fiber to the rib waveguide region enables ready insertion of waveguide-coupled assembly 450 into optical fiber-based systems, such as long distance communication systems.
- This end-fire embodiment allows higher coupling efficiency for single-mode fibers. Furthermore, inclusion of alignment aids, such as v-grooves 452 and 453 in substrate 451 allows self-alignment of optical fiber with the waveguide-coupled assembly of the present invention.
- FIG. 7A shows a waveguide-coupled assembly 500 , which includes a shaped waveguide 502 .
- Shaped waveguide 502 includes first and second tapered sections 504 and 506 , respectively, on either side of a middle section 507 .
- First and second chirped, focusing grating couplers are formed near opposite ends of shaped waveguide 502 such that first chirped, focusing grating coupler 508 receives an input optical signal 512 and couples the optical signal so received into shaped waveguide 502 as an input light (indicated by an arrow 514 ).
- Input light 514 is then directed through first tapered section 504 into middle section 507 .
- One or more electron tunneling devices (three are shown, indicated by reference numerals 516 a - 516 c ) are disposed on top of middle section 507 and are configured for, for example, modulating the input light then producing a modulated, output light (indicated by an arrow 518 ).
- Modulated, output light 518 is then directed through second tapered section 506 and coupled out of shaped waveguide 502 through second chirped, focusing grating coupler 510 as an output optical signal 520 .
- FIG. 7B is an illustration of an integrated optical transceiver chip including the waveguide-coupled assembly of FIG. 7A .
- the integrated optical transceiver chip generally indicated by reference numeral 550 , includes a substrate 552 on which various components are supported, as will be described in detail immediately hereinafter.
- Substrate 552 includes an etched-out section 554 , in which a modified waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′, which is similar in design to waveguide-coupled assembly 500 as shown in FIG. 7A .
- waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′ resembles previously described waveguide-coupled assembly 500 , for example, with respect to its tapered waveguide structure, focused grating couplers and the location of the electron tunneling devices, such descriptions are not repeated for purposes of brevity.
- An array of electron tunneling devices 516 ′ of waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′ are connected with modulation inputs 556 a and 556 b, which lead from circuitry 558 supported on substrate 552 .
- Circuitry 558 is also connected with a detector 560 , which is also supported on substrate 552 , via leads 562 a and 562 b. Power may be supplied to circuitry 558 through DC power lines 564 a and 564 b.
- detector 560 may be designed to receive an optical signal 582 , including data encoded thereon, and to provide an electrical, detector signal (not shown), also including the data, via leads 562 a and 562 b to circuitry 558 .
- Circuitry 558 may include, for example, electrical components such as bias control/automatic gain control (AGC) 584 , a pre-amplifier 586 , a clock recovery circuit 588 as well as a modulator driver 590 .
- Modulator driver 590 generates a modulation signal in accordance with the detector signal and directs the modulation to the array of electron tunneling devices of waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′.
- ADC bias control/automatic gain control
- Modulator driver 590 generates a modulation signal in accordance with the detector signal and directs the modulation to the array of electron tunneling devices of waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′.
- CW continuous wave
- focusing grating coupler 508 ′ the array of electron tunneling devices modulate the CW light input and, consequently, waveguide-coupled assembly 500 ′ provides a modulated light output 594 .
- FIG. 7D illustrates a further variation on the waveguide-coupled assembly of the present invention as illustrated in FIG. 7A .
- FIG. 7D is a diagrammatic view, in cross section, of a modified waveguide-coupled assembly 600 .
- Modified waveguide-coupled assembly 600 includes waveguide-coupled assembly 500 , as shown in FIG. 7A , supported on a substrate 602 with an insulating layer 604 disposed therebetween.
- Input light 512 is provided through an input optical fiber 610 , which includes a fiber core 612 surrounded by a cladding 614 .
- waveguide-coupled assembly 500 provides a modulated, output light 520 .
- output light 520 is received by an output optical fiber 620 , which also includes a fiber core 622 surrounded by a cladding 624 for guiding the output light away from the modified waveguide-coupled assembly.
- FIG. 8A shows a parallel optical transceiver 650 including a transceiver module 652 containing a plurality of integrated optical transceiver chips 550 therein (not visible).
- a single mode fiber 654 serves as a CW input for modulation.
- a plurality of pin-outs (indicated by dashed bracket 656 ) serves to provide the various RF inputs/outputs as well as DC power input.
- Transceiver module 652 includes an input receptacle 658 a and an output receptacle 658 b, both of which are designed to accept multi-mode fiber (MMF) ribbons.
- MMF multi-mode fiber
- a first MMF ribbon 660 a may provide a plurality of optical data inputs for the plurality of integrated optical transceiver chips, while a second MMF ribbon 660 b may serve to extract the plurality of optical data outputs produced by the integrated optical transceiver chips.
- FIG. 8B illustrates a scheme in which two or more chips may be optically interconnected.
- a chip-to-chip optical backplane 700 is designed to accept a lead frame-mounted chip 702 .
- Lead frame-mounted chip 702 includes a die 704 containing circuitry and connected to a lead frame 706 including a plurality of pin-outs (indicated by a dashed bracket 708 ).
- Optical backplane 700 includes an integrated circuit socket 710 including a plurality of receptacles (indicated by a dashed bracket 712 ) corresponding to the pin-outs of the lead frame-mounted chip.
- Optical backplane 700 further includes a MMF ribbon input 714 , a MMF ribbon output 716 , CW input 718 and DC power input through leads 720 a and 720 b.
- Integrated circuit socket 710 includes a plurality of the aforedescribed optical transceiver chips so as to directly connect a chip in a standard lead frame package with the optical transceivers.
- FIG. 8C illustrates yet another packaging option for the optical transceiver chip of the present invention.
- An optical processor chip 750 includes a package 752 containing a plurality of optical transceiver chips (not visible).
- Package 752 includes an optical window 754 , which allows direct, optical connection of the optical processor chip with other optical components through a parallel optical bus (indicated by arrows bracketed by a dashed bracket 756 ).
- Package 752 also includes the usual inputs for CW optical input (an optical fiber 758 ) and DC power input (leads 760 a and 760 b ).
- the metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology is readily adaptable to operate at frequencies other than in the optical regime.
- the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling devices may be configured to transmit, receive and/or modulate signals with virtually any carrier frequency ranging, for example, from microwave (approximately 3 to 30 GHz) to millimeter-wave (approximately 30 to 300 GHz), sub-millimeter-wave (approximately 300 GHz to 3 THz) and through optical frequencies by suitable selection of, for instance, tunneling junction, antenna, and waveguide dimensions.
- THz frequency range Applicants generally refer to frequencies from approximately one to several hundreds of THz, and, in particular, a frequency range of approximately 0.03 to 10 ⁇ 10 12 Hz for the signal carrier frequency.
- the electron tunneling device technology as described in detail in the PI and P2 patents as well as P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications is particularly advantageous in that it is adaptable to provide devices in a wide range of frequencies including, and not limited to, approximately 3 GHz and up to several hundreds of THz.
- the optical interconnection system disclosed in the P5 application provides significant advantages over commercially available electrical and wireless interconnects, interconnects based on the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology operating in a range from approximately 30 GHz into several THz may provide further advantages as described immediately hereinafter.
- a terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is advantageous over known prior art in that electrical lines and RF lines are eliminated.
- the THz carrier transmitter/receiver of the present invention provide sufficiently high frequency for efficient bandwidth use. For example, ten 10-Gb/s signals may be carried on one THz carrier.
- the carrier frequency is high enough such that the carrier waves do not interfere with most of the electronic circuitry, thus keeping electromagnetic interference to acceptably low levels. That is, the carrier frequency is sufficiently high such that critical components in the electronic circuitry cannot respond to it.
- filters may be included in the electronic circuitry to filter out the THz carrier signals.
- the 30 GHz through several THz frequency range is low enough such that the carrier signal is capable of penetrating many types of chip packaging and enclosure.
- THz carrier transmitter/receiver may be made tunable with the inclusion of tuning means such as, for instance, voltage-controlled capacitors.
- the antennae required in the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention have dimensions on the order of one millimeter, which are readily fabricated using existing deposition and lithography technology.
- the large collection area of such antennae provide correspondingly high sensitivity, and precise beam focusing or device alignment, as required in optical interconnects, is not necessary in terahertz interconnects.
- the antennae may be designed, for example, to receive power, clock signals, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation.
- the metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology developed by the assignee of the present invention allows efficient generation/detection/modulation of signals using metal/insulator antenna/diode systems at the relevant frequencies.
- more traditional high speed components such as Schottky diodes, may be used.
- the carrier signal may be encoded by schemes such as digital on/off, amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), spread spectrum and others.
- the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention allows flexible placement of the receivers and transmitters.
- Each of the terahertz devices acting as an interconnect node, may be placed anywhere within the reception and transmission cross sections of each other device to/from which signals are to be transmitted or received.
- the limitation on device placement is basically a function of the directionality and strength of the signal to be radiated and detected.
- Chips containing the interconnect nodes may be laid out, for instance, randomly, end-to-end or even one on top of another.
- One or more transceivers may be formed on a single chip or on a plurality of chips.
- FIG. 9A illustrates a terahertz interconnect system 800 in which a chip includes a terahertz receiver on one part of the chip and a terahertz transmitter on another part of the chip.
- a chip 810 of terahertz interconnect system 800 includes a substrate 811 with first and second electrical circuitry 812 and 814 , respectively, disposed thereon different parts of substrate 811 .
- First electrical circuitry 812 is configured to provide a first electrical signal 816 containing data and to direct first electrical signal 816 toward a first electron tunneling device 818 , which is connected with first electrical circuitry 812 by a first electrical connection 820 .
- first electron tunneling device 818 Upon receipt of first electrical signal 816 from first electrical circuitry 812 , first electron tunneling device 818 broadcasts through free space a terahertz carrier signal 822 corresponding to first electrical signal 816 . Terahertz carrier signal 822 is received at a second electron tunneling device 824 , which converts the terahertz carrier signal so received into a second electrical signal 816 ′. First and second electron tunneling devices 818 and 824 are configured to cooperate with each other such that second electrical signal 816 ′ contains at least a portion of the data contained in first electrical signal 816 .
- first electron tunneling device 818 may be sized so as to generate terahertz carrier signal 822 at a particular frequency, while second electron tunneling device 824 is of dimensions designed to receive that particular frequency of carrier signal.
- first and second electron tunneling devices 818 and 824 may be, but not limited to, metal-insulator, thin-film based electron tunneling devices as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents and P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications.
- first and second electron tunneling devices 818 and 824 may be based on another high speed component, such as Schottky diodes.
- Second electron tunneling device 824 is connected with second electrical circuitry 814 by a second electrical connection 826 such that second electrical signal 816 ′ is transmitted to electrical circuitry 814 . In this way, data from electrical circuitry 812 is transmitted to electrical circuitry 814 without the necessity for a direct electrical connection therebetween.
- FIG. 9B illustrates an arrangement in which a plurality of chips are laid out in a V-configuration.
- a terahertz interconnect system 850 includes a master chip 852 and a plurality of slave chips 854 A-D.
- Master chip 852 is located at the apex of the V-configuration and includes a master substrate 855 with a master electrical circuitry 856 disposed thereon.
- Master electrical circuitry 856 is connected with a transceiver arrangement 858 by electrical connection 860 and 861 .
- Transceiver arrangement 858 may be based, for example, on the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip, P1-cip and P5 applications.
- Master electrical circuitry 856 provides a first electrical signal 862 , which contains data and is communicated to transceiver arrangement 858 via electrical connection 860 .
- Transceiver arrangement 858 converts first electrical signal 862 into a terahertz carrier signal 864 , which is broadcast over the other chips in the V-configuration.
- Slave chips 854 A-D include substrates 863 A-D with receivers 864 A-D, respectively, disposed thereon.
- Receivers 864 A-D are respectively connected with slave electrical circuitry 866 A-D by electrical connections 868 A-D, respectively.
- Receivers 864 A-D are configured to receive terahertz carrier signal 864 broadcast from transceiver arrangement 858 and convert the signal so received into electrical signals 869 A-D, respectively, containing at least a portion of the data contained in electrical signal 862 . Then, electrical signals 869 A-D are respectively received at slave electrical circuitry 866 A-D. In this way, data in electrical signal 862 from master chip 852 is transmitted to slave electrical circuitry 866 A-D without direct hardwired connections therebetween.
- a terahertz interconnect system 870 of FIG. 9C includes a plurality of chips 872 A-H.
- Chips 872 A-H includes substrates 874 A-H, respectively, with electrical circuitry 876 A-H respectively disposed thereon.
- Electrical circuitry 876 A-H are connected with transceivers 878 A-H, respectively, by primary electrical connections 880 A-H such that electrical signals 882 A-H respectively produced by electrical circuitry 876 A-H are respectively communicated to transceivers 878 A-H.
- Transceivers 878 A-H convert the electrical signals so received into terahertz carrier signals such as, for example, terahertz carrier signals 884 A (produced at transceiver 878 A) and 884 G (produced at transceiver 884 G) as shown in FIG. 9C .
- Transceivers 878 A-H as shown in FIG. 9C are further connected electrical circuitry 876 A-H via secondary electrical connections 885 A-H, respectively, such that terahertz carrier signals may be received from other chips and communicated to the electrical circuitry on a given chip in the system.
- Transceivers 878 A-H may be based on, for example, the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology as described in the P1 and P2 patent and P3, P3-cip, P5 and P1-cip applications.
- each of transceivers 878 A-H may be configured to transmit and receive the terahertz carrier signal from only one other of transceivers 878 A-H.
- transceiver 878 A on chip 872 A may be formed of predetermined dimensions so as to transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of only a particular frequency.
- transceiver 878 E on chip 872 E may be configured transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of that same particular frequency while all other transceivers are configured to transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of frequencies other than the particular frequency.
- chips 872 A and 872 E may only communicate with each other while ignoring the terahertz carrier signals from other chips.
- Chips other than 872 A and 872 E may also be configured to cooperate in pairs or in other groupings so as to communicate only within those groupings. Alternatively, each chip may be configured to communicate with every other chip.
- FIG. 9D illustrates a terahertz interconnect system 886 .
- Terahertz interconnect system 887 includes a transmitter chip 887 and a receiver chip 888 .
- Transmitter chip 887 includes a substrate 889 , on which a first electrical circuitry 890 is formed.
- First electrical circuitry 890 is connected with a plurality of transmitters 891 A-C by electrical connections 892 A-C, respectively, so as to respectively and provides electrical signals 893 A-C therethrough.
- electrical signals 893 A-C are synchronized and identical such that transmitters 891 A-C essentially receive copies of the same electrical signal.
- Transmitters 891 A-C respectively convert electrical signals 893 A-C into synchronized terahertz carrier signals 894 A-C.
- Synchronized terahertz carrier signals 895 A-C add constructively to yield a sum signal 894 D with greater broadcasting power and potentially greater directionality than each one of synchronized terahertz carrier signals 894 A-C.
- Sum signal 894 D is then received at a receiver 895 formed on a substrate 896 of receiver chip 888 .
- Receiver 895 converts sum signal 894 D into a converted electrical signal 897 , which is transmitted to a second electrical circuitry 898 via electrical connection 899 .
- FIGS. 9 A-D illustrate only a few of the possible configurations for the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention. Other layout configurations are also contemplated and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
- additional components such as memory or devices with different functionality
- additional components may be provided with a transmitter or receiver or transceiver operating in a terahertz wavelength range compatible with the existing components.
- the additional components may simply be placed within the active region (i.e., within the broadcast range) of the existing components to be able to exchange data with other components so as to be incorporated into the system. In this way, defective or obsolete components may be removed or exchanged at will without affecting the remaining components in the system.
- the terahertz carrier signals used in the interconnect system of the present invention may be communicated by means of free space transmission, as shown in, for example, FIGS. 9A-9D or by guided wave transmission, such as shown in FIG. 1A for instance.
- guided wave transmission may limit the placement of the transmitters/receivers on, for instance, a chip substrate, but transmission of the terahertz carrier signal through a waveguide may result in a reduction in electromagnetic interference and improved power efficiency.
- Other possible embodiments of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention are discussed in detail immediately hereinafter.
- the term “chip” is considered to encompass any type of compact device, set of components, input/output device or port, or a small system.
- a system 900 as shown in FIG. 10 includes an output source 902 .
- Output source 902 may be, for example, a power source which generates and radiates a power signal as an electromagnetic radiation 904 in the form of, for instance, microwaves.
- Output source 902 may alternatively be a clock generator which generates a clock signal as the electromagnetic radiation in the form of, for instance, optical signals, for synchronizing a plurality of electrical circuitry such as those on chips, boards, or in larger system configurations.
- Electromagnetic radiation 904 is directed toward a group of sub-systems, indicated by a dashed box 906 .
- Sub-systems 906 may include, for instance, a first chip 910 .
- First chip 910 includes a first substrate 911 on which at least an electrical circuitry 912 is disposed. Electrical circuitry 912 is connected with a receiver 914 by an electrical connection 916 .
- the size and dimensions of receiver 914 are designed such that receiver 914 is responsive to electromagnetic radiation 904 .
- Receiver 914 receives a portion of electromagnetic radiation 904 and converts it to an electrical signal 918 to be directed to electrical circuitry 912 via electrical connection 916 . For example, if electromagnetic radiation 904 is a power signal, then electrical signal 918 becomes a power input for electrical circuitry 912 .
- electromagnetic radiation 904 is a clock signal
- electrical signal 918 acts as a clock input for electrical circuitry 912 .
- electrical circuitry 912 may be supplied with an external power or clock signal from output source 902 without the need for direct electrical connection with output source 902 .
- sub-system 906 may also include a second chip 930 , which in turn includes a second substrate 931 with an electrical circuitry 932 and a transceiver 934 disposed thereon. Electrical circuitry 932 and transceiver 934 are connected by a first electrical connection 936 . Transceiver 934 receives a portion of electromagnetic radiation 904 and converts it to a first electrical signal 938 to be directed to electrical circuitry 932 as, for instance, a power signal to supply power or as a clock signal to electrical circuitry 932 . Furthermore, electrical circuitry 932 is additionally connected with transceiver 934 by a second electrical connection 940 and is configured to generate a second electrical signal 942 toward transceiver 934 .
- Transceiver 934 is additionally configured to convert second electrical signal 942 received thereon into a second electromagnetic signal 946 to be radiated away from second chip 930 .
- second electrical signal 942 may contain data
- transceiver 934 converts second electrical signal 942 into second electromagnetic signal 946 containing at least a portion of the data.
- electrical circuitry 932 on second chip 930 may receive power or clock signal from an external source as well as transmit a data signal to other components in system 900 without the need for hardwired electrical or optical connections.
- sub-system 906 may further include a third chip 950 .
- Third chip 950 includes a third substrate 951 with a primary electrical circuitry 952 and a receiver 954 disposed thereon. Primary electrical circuitry 952 and receiver 954 are connected by a first electrical connection 956 . Receiver 954 receives electromagnetic radiation 904 , converts it into a first electrical signal 958 , and directs it along first electrical connection 956 to primary electrical circuitry 952 , for example, as a power signal to supply power or as a clock signal.
- Third chip 950 also includes a transmitter 960 , which is connected with primary electrical circuitry 952 by a second electrical connection 962 .
- Primary electrical circuitry 952 is configured to provide a second electrical signal 964 to be directed toward transmitter 960 through second electrical connection 962 .
- Transmitter 960 receives second electrical signal 964 from primary electrical circuitry 952 and converts it into a third electromagnetic signal 968 to be radiated away from transmitter 960 .
- Third chip 950 further includes a secondary electrical circuitry 970 connected with a transceiver 972 by a third electrical connection 974 .
- Transceiver 972 is also configured to be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation 904 so as to receive electromagnetic radiation 904 , convert it to a third electrical signal 976 to be directed toward secondary electrical circuitry 970 through third electrical connection 974 as, for instance, a power or clock signal.
- Second electrical signal 970 and transceiver 972 are also connected by-fi fourth electrical connection 980 such that a fourth electrical signal 982 generated by secondary electrical circuitry 970 may be directed along fourth electrical connection 980 toward transceiver 972 .
- Transceiver 972 converts fourth electrical signal 982 received thereon into a fourth electromagnetic signal 986 to be radiated away from transceiver 972 .
- transceiver 972 may additionally be configured to receive, for instance, third electromagnetic signal 968 from transmitter 960 or second electromagnetic signal 946 from transceiver 934 on second chip 930 so as to convert the electromagnetic signal so received into a part of third electrical signal 976 to be directed to secondary electrical circuitry 970 .
- Transceiver 972 may further be configured to receive and modulate first electromagnetic signal 968 so as to provide a modulated electrical signal as a part of third electrical signal 976 to secondary electrical circuitry 970 .
- modulation techniques are described in detail in, for instance, the P2 patent and the P3 application.
- Additional connections may be provided between each of sub-systems 906 .
- Sub-systems 906 may be located on a single board or be located on different boards arranged in relative proximity such that electromagnetic signal 904 is receivable at each of the sub-systems 906 .
- Electromagnetic radiation 904 may have a frequency different from the carrier frequency of other signals in the system, or be in the same range of frequencies as those used for signal transmission.
- Electromagnetic signals provided at the various transmitters and transceivers in the system may be directed to, for instance, adjacent chips, external computer and/or other input/output devices.
- output source 902 may be another electrical circuitry—transmitter combination as provided in the present invention in, for instance, the master chip—slave chips configuration of FIG. 9B .
- System 900 as shown in FIG. 10 is capable of handling a serial information stream or parallel, multi-channel data due to the large bandwidth enabled by the use of, for example, terahertz carrier frequencies.
- each chip or electrical circuitry may actually be hardwired to a power supply or other devices readily accessible via electrical interconnects, such as low frequency signal sources and input/output ports while higher frequency channels, or channels which are more practically connected via free-space interconnection, may be provided by terahertz wave interconnects.
- System 900 as shown in FIG. 10 is advantageous because a group of electrical circuitry, whether on the same chip or on different chips or boards, may receive power and/or synchronized, clock signals from a single external source without direct electrical connection to the source. Simultaneously, signal transmission and inter- or intra-chip communication may be provided by the system of the present invention. In this way, a plurality of chips or other components, each of which performs a specific function, may be readily interconnected and supplied with power or be synchronized by a single clock signal source.
- the clock distribution scheme as provided by the present invention enables higher frequency electromagnetic wave clock signals than is feasible using electrical interconnects while providing less skew.
- the present invention provides a simpler implementation with less power consumption than is feasible using optical clock signals distributed through optical interconnects.
- the present invention as shown in FIG. 10 may serve as a replacement for hard-wired, electrical interconnects, replacing wires for short reach, high data rate connection.
- high carrier frequencies used e.g., frequencies above 30 GHz
- higher data rates are enabled.
- a system such as system 900 is useful in a variety of applications.
- the system maybe use used in high speed memory access, in which the circuitry on each memory chip is connected with an external microprocessor by the interconnection system of the present invention.
- the system may be useful in imaging devices, in which a plurality of receivers/transmitters may be used to measure and/or transmit image information.
- the interconnect system of the present invention may also be used in an optocoupler configuration.
- a conventional optocoupler is generally a combination of a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodetector used to separate two parts of an electrical circuit. An electrical signal in a first part of the electrical circuit is converted to a light signal at the LED, then the light signal is received at the photodetector and converted back to an electrical signal to be directed to a second part of the electrical circuit.
- An optocoupler is used, for example, to isolate noisy signals or to protect parts of the electrical circuitry from spurious high voltage electrical signals.
- LED-photodetector pair is limited by how fast the LED can be modulated (i.e., turned on and off).
- the LED may be replaced by a faster emitter device such as, for instance, a semiconductor diode laser, the laser is more costly and consumes more power than the LED.
- the LED and the photodetector are generally fabricated as separate chips.
- the LED chip and the photodetector chip must be aligned relative to one another within the overall, optocoupler package in order to provide efficient coupling of the light signal.
- an LED chip usually emits light out of an edge of the chip while the photodetector usually accepts light normal to the face of the chip; that is, the LED and the photodetector chips must be aligned at right angles to each other.
- FIG. 11 illustrates an optocoupler 1000 including an interconnect system designed in accordance with the present invention.
- Optocoupler 1000 includes a transmitter arrangement 1002 and a receiver arrangement 1004 coupled together by an electromagnetic signal 1006 .
- Transmitter arrangement 1002 is configured such that it emits electromagnetic signal 1006 having a carrier frequency in and around the terahertz frequency range (e.g., 0.03 to 10 THz), while receiver arrangement 1004 is configured to be responsive to electromagnetic signal 1006 having a carrier frequency in and around the terahertz range.
- a carrier frequency in and around the terahertz frequency range e.g. 0.03 to 10 THz
- transmitter arrangement 1002 includes a signal input 1110 , which receives a first electrical signal 1112 from a first part of an electrical circuitry (not shown), and a driver amplifier 1114 , which amplifies the first electrical signal so received and provides a first amplified electrical signal 1115 .
- First amplified electrical signal 1115 is directed through, for example, first and second leads 1116 and 1117 to an oscillator 1118 , which converts amplified electrical signal 1115 into electromagnetic signal 1006 to be transmitted through a transmitter antenna 1120 .
- Transmitter antenna 1120 may include, for example, first and second transmitter antenna arms 1122 and 1124 , respectively, which are designed to efficiently radiate the electromagnetic signal.
- Oscillator 1118 may be based, for example, on an electron tunneling device as described in the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications.
- Oscillator 1118 and transmitter antenna 1120 may be connected with each other through first and second electrical interconnections 1125 and 1127 , respectively, or the transmitter antenna may be integrally formed from oscillator 1118 , as in the case of surface plasmon device 92 as shown in FIG. 1F .
- receiver arrangement 1004 of optocoupler 1000 includes a receiver antenna 1130 for receiving electromagnetic signal 1006 .
- receiver antenna 1130 includes first and second receiver antenna arms 1132 and 1134 , respectively, having lengths designed for reception in the carrier frequency range of electromagnetic signal 1006 .
- first and second receiver antenna arms 1132 and 1134 may be of such dimensions so as to together act as a dipole antenna receptive to electromagnetic signal 1006 .
- Receiver antenna 1130 is connected with a receiver 1136 , which may be, for instance, based on an electron tunneling device as described in the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications or on other high speed diode technology such as Schottky diodes.
- Receiver 1136 converts electromagnetic signal 1006 into a second electrical signal 1138 .
- receiver 1136 is connected via third and fourth electrical interconnections 1139 and 1141 , respectively, with a receiver amplifier 1144 .
- Receiver amplifier 1140 receives second electrical signal 1138 from receiver 1136 then produces an second, amplified electrical signal 1146 at a signal output 1148 to be directed to a second part of the electrical circuitry (not shown).
- optocoupler 1000 connects the first and second parts of electrical circuitry by means of terahertz waves while providing high data rates, noise isolation and high voltage protection.
- the optocoupler including the interconnect system of the present invention provides several advantages over conventional optocouplers.
- the terahertz carrier frequency is high enough to support data rates of 10 Gbps and higher.
- the alignment tolerances of terahertz emitters and detectors are much more relaxed in comparison to the precise, sub-micron alignment tolerance required for optical connection.
- the use of electron tunneling device technology, as described in the P1 and P2 patents and P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications, enables practical emitters/oscillators and detectors.
- metal-insulator-metal-insulator-metal hot electron tunneling transistors coupled with antennas may be used as oscillator 1118
- metal-insulator-metal electron tunneling diodes coupled with antennas may be used as receiver 1136 to provide a low cost, high speed alternative to the conventional optocoupler.
- a complete optocoupler including the aforementioned electron tunneling devices may be fabricated monolithically with the transmitter and receiver arrangements being fabricated, for example, in the same process as the two parts of the electrical circuitry, and/or on the same substrate.
- various antenna designs, such as dipole, vee and Vivaldi are applicable to the optocoupler of the present invention. In this way, the known alignment and connection concerns of the conventional optocouplers may be alleviated.
- An application of the terahertz optocoupler of the present invention is use as a video interconnect.
- the performance speed of the terahertz optocoupler of the present invention allows the replacement of group of parallel video lines in a video system by a single, serial terahertz optocoupler. In this way, the video connections within a system are simplified while eliminating insertion force problems in high data rate transmission.
- the terahertz optocoupler may function as a part of a larger, wireless video/audio network within a small area (such as a room) without the problems associated with the electrical interconnect bottleneck.
- microcomputer architecture Another problem which maybe solved using the terahertz interconnect concept of the present invention is the rigidity of microcomputer architecture.
- Current microcomputer architectures are largely fixed at the time of original design and, therefore, are not flexible once the actual computer has been manufactured.
- the architecture may be designed for a specific microprocessor chip, for instance, and a certain number and types of memory and input/output (I/O) ports, and one or more printed circuit boards, including the mother board, are laid out with data bus lines and control lines for electrically connecting all of the chips intended to be placed on the board.
- I/O input/output
- the only flexibility is in the add-on boards that may be placed in standardized I/O sockets pre-positioned on the motherboard.
- a micro-internet may be formed using the components of the current invention.
- a node comprises a microprocessor, a memory device, a storage device, an input/output device, a clocking device, a signal repeater, an amplifier, a system, or any other element that functions in conjunction with other nodes.
- Each interconnected node includes at least one signal emitter, receiver or transceiver.
- the nodes may be interconnected via free space, waveguides or transmission lines. The nodes are situated within no more than a communication distance away from at least one other node, within an enclosure or among enclosures.
- the nodes may be fixed in position, or mobile, and may operate simultaneously or at different times.
- the interconnection can function such that any node can communicate with any other node, all nodes communicate through a central node, a reconfigurable cellular configuration, or any other interconnection scheme known to those skilled in the art.
- the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention enables the construction of a flexible, networked architecture to solve the aforedescribed problem.
- the computer architecture is considered like a “micro-Internet” where each node within the network includes a terahertz transceiver and at least some processing power and storage capacity.
- This computer architecture of the present invention is enabled by the chip- and board-integrable, high speed data transfer for low cost as provided, for example, the electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and the P1 -cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications.
- a system 1200 includes a plurality of nodes (indicated as 1202 A-G in the figure) in a networked architecture.
- Each one of the nodes may be a chip, a board, or a small system and includes one or more emitters, receivers or transceivers, each connected with an antenna.
- each one of the nodes 1202 A-G includes a processor 1204 and memory 1206 such that each node has some “intelligence” (i.e., processing and storage capacity).
- processor 1204 and memory 1206 are shown as being located near a corner of each one of nodes 1202 A-G, the processor and memory may be disposed at any convenient position on the node such as, for example, at opposing corners of the node or even embedded within the node.
- each one of the plurality of nodes 1202 A-G includes a surface normal antenna 1208 in the center of the node as well as a plurality of edge antennae 1210 , each one of the plurality of edge antennae being located near an edge of the node.
- Surface normal antenna 1208 is connected with a transceiver 1212 .
- Transceiver 1212 may be based, for example, on the electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications so as to enable high frequency detection and emission of an electromagnetic signal such as, for instance, terahertz carrier frequency signals.
- the transceivers on each node are connected with the processor on the node such that electrical signal produced at the processor may be communicated out of the node through the transceivers and the antennae and, simultaneously, the electromagnetic signal received at any of the antennae is converted to an electrical signal and directed to the processor.
- the plurality nodes 1202 A-G are each configured to communicate with other adjacent nodes.
- node 1202 A communicates via electromagnetic signal with node 1202 D, as indicated by a double-headed arrow A-D, through the centrally located, surface normal antenna 1208 on each node. That is, the surface normal antenna and the corresponding transceiver on each node is configured to send and receive electromagnetic signals in a direction normal to the planar surface of the node.
- the processor signal from the processor on node 1202 A may be transmitted to the processor on node 1202 D, and vice versa by means of the surface normal antennae and associated transceivers.
- node 1202 D may communicate with, for example, node 1202 B as indicated by a double-headed arrow B-D through adjacent edge antennae via electromagnetic signals.
- System 1200 of FIG. 12A has various advantages. New nodes may be readily added in order to add, for example, more processing power, increased storage and input/output capability. In contrast to conventional computers with completely pre-planned interconnections, the networked architecture of system 1200 may grow and evolve over time as needs arise. Old or obsolete nodes may be left in place, except to the extent that they use power and take up space, or they may be removed or exchanged with newer nodes. Node failure or failure of one interconnect link would have minimal effect on the system performance since the network topology of system 1200 allows for bypassing of the failed node or connection.
- electromagnetic signals such as terahertz frequency carrier signals, enables flexible, high-speed interconnection between nodes. In addition to the stacked configuration shown in FIG.
- the nodes may be connected, for example, in a token-ring type arrangement or in some sort of a network topology (such as packet-switching). Additionally, some of the nodes maybe configured to broadcast the electromagnetic signal over a 2-D area or a 3-D volume so as to enable communication between non-adjacent nodes.
- the nodes may also be equipped with point-to-point links such as, for example, waveguides in order to reduce external noise and electromagnetic signal transmission loss.
- the electromagnetic signals transmitted through the system may be multiplexed by, for example, frequency-division multiplexing, code-division multiplexing (like a miniature cellular network) or a master-slave architecture, in which a master node controls which of the nodes may communicate with which other nodes at a given time.
- system 1200 of FIG. 12A may be adapted to provide interconnects for scalable 3-D storage servers.
- Modular Internet storage servers such as the IBM IceCube concept, 5 require low cost, high speed wireless interconnects between processing and storage modules (so-called “Collective Intelligent Bricks” or CIBs).
- Low cost is a requirement due to the large number of interconnects required in the server.
- Wireless interconnects are needed so that the bricks may be assembled, interchanged and/or added without hardwiring.
- High speed is needed to enable a high rate of data transfer within the system.
- the use of free-space optical interconnects has been suggested as a possible high speed solution to this problem, but power consumption and alignment precision of optical interconnects make them expensive and impractical to implement.
- Capacitive interconnects provide some level of high speed and low cost, but are only useful when the wavelength of the signal used to communicate within the system is substantially longer than the capacitive coupling elements.
- the plurality of nodes 1202 A-G as shown may each be equipped with, for instance, a processor, electronic memory and one or more hard disks, then interconnected through, for example, surface normal and edge antennae as shown in FIG. 12A .
- processed data and processing capability are distributed over several nodes while the terahertz interconnection between the nodes enable high speed interconnection with easy alignment of the nodes with respect to each other.
- terahertz transmitters and receivers may be built on the outer faces of the nodes rather than taking up valuable on-chip real estate.
- FIG. 12B shows a system 1250 including a plurality of nodes 1252 A-G.
- each node is essentially identical to each other node, each one of nodes 1252 A-G is configured to perform a different function within a computer architecture.
- node 1252 A may include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) circuitry 1254 A while node 1252 D may contain a central processing unit (CPU) circuitry 1254 D.
- ALU arithmetic logic unit
- CPU central processing unit
- node 1252 A includes ALU circuitry 1254 A
- node 1252 B includes a random access memory (RAM) circuitry 1254 B
- node 1252 D includes a CPU circuitry 1254 D.
- Other circuitry such as, but not limited to, video chips, networking chips, read-only memory (ROM) circuitry and a sound chip may also be implemented as the circuitry in a given node. In the example shown in FIG.
- node 1252 D serves as a central node to which the other nodes are connected via a plurality of transceivers 1212 A-G, surface normal antennae 1208 and a plurality of edge antennae 1210 by terahertz interconnection of the present invention such that CPU circuitry 1256 regulates the circuitry on the other nodes.
- each one of the various circuitry may be readily interchanged or upgraded by replacing the node associated with that circuitry.
- node 1252 D may be removed and replaced with a new node including a faster CPU circuitry without disturbing the connection of the various other nodes.
- additional nodes including additional circuitry such as additional RAM, may readily be added in order to provide additional functionality to the system.
- terahertz range frequencies in interconnects are attenuation of the interconnection signal.
- Terahertz signals broadcast from transceivers broadcasting isotropically in three dimensions do not have very long propagation length; namely, the signal strength decreases an inverse square of the propagation distance.
- the basic concept of interconnecting terahertz transceiver nodes in a 3-D volume is limited in the overall size and interconnection distance by the output power of each transmitter and the detection sensitivity of each receiver.
- this problem may be ameliorated by proper design of the transmitter and receiver antennae, it may still be desirable to increase the propagation distance while limiting the negative effects of, for example, external noise.
- metal interconnects on a chip may act as antennas and, if of a suitable length, may act as a receiver for the terahertz waves. Rectifying elements within the chip circuit may the produce unwanted crosstalk signals from these terahertz waves. Also, depending on the wavelength of the carrier signal to be used, the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based tunneling technology may take up too much real estate on the chip. Metal interconnects or highly-doped semiconductor regions on a chip may interfere with terahertz transmission and reception.
- a compact solution to this problem of signal attenuation and chip compatibility may be provided by confining the terahertz carrier signal in combination structure of a waveguide and chip package to increase communication range and/or transmission efficiency.
- 2-D waveguides e.g., a slab waveguide
- 1-D waveguides e.g., metal transmission lines, such as coplanar, strip line, and parallel plate configurations
- Such a transceiver may effectively transmit terahertz signals without the need for an antenna.
- various antenna designs may be used to optimize the signal coupling between the transceiver and the waveguide.
- the edges and/or ends of the waveguides used in the terahertz interconnection system may include absorbing material to avoid unwanted back reflections.
- a slab waveguide for example, may be provided on a support (such as on a chip, board, etc., across which the interconnection is to be provided), then terahertz transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers maybe be placed anywhere in proximity to or directly on the waveguide surface.
- Each transceiver or transmitter then broadcasts a terahertz carrier signal through the slab such that the signal is guided along the waveguide.
- the signal in the waveguide may be picked up by another transmitter or a receiver disposed on or in proximity to the waveguide.
- each transceiver or transmitter may be placed on an outer surface of, for example, a transmission line so as to interact with the evanescent field of the traveling wave.
- the transceiver, transmitter or receiver may be placed inside of the waveguide to absorb and/or detect the terahertz carrier signal traveling therethrough.
- transceivers may be used to receive and re-transmit signals along a waveguide as necessary so as to act as repeaters.
- the signal coupling between the waveguide and the transceiver, transmitter or receiver may be optimized by the suitable design of an antenna connected therewith, but an antenna is not absolutely necessary if the transceiver, transmitter or receiver is disposed in close proximity with the waveguide.
- FIG. 13A illustrates an assembly for providing terahertz interconnection between two separated electrical circuitry.
- An assembly 1300 includes a substrate 1302 with a first chip package 1304 disposed thereon.
- First chip package 1304 is configured to accommodate a first chip 1306 , for example, by enveloping first chip 1306 therein.
- a first transceiver 1308 is embedded within first chip package 1308 as a part of first chip 1306 such that first transceiver 1308 receives electrical signals provided by first chip 1306 and converts the electrical signals so received into a terahertz carrier signal.
- Assembly 1300 further includes a waveguide arrangement 1310 , which in turn includes first and second waveguide couplers 1312 and 1314 .
- First waveguide coupler 1312 is configured to receive the terahertz carrier signal from first transceiver 1308 and direct the terahertz carrier signal through waveguide arrangement 1310 toward second waveguide coupler 1314 .
- Terahertz carrier signal may be coupled into first waveguide coupler by broadcast from first transceiver 1308 , for instance, or by near field, mode coupling.
- Assembly 1300 further includes a second chip package 1316 also disposed on substrate 1302 . Second chip package 1316 is configured to accommodate a second chip 1318 with a second transceiver 1320 embedded therein.
- Second waveguide coupler 1314 is disposed in close proximity to second transceiver 1320 such that the terahertz carrier signal from first transceiver 1308 is coupled to second transceiver 1320 . Second transceiver then converts the terahertz carrier signal into a second electrical signal to be directed to second chip 1318 .
- Waveguide arrangement 1310 serves to confine the terahertz carrier signal therein during propagation from first waveguide coupler 1312 to second waveguide coupler 1314 so as to limit propagation loss and introduction of external noise.
- first and second chip packages 1308 and 1316 cooperate with substrate 1302 and with waveguide arrangement 1310 such that first and second chips, first and second transceivers and first and second waveguide couplers are positioned with respect to each other to yield efficient coupling between the various components.
- assembly 1300 may also function in a reverse direction where second transceiver 1320 converts electrical signals from second chip 1318 into the terahertz carrier signal to be carried through the waveguide arrangement from second chip package 1316 and into first chip package 1304 to be received at transceiver 1308 and, consequently, at first chip 1306 .
- the data lines that need to be driven for operation of the chip is reduced from the usual ⁇ 48 inches down to less than 1 ⁇ 2-inch.
- crosstalk resulting from the coupling of terahertz signals with logic circuitry is virtually eliminated.
- FIG. 13B Another example of terahertz interconnect packaging is shown in FIG. 13B .
- An assembly 1325 of FIG. 13B includes a chip package 1327 , which in turn encloses a chip 1329 and a transceiver 1331 while keeping the chip and transceiver in close proximity but not in contact with each other.
- Transceiver 1331 receives electrical signals produced at chip 1320 then converts the electrical signals into terahertz carrier signals.
- Assembly 1325 further includes a substrate 1333 with a waveguide arrangement 1335 disposed therein.
- Waveguide arrangement 1335 includes a waveguide coupler 1337 , and chip package 1327 is positioned relative to waveguide arrangement 1335 in such a way that transceiver 1331 and waveguide coupler 1337 are in close enough proximity in order to couple the terahertz carrier signal therebetween.
- Assembly 1325 provides further advantages in that chip 1329 does not need to be physically altered in order to be accommodated into the assembly. That is, a commercially available, standard chip circuitry may be used as chip 1329 and accommodated into chip package 1329 without the need, for example, to specially embed a terahertz transceiver therein.
- the terahertz carrier signal coupled into waveguide arrangement 1335 may be received, for instance, by a receiving arrangement similar to second chip package 1316 of FIG. 13A .
- no change in the IC design is required, and the chip is only required to drive input/output lines of approximately one centimeter in length such that higher off-chip data rate is possible at lower drive power.
- FIG. 13C illustrates a socket system 1340 .
- Socket system 1340 includes a socket arrangement 1342 , which is configured to accommodate a standard chip package 1346 including a plurality of pin-outs 1348 .
- a transceiver 1350 is embedded within socket arrangement 1342 in close proximity to pin-outs 1348 such that electrical signals from standard chip package 1346 is received through pin-outs 1348 and at transceiver 1350 .
- Socket system 1340 also includes a substrate 1352 , which supports socket arrangement 1342 thereon and further includes a waveguide arrangement 1354 with a waveguide coupler 1356 connected therewith.
- Socket arrangement 1342 is disposed on substrate 1352 such that transceiver 1350 and waveguide coupler 1356 are brought in close proximity to each other.
- the electrical signal provided at the standard chip package is converted into a terahertz carrier signal and guided away from standard chip package 1346 by broadcast from the transceiver and/or near field mode coupling, without requiring any modification to the chip package (or the chip enclosed therein) or any hardwired electrical connections outside of the chip package.
- FIG. 13D Yet another example of the combination of standard chip packaging and waveguiding in a terahertz interconnect system is shown in FIG. 13D .
- An assembly 1360 of FIG. 13D includes a chip package 1362 enclosing a chip 1364 .
- Chip 1364 is connected through an electrical interconnect 1366 with a transceiver 1370 .
- Transceiver 1370 is enclosed in a transceiver package 1372 and is disposed in close proximity with a waveguide coupler 1374 of a waveguide arrangement 1376 .
- the chip package, electrical interconnect, transceiver package and waveguide arrangement are all supported on a substrate 1378 .
- electrical interconnect 1366 may be sufficient to provide relatively noise/loss-free transmission between chip 1364 and transceiver 1370 .
- Assembly 1360 also allows the inclusion of a separately packaged, standard chip with a pre-fabricated terahertz carrier signal waveguide arrangement without any modification to the chip or the chip package.
- terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is for use as board-to-board interconnects with near-field coupled, terahertz devices.
- high data rate wireless communications over very short distances are required.
- electrical interconnections in such applications are slow and generally result in a data feed bottleneck.
- optical interconnects are currently cost-prohibitive and unpractical due to the precise and stable alignment required. It would be desirable to provide an interconnection scheme which allows a certain degree of tolerance to misalignment while allowing close proximity of transmitter and receiver placement in order to minimize the amount of required transmit power.
- a number of terahertz interconnect components may be grouped together on boards to provide a larger network of interconnected systems.
- a transceiver pair 1400 as shown in FIG. 14 A includes first and second transceiver assemblies 1402 A and 1402 B.
- First and second transceiver assemblies 1402 A and 1402 B include, respectively, first and second substrates 1404 A and 1404 B, first and second ground planes 1406 A and 1406 B, with first and second circuitry 1408 A (not visible) and 1408 B disposed thereon.
- First and second transceiver circuitry 1408 A and 1408 B are respectively connected with first and second antennae 1410 A and 1410 B via first and second electrical interconnects 1412 A (not visible) and 1412 B.
- first and second antennae 1410 A and 1410 B are essentially identical and are designed to be poor radiators of terahertz carrier signals in free space (i.e., not well matched to free space impedance).
- first antenna 1410 A in this case
- second antenna 1410 B in this case
- First and second antennae 1410 A and 1410 B should have fairly high directivity such that the radiation takes place specifically toward each other while minimizing stray radiation.
- the selection of the antenna design, such as patch antennae, dipole antennae, and so on, would influence the radiation pattern, and therefore the coupling efficiency.
- a patch antenna may be preferable over a dipole antenna, which has a more omni-directional radiation pattern than the patch antenna.
- the process would work just as well in the opposite direction, going from second antenna 14101 B to first antenna 1410 A.
- a transmitter pair 1450 of FIG. 14B includes first and second transmitter assemblies 1452 A and 1452 B.
- the transmitter assembly includes a transmitter circuitry 1454 B driving a pair of terminated, transmission lines 1456 B that provides an evanescent field 1458 B in the free space immediately surrounding the transmission line pair, terminated by a termination 1460 B.
- a matching set of terminated transmission line pair 1456 A, with termination 1460 A and evanescent field 1458 A is present on the hidden face of transmitter assembly 1452 A facing transmitter assembly 1452 .
- the transmission line pair 1456 B is terminated by termination 1460 B, virtually no electromagnetic energy is radiated away from the transmitter assembly.
- the matching pair of transmission lines 1456 A of transmitter assembly 1450 A is brought into close proximity with the transmitter transmission line 1456 B, energy from the transmitter transmission line couples into the receiver transmission line by evanescent coupling, as represented by an arrow 1462 B.
- the two transmission lines would require relatively precise alignment and coupling lengths of several wavelengths long for high percentage coupling, the coupling process itself is quite efficient, while allowing the freedom from hardwired electrical connections. It may be noted that the process described in the foregoing is reversible such that energy transfer may occur from first transmitter assembly 1452 A toward 1452 B as well.
- the near-field terahertz communication link concept may be expanded to provide board-to-board interconnects to provide connections between standard printed circuit boards in an enclosure with high data-rate, low power backplane links.
- assembly 1470 of FIG. 14C includes a plurality of boards 1472 interconnected by a series of transmitter pairs 1400 from FIG. 14A or transmitter pairs 1450 of FIG. 14B .
- transceivers on each board are aligned to standardized positions on the boards such that the boards may be stacked in close proximity to one another.
- Each board-to-board link is terminated at each end with a transceiver assembly 1402 A or 1402 B with transceiver assemblies mounted on both sides of the boards.
- the scheme as shown in FIG. 14C includes a number of advantages over traditional, card-edge, backplane interconnects.
- transceiver pairs may be enclosed, for example, in hollow metal waveguides in order to confine the terahertz carrier signals between transceiver pairs. Examples of such waveguided structures are shown in FIGS. 15A-15C as described in detail immediately hereinafter.
- a waveguided interconnect system 1500 includes a plurality of transceiver arrangements 1502 disposed on opposing surfaces of boards 1503 .
- Waveguided interconnect system 1500 would be suitable for use, for example, as one of the transceiver pairs 1402 A- 1402 B as shown in FIG. 14C .
- Each transceiver arrangement 1502 includes a transceiver 1504 embedded therein and an alignment flange 1506 .
- Alignment flange 1506 may be formed integrally from the transceiver arrangement, as shown in FIG. 15A , or be formed separately then affixed to be a part of transceiver arrangement 1502 .
- Waveguide 1510 may be, for example, a hollow metal tube waveguide such as an extruded metal tubing or metallized plastic tubing.
- alignment flanges 1506 on the transceiver arrangements allow waveguide 1510 to be accurately aligned with respect to transceiver 1504 .
- An alignment tolerance of approximately ⁇ /20 ( 1/20 of a wavelength) is sufficient for efficient waveguiding.
- the signal free-space wavelength is 300 microns, corresponding to an alignment tolerance of approximately 15 microns, which is much relaxed in comparison to the sub-micron alignment tolerances required, for instance, in optical interconnections.
- Lateral misalignment between transceiver chips between boards corresponds to angular misalignment of transceiver to waveguide.
- this misalignment is not critical due to the large alignment tolerance enabled by the use of terahertz range frequency carrier signals.
- waveguide 1510 efficiently guides, for instance, a terahertz carrier signal 1512 from one transceiver 1506 at one end of the waveguide to another transceiver at another end of the waveguide.
- FIG. 15B An alternative waveguided interconnect system 1520 is shown in FIG. 15B .
- a plurality of transceiver arrangements 1522 are embedded in boards 1523 such that each transceiver arrangement 1522 actually protrudes on either side of each board 1523 .
- Each one of transceiver arrangements 1522 includes a pair of transceivers 1504 arranged back to back such that transceiver arrangement 1522 is capable of transmitting and receiving a terahertz carrier frequency signal 1512 from either side of board 1523 .
- transceiver arrangement 1522 includes alignment flanges 1506 such that waveguide 1510 may be aligned with respect to the transceiver arrangements on adjacent boards in order to guide terahertz carrier signal 1512 therebetween.
- a terminating waveguide 1525 including an absorber 1527 , may be used to cap the transceiver arrangement if no signal transmission in that direction is required.
- a waveguided interconnect system 1550 as shown in FIG. 15C accommodates such connection schemes by providing transceiver chips in card-edge socket packages.
- Waveguided interconnect system 1550 is configured to accept card-edge connected boards 1553 or a pass-through board 1555 to take up an empty slot, and includes a plurality of transceiver arrangements 1560 .
- Transceiver arrangements 1560 includes a slot 1562 configured for board insertion therein. In this way, transceivers 1504 embedded in transceiver arrangements 1560 are aligned at the edge of each board, and waveguide 1510 is aligned at a suitable position to guide the signals transmitted between the transceivers.
- FIG. 16A shows an interconnect system 1600 including a substrate 1602 with transceiver arrangements 1604 disposed thereon.
- Each one of transceiver arrangements 1604 includes a transceiver 1606 , a transmission line arrangement 1608 and a termination 1610 .
- Transceiver 1606 provides, for example, a terahertz frequency carrier signal (not shown in FIG. 16A for clarity) which is directed through transmission line arrangement 1608 toward termination 1610 .
- the terahertz frequency carrier signal travels through transmission line arrangement 1608 in one of the transceiver arrangements 1604 , the signal is coupled to the transmission line arrangement of the adjacent one of the transceiver arrangements by evanescent coupling. In this way, there is no requirement for energy to be radiated outside of the transceiver arrangement, thus eliminating crosstalk and wasted energy.
- FIG. 16B illustrates the coupling of a signal (represented by an energy curve 1622 ) from a first transmission line arrangement 1608 A to a second transmission line arrangement 1608 B.
- a signal represented by an energy curve 1622
- the evanescent field associated with signal 1622 couples into second transmission line arrangement 1608 B, which is placed in close proximity with first transmission line arrangement 1608 A.
- energy from signal 1622 is directed in a coupling direction, indicated by an arrow 1626 , and transferred into second transmission line arrangement 1608 B to become signal 1622 ′ propagating in a direction indicated by an arrow 1624 ′.
- the process may also take place in the opposite direction from second transmission line arrangement 1608 B toward first transmission line arrangement 1608 A.
- FIG. 16C An alternative configuration of the coupled transmission line interconnect system is shown in FIG. 16C .
- the transceiver arrangements 1604 are disposed on opposing surfaces of substrate 1602 . In this way, as long as substrate 1602 is thin enough to enable evanescent coupling therethrough, the signal from the top transceiver arrangement may be transferred to the bottom transceiver arrangement, and vice versa.
- FIG. 17A shows a terahertz opto-coupler 1700 including a pair of transceiver arrangements 1702 A and 1702 B coupled through an insulator layer 1704 .
- Transceiver arrangements 1702 A and 1702 B respectively include substrates 1706 A and 1706 B, as well as circuitry 1708 A and 1708 B.
- Circuitry 1708 A and 1708 B each includes a transceiver and, optionally, additional electronics.
- Transceiver arrangements 1702 A and 1702 B are bonded to insulator layer 1704 by bonding layers 1710 A and 1710 B, respectively.
- FIG. 17A may be readily incorporated into an electrical system by connection with electrical contacts as shown in FIG. 17B .
- terahertz opto-coupler 1700 is connected with, for example, a chip 1722 by means of ball bonds 1725 A and 1725 B.
- terahertz opto-coupler 1700 may be electrically connected with an existing chip or printed circuit board or other electrical circuitry.
- ball bonds In place of the ball bonds, other electrical contact techniques, such as those used in flip-chip bonding, may be used.
- FIG. 17C illustrates a further variation of the terahertz opto-coupler including an insulator layer.
- an opto-coupler 1750 includes integrated circuit assemblies 1754 A and 1754 B.
- Integrated circuit assemblies 1754 A and 1754 B respectively include substrates 1756 A and 1756 B supporting electronic circuitry 1758 A and 1758 B, respectively.
- transceiver circuitry 1760 A and 1760 B are disposed thereon.
- Integrated circuit assemblies 1754 A and 1754 B are brought into electrical contact with transceiver circuitry 1760 A and 1760 B by means of a plurality of ball bonds 1762 and/or other types of electrical contact techniques.
- the terahertz interconnect techniques of the present invention may be used to provide fast, opto-couplers that are readily compatible with existing electronic circuitry.
- a reflective layer may be disposed between the circuitry layer and the waveguide layer for better isolation of the waveguide layer from the circuitry as well as for improved coupling of optical signals from the waveguide into the electron tunneling devices (see, for example, the P2-cip application).
- the waveguide layer shown, for example, in FIG. 1A may be a separately deposited waveguide or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) integrated waveguide.
- the substrate itself may be optically transmissive or guiding such that the optical signal may be provided from the substrate side of the interconnect arrangement rather than being edge-fed or incident from the top side.
- a variety of light coupling arrangements may be included in the embodiments of the present invention such as, and not limited to, antennas (as shown in, for instance, FIGS. 1A and 6A ), grating couplers and surface plasmon evanescent couplers, all of which are discussed in detail in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications.
- terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is an optical-to-terahertz interconnect interface.
- an incoming signal in an optical fiber for instance, must be converted to a much lower carrier frequency, such as in or near the terahertz range, and vice versa.
- a much lower carrier frequency e.g., having a carrier frequency in or near the terahertz range, or vice versa. This conversion can be accomplished by a number of means.
- One is to receive the optical signal in a optical fiber receiver that converts the signal to a pure electronic one, and then use this signal to modulate a terahertz-wave transmitter, as described herein.
- Another approach is to use mixing in a nonlinear device, in which the optical signal is mixed with an optical frequency that differs from that of the optical signal carrier frequency by a specified near-terahertz-range frequency. The result will include the same signal now having a carrier frequency of the specified near-terahertz-range frequency.
- the nonlinear device that performs this function can include an antenna/metal-insulator based device to perform the receiving, mixing, and/or re-emission functions.
Abstract
An assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data and a transmitting arrangement, connected with the first electrical circuitry, for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz. The assembly also includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
Description
- The present application is a continuation of copending application Ser. No. 10/462,491, filed on Jun. 14, 2001; which is a continuation-in-part application Ser. No. 10/337,427, filed on Jan. 6, 2003; which is a continuation-in-part of applications 1) Ser. No. 09/860,988, filed May 21, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,784, 2) Ser. No. 09/860,972, filed May 21, 2001 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,564,185, 3) Ser. No. 10/103,054, filed on Mar. 20, 2002, and 4) Ser. No. 10/140,535, filed May 6, 2002. All of the aforementioned patent applications and patents are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- The present invention relates generally to electronic devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to interconnection of electronic devices at carrier frequencies in a range from a few gigahertz to several hundreds of terahertz, and more specifically to terahertz interconnection of electronic devices.
- Increased amounts and speed of data transfer in communication and computing systems pose a challenge to the current state of device technology. Large quantities of information must be transferred quickly across distances ranging from very short distances, from between chips as well as between boards containing chips, to longer distances between racks of devices, very short reach (VSR)/optical Ethernet and beyond. Even with the development of high-speed communications switches and routers, the data must be taken in and out of such high-speed devices at compatibly high rates in order for the entire system to function efficiently.
- Radio frequency (RF) inter-chip and intra-chip connections have been developed as a possible way of transferring data within and between chips. However, RF interconnects use large antennae and/or waveguides on or connected to chips, thus requiring valuable on-chip and device “real estate.” RF interconnects are limited in data transfer speed due to the use of radio frequencies. Furthermore, It is submitted that the design and manufacture of such RF lines for high signal frequencies is an expensive part of prior art RF interconnection design.
- Other researchers have suggested the use of optical signals as an alternative to electrical signals in providing inter- and intra-chip connections.1 For instance, parallel fiber-optic interconnects which are edge-connected to semiconductor devices have been developed for use within systems with a large number of electronic components (e.g., computers).2 Although optical interconnect technology promises the possibility of higher rate data transfer than electrical interconnects, optical interconnect technology, as heretofore suggested, is still cost prohibitive in comparison. There is potentially a huge market for high speed interconnect arrangements because all desktop computers and local area networks would benefit from the use of high speed interconnects between components on chips, between chips, etc.
- Currently, electrical interconnects are generally used in communication and computing systems for power and data signal distribution, such as in bus lines, etc. Electrical interconnects, however, require hardwired connections such as, for example, lithographed lead lines on a chip, wire bonds from the chip to a chip package, pins leading from inside the package to a circuit board, printed circuit board wiring, edge connectors from circuit board to other boards, input/output (I/O) devices, data storage devices, and others. Such hardwired connections add parasitic capacitance, inductance, and resistance, which seriously degrade data transmission at high data bandwidths. Thus, the cost and performance limitations of electrical interconnects are compounded as circuits are made to operate at increasingly high frequencies. At high frequencies, electrical interconnects are limited in connection distance and require large amounts of power as well as signal reconditioning. Applicants submit that there are at least two issues contributing to this problem. First issue is the relative change in material properties, such as refractive index and electromagnetic radiation propagation speed, over the bandwidth of the signal. A second, and perhaps more significant, issue is the relative difference in wavelength over the bandwidth of the signal. For example, if the signal bandwidth is centered at zero frequency (i.e., DC), then the wavelength of different signal components may range from infinity (for the DC components) to, for instance, centimeters for components at tens of gigahertz. This enormous range in wavelength makes it difficult to design electrical transmission paths which will work efficiently over the entire bandwidth range.
- In addition to the aforementioned RF inter- and intra-chip interconnects, other wireless interconnects at other frequencies have also been suggested. For example, wireless data communications link between circuit components using GaAs-based MIMIC transmit/receive integrated circuit devices, operating at high-bandwidth millimeter-wave frequencies, coupled to corresponding circuit components, such as digital processing units (or CPUs) have been disclosed by Metze in U.S. Pat. No. 5,754,948 (hereinafter, Metze). It is submitted, however, that GaAs-based MIMICs are complex devices which require expensive epitaxial growth techniques in the fabrication. Applicants submit that epitaxial growth techniques are expensive and severely limit the integration of devices with different epitaxial layer structures. Also, the disclosure of Metze is confined to millimeter-wave frequencies; specifically, the transmit/receive circuit of Metze is described as preferably operating:
-
- at frequency ranges above 35 GHz, and most preferably at frequencies between 60 GHz and 94 GHz . . . other frequencies may be utilized and still fall within the standard I.E.E.E. definition of “millimeter-wave” for purposes of this invention. (Metze, column 5 lines 25-32)
- Regarding the “standard I.E.E.E. definition of ‘millimeter-wave”’ as referred to by Metze, according to the IEEE Virtual Museum website, the millimeter wave region is generally considered to correspond to 30 GHz to 300 GHz.3
- As another example of wireless interconnects, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,111, Duling, III, et al. (hereinafter Duling) discloses a communication system for transmitting and receiving terahertz signals, which involves the generation of sub-picosecond (i.e., terahertz) pulses for transmission of data. However, Applicants submit that ultrashort pulse generation, such as that disclosed in Duling, require complex systems such as femtosecond lasers that are impractical to use as a replacement for local electrical interconnects. As will be described at appropriate points below, the present invention recognizes certain problems with both the electrical interconnects and wireless interconnection schemes which are thought to be unresolved by the prior art.
- As will be seen hereinafter, the present invention provides a significant improvement over the prior art as discussed above by virtue of its ability to provide the increased performance while, at the same time, having significant advantages in its manufacturability. This assertion is true for electromagnetic devices generally, which take advantage of the present invention, as well as data communication and computing devices in particular.
- As will be described in more detail hereinafter, there is disclosed herein an integrated circuit chip including a formation of integrated layers. The integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component as well as an integrated electron tunneling device. The integrated electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers. The integrated electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The integrated electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers, and the integrated electron tunneling device is electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- In one aspect of the invention, a method for fabricating an integrated circuit chip is disclosed. The method includes forming a plurality of integrated layers, where the forming step includes the steps of defining at least one integrated electronic component and defining an integrated electron tunneling device. The integrated electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers. The integrated electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The integrated electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers. The method further includes electrically connecting the integrated electron tunneling device with the integrated electronic component.
- In another aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip includes a formation of integrated layers, which integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component. The integrated circuit chip also includes an electron tunneling device including first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers. The electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The electron tunneling device further includes an antenna structure connected with the first and second non-insulating layers, and the electron tunneling device is formed on top of and separately from the formation of integrated layers without interference with an intended function of the integrated electronic component and its spatial location while being electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- In still another aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip includes a formation of integrated layers, which formation of integrated layers is configured to define at least one integrated electronic component and is further configured to define an integrated optoelectronic device having an antenna. The antenna is configured to receive an optical signal. The integrated optoelectronic device is electrically connected with the integrated electronic component.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip includes a formation of integrated layers defining at least one integrated electronic component. The integrated circuit chip also includes an optoelectronic device having an antenna, which antenna is configured to receive an optical signal incident thereon. The optoelectronic device is formed on top of and separately from the formation of integrated layers without interference with an intended function of the integrated electronic component and its spatial location while being electrically connected with the integrated electronic component. In an alternative embodiment, the optoelectronic device is configured to provide an optical signal while the antenna is configured instead to transmit the optical signal.
- In a further aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip includes at least one substrate and circuitry formed on the substrate, which circuitry includes at least first and second integrated electronic components. The integrated circuit chip also includes a first optoelectronic device for providing an optical signal. The first optoelectronic device includes a first antenna, which first antenna is configured to emit the optical signal, and the first optoelectronic device is supported on the substrate while being electrically connected with the first integrated electronic component. The integrated circuit chip further includes a second optoelectronic device. The second optoelectronic device includes a second antenna, which second antenna is configured to receive the optical signal from the first antenna such that first and second optoelectronic devices are in optical communication with one another, while the second optoelectronic device is also supported on the substrate and is electrically connected with the second integrated electronic component.
- In a still further aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit assembly includes first and second substrates. First circuitry, including at least a first integrated electronic component, is formed on the first substrate, and second circuitry, including at least a second integrated electronic component, is formed on the second substrate. The integrated circuit assembly also includes a first optoelectronic device for providing an optical signal. The first optoelectronic device includes a first antenna, which is configured to emit the optical signal, and is supported on the first substrate while being electrically connected with the first integrated electronic component. The integrated circuit assembly further includes a second optoelectronic device including a second antenna. The second optoelectronic device is supported on the second substrate and is electrically connected with the second integrated electronic component. The second antenna is configured to receive the optical signal from the first antenna such that the first and second optoelectronic devices are in optical communication with one another.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes an optoelectronic system, in which an optical signal is present and which includes at least one optoelectronic device configured to act on the optical signal. The assembly also includes an electron tunneling device also configured to act on the optical signal. The electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers, which arrangement is configured serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes a first amorphous layer configured such that using only the first amorphous layer in the arrangement would result in a given value of nonlinearity in the transport of electrons, with respect to the given voltage. The arrangement also includes a different, second layer disposed directly adjacent to and configured to cooperate with the first amorphous layer such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling through the first amorphous layer and the second layer, and such that the nonlinearity, with respect to the given voltage, is increased over and above the given value of nonlinearity by the inclusion of the second layer without the necessity for any additional layer. The assembly further includes an optical configuration cooperating with the electron tunneling device and with the optoelectronic device such that the optical signal is transmitted therebetween.
- In a still another aspect of the invention, a device includes a waveguide, which waveguide in turn includes an optical input port. The optical input port is configured for receiving an input light. The waveguide also includes an optical output port and is configured for directing the input light from the optical input port toward the optical output port. The device also includes an optoelectronic assembly, which includes an electron tunneling device. The electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers, which are spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided thereacross, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The optoelectronic assembly also includes a coupling arrangement configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling device and the waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light from the waveguide into the electron tunneling device.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, an arrangement includes an optical waveguide with an optical input port, which optical input port is configured for receiving an input light, and an optical output port. The optical waveguide is configured for directing the input light from the optical input port toward the optical output port. The arrangement further includes an optoelectronic assembly with a surface plasmon device, which is configured to act on an input signal. The surface plasmon device includes a device input port, which is configured to receive the input signal, a device output port and a structure including a tunneling junction connected with the device input port and the device output port. The tunneling junction is configured in a way (i) which provides electrons in a particular energy state within the structure, (ii) which produces surface plasmons in response to the input signal, (iii) which causes the structure to act as a surface plasmon waveguide for directing at least a portion of the surface plasmons along a predetermined path toward the device output port such that the surface plasmons so directed interact with the electrons in a particular way, and (iv) which produces at the device output port an output signal resulting from the particular interaction between the electrons and the surface plasmons. The optoelectronic assembly further includes a coupling arrangement, which is configured to cooperate with the surface plasmon device and the optical waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light from the waveguide into the surface plasmon device as the input signal.
- In a further aspect of the invention, an integrated circuit chip includes a substrate and a formation of integrated layers supported on the substrate, which integrated layers are configured so as to define at least one integrated electronic component. The integrated circuit chip also includes an optical waveguide, which is also supported on the substrate and includes an optical input port configured for receiving an input light including a clock signal encoded thereon. The integrated circuit chip further includes at least one optoelectronic assembly electrically connected with the integrated electronic component and including an electron tunneling device. The electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided thereacross. The electron tunneling device also includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulting layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The optoelectronic assembly also includes a coupling arrangement configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling device and the optical waveguide for coupling at least a portion of the input light including the clock signal from the waveguide into the electron tunneling device. The electron tunneling device is configured to (i) receive the portion of the input light, (ii) produce an electric signal and (iii) transmit the electric signal toward the integrated electronic component electrically connected with the optoelectronic assembly for use by the integrated electronic component.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data. A transmitting arrangement is connected with the first electrical circuitry and is configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal.
- In still another aspect of the invention, a method for use in an assembly including at least a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data and a second electrical circuitry for receiving a second electrical signal is disclosed. The method includes connecting the first electrical circuitry with a transmitting arrangement configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz. The method further includes connecting the second electrical circuitry with a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into the second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data to be received by the second electrical circuitry.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, another method for use in an assembly including at least a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data and a second electrical circuitry for receiving a second electrical signal is disclosed. The method includes, at a first location, receiving the first electrical signal from the first electrical circuitry, and converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz. The method further includes, at a second location, receiving the electromagnetic signal, converting the electromagnetic signal into the second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and directing the second electrical signal to the second electrical circuitry.
- In a further aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, which includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers. The electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- In a still further aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency of at least three gigahertz. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device.
- In a yet further aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes a metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing first data, and a first transceiver arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into a first electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the first data. The assembly further includes a second transceiver arrangement configured for receiving the first electromagnetic signal and for converting the first electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the first data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the second transceiver arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. At least one of the first and second transceiver arrangements includes an electron tunneling device. The electron tunneling device includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers. The arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling.
- In still another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving at least the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of the data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical, signal. At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements is configured to provide electron tunneling and includes an antenna connected therewith.
- In a further aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The electromagnetic signal has a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz. The assembly also includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. The transmitting arrangement and the receiving arrangement are disposed in close proximity to one another such that the electromagnetic signal is transmitted from the transmitting arrangement to the receiving arrangement at least in part by means of coupled-mode energy transfer.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and a transmitting arrangement connected with the first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving the first electrical signal and for converting the first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data. The assembly further includes a receiving arrangement configured for receiving the electromagnetic signal and for converting the electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of the portion of data, and a second electrical circuitry connected with the receiving arrangement and configured for receiving the second electrical signal. At least one of the transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, which in turn includes first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be applied across the first and second non-insulating layers. The electron tunneling device further includes an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to the first and second non-insulating layers, where the arrangement includes at least a first layer configured such that the transport of electrons includes, at least in part, transport by means of tunneling. The transmitting arrangement and the receiving arrangement are disposed in close proximity to one another such that the electromagnetic signal is transmitted from the transmitting arrangement to the receiving arrangement at least in part by means of coupled-mode energy transfer.
- In still another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module for receiving the output electrical signal and for converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. The assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment, where the first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing data is disclosed. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate. The integrated circuit package is configured for accommodating the integrated circuit module thereon, and includes a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module for receiving the output electrical signal and for converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. The assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In still yet another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data is disclosed. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes an integrated circuit package configured for accommodating the integrated circuit module thereon. The integrated circuit package includes a transceiver arrangement connected with the integrated circuit module and configured for receiving the output electrical signal, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the integrated circuit package.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package. The assembly further includes a socket arrangement supported on the substrate and configured for receiving the integrated circuit package thereon. The socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement disposed therein such that the transceiver arrangement receives the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. The assembly also includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment, where the first segment is also supported on the substrate and is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In still another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package is disclosed. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module, for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs, for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package is disclosed. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data, includes a substrate and a socket arrangement supported on the substrate and configured for receiving the integrated circuit package thereon. The socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement disposed therein such that the transceiver arrangement receives the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. The assembly further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is also supported on the substrate and is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package is disclosed. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module, for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, and a plurality of electrical pin-outs, for directing the output electrical signal away from the integrated circuit module and away from the integrated circuit package. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting said output data includes a socket arrangement configured for accommodating the integrated circuit package thereon. The socket arrangement includes a transceiver arrangement configured for receiving the output electrical signal from the plurality of electrical pin-outs, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the socket arrangement.
- In another aspect of the invention, an assembly includes a substrate and an integrated circuit package supported on the substrate and containing an integrated circuit module. The integrated circuit module is configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data. The assembly also includes an electrical interconnect also supported on the substrate and having first and second ends, where the first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end. The assembly further includes a transceiver package also supported on the substrate and including a transceiver chip. The transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect such that the transceiver chip receives the output electrical signal and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. Additionally, the assembly includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is also supported on the substrate and configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In yet another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package is disclosed. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes a substrate configured for supporting the integrated circuit module thereon. The substrate includes an electrical interconnect having first and second ends. The first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end. The substrate also includes a transceiver package including a transceiver chip. The transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect such that the transceiver chip receives the output electrical signal and converts the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data. The substrate further includes a waveguide having a first segment and a distinct, second segment. The first segment is configured for receiving at least a portion of the output electromagnetic signal and directing the portion of the output electromagnetic signal toward the distinct, second segment of the waveguide.
- In still another aspect of the invention, an assembly for use in a system including an integrated circuit package is disclosed. The integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data. This assembly for receiving the integrated circuit module and extracting the output data includes an electrical interconnect having first and second ends. The first end is connected with the integrated circuit module through the integrated circuit package and is configured to receive the output electrical signal such that the output electrical signal is directed through the electrical interconnect toward the second end. The assembly also includes a transceiver package including a transceiver chip. The transceiver chip is connected with the second end of the electrical interconnect and is configured for receiving the output electrical signal, converting the output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the output data, and directing the output electromagnetic signal away from the transceiver package.
- The present invention may be understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings briefly described below. It is noted that, for purposes of illustrative clarity, certain elements in the drawings may not be drawn to scale.
-
FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate an embodiment including a planar waveguide on a chip as the interconnection. -
FIGS. 1B and 1C are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, showing details of electron tunneling devices suitable for use in the interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention. -
FIG. 1D is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of an alternative embodiment of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of a double antenna electron tunneling device. -
FIGS. 1E and 1F are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of additional embodiments of an interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of surface plasmon devices. -
FIGS. 2A and 2B are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, of embodiments of an edge-fed, optical clock distribution scheme of the present invention. -
FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrammatic illustrations of a top-fed, optical clock distribution scheme of the present invention. -
FIGS. 4A-4D are diagrammatic illustrations of another interconnected electron tunneling device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate embodiments including optical fiber as the interconnection between devices on separate chips. -
FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic illustration of still another interconnected electron tunneling device in accordance with the present invention, shown here to illustrate the use of free-space optical interconnection between electron tunneling devices on separate chips. -
FIGS. 6A-6E are diagrammatic illustrations of a waveguide-coupled device of the present invention, shown here to illustrate various embodiments of the coupling of electron tunneling devices with a waveguide, as used in the aforementioned interconnected electron tunneling devices. -
FIGS. 7A-7D are diagrammatic illustrations of an alternative waveguide-coupled device of the present invention and applications. -
FIGS. 8A-8C are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of examples of packaging options and applications for the waveguide-coupled device of the present invention. -
FIGS. 9A-9D are diagrammatic illustrations of examples of layout configurations for a terahertz interconnect system in accordance with the present invention. -
FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic illustration of a power/clock distribution scheme designed in accordance with the present invention. -
FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic illustration of a terahertz optocoupler designed in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of examples of a three-dimensional interconnection system designed in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 13A-13D are diagrammatic illustrations of assemblies for integrating electrical circuitry such as, for example, standard integrated circuit chips, into the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention. -
FIGS. 14A-14C are diagrammatic illustrations of a board-to-board interconnection scheme based on the terahertz interconnect of the present invention.FIG. 14A a diagrammatic illustration of a side view of a plurality of boards interconnected by a plurality of interconnected, transceiver chip pairs, whileFIGS. 14B-14C are diagrammatic illustrations, in perspective view, of two examples of pairs of interconnected, transceiver chips in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 15A-15C are diagrammatic illustrations of terahertz interconnect systems including guided wave configurations in accordance with the present invention. -
FIGS. 16A-16C are diagrammatic illustrations of embodiments of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention, shown here to illustrate an example of a transmitter/receiver pair including coupled transmission lines on a surface of a substrate (FIG. 16A ), a close-up of the coupled transmission lines (FIG. 16B ), and an alternative arrangement of the transmitter and receiver on opposing faces of a substrate (FIG. 16C ). -
FIGS. 17A-17C are diagrammatic illustrations, in cross-section, of exemplary embodiments of coupling schemes to establish communication between two electronic circuitry on two separate substrates, such as two integrated circuit chips, based on the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention. - The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiment shown but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.
- As described in the Background section, there is a growing need for high speed interconnection between devices over short distances, such as between racks, boards, chips, as well as between components located on a single chip. These interconnection arrangements must be capable of high speed transmission of data and should be low cost. The interconnection arrangements and systems need to be competitive and compatible with current state-of-the-art electrical interconnects in terms of cost, speed, power, distance, requirement for signal processing and allowance of plug-n-play. For low cost, high speed and highest level of integration, the interconnect components may be integrated directly onto silicon integrated circuitry. The interconnect should ideally be compatible with standardized systems and interfaces provided by existing suppliers. In order to accommodate the current state of the technology, the interconnect should be compatible with multi-mode fibers and be time division multiplexing (TDM) or coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) compatible. Alternatively, depending on the application in which the interconnect is to be used, single-mode fibers might also be used. Polarization-insensitivity is desirable in order to reduce signal loss. VCSEL devices are the mainstay light sources in the current art; therefore the interconnection arrangement should be compatible with VCSEL devices. Currently-available VCSEL devices operate at 850 nm and, potentially, at 1300 and 1550 nm wavelengths. Furthermore, current VCSELs operate at 2.5 Gbps, while 10 Gbps and, in the future, 80 Gbps devices may be available. The interconnect should also be temperature-insensitive in order for the interconnect to be incorporated onto silicon integrated circuitry. For example, as will be described in detail hereinafter, the interconnect may be top-side coupled onto CMOS-integrated components.
- Recent progress in tunneling junction technology by the assignee of the present application has greatly increased the flexibility in fabrication and design of electron tunneling devices based on metal-insulator(s)-metal structures, thus allowing the fabrication of high speed electron tunneling devices. For example, see aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,784 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-P001; hereinafter, P1 patent), U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,185 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-P002; hereinafter, P2 patent) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/103,054 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-3; hereinafter, P3 application), Ser. No. 10,140,545 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-3cip; hereinafter P3-cip application), Ser. No. 10/265,935 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-1cip; hereinafter P1-cip application) and Ser. No. 10/337,427 (Attorney Docket Number Phiar-5; hereinafter P5 application). All of the aforementioned patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
- As described in the P5 application, the electron tunneling devices as disclosed in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents as well as P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications are particularly suited for integration onto existing chips because combination of metal and insulating layers forming each electron tunneling device may be deposited directly on the chips without the need for additional semiconductor processing steps. That is, the electron tunneling devices of the aforementioned applications may be formed monolithically on existing semiconductor devices without high temperature or crystalline growth procedures. Additionally, unlike hybrid integration assemblies, in which separately-fabricated devices are surface mounted or flip-chip bonded onto existing chips, the electron tunneling devices developed by the assignee of the present invention may be formed directly on the chips themselves. Furthermore, as described in detail in the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications, the electron tunneling devices as disclosed in these applications are capable of operating at high speeds, thus enabling these devices to function in optical regimes and at high data rates. Still further, the electron tunneling devices may be integrated into the circuitry itself (i.e., formed during the fabrication procedure of the circuitry as a part of the circuitry components), if so desired. Therefore, by incorporating the electron tunneling devices of the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications as part of an optical interconnect assembly, a high speed interconnection solution for use between components on chips, between chips and so on may be attained.
- Moreover, the electron tunneling devices developed by the assignee of the present invention may be fabricated directly adjacent to a waveguide and be configured to cooperate with the waveguide so as to absorb an evanescent field portion of a lightwave traveling through the waveguide. For example, the electron tunneling device may include an antenna designed to couple light of a particular wavelength (e.g., optical wavelengths) out of the waveguide and into a tunneling junction region of the electron tunneling device. Alternatively, the electron tunneling devices may be fabricated within a waveguide so as to absorb the propagating field portion of the a lightwave traveling through the waveguide. As will be discussed in detail at an appropriate point in the text below, the concept of combining the electron tunneling devices with a waveguide is significant in that it allows the coupling of light energy into and out of the waveguide as well as the directing of light energy to electronic devices as electrical energy. This concept may be utilized to provide high speed interconnections between optical and electronic components, as will be discussed in detail immediately hereinafter.
- Turning now to the drawings, wherein like components are indicated by like reference numbers throughout the various figures, attention is immediately directed to
FIG. 1A , which illustrates an approach to the interconnection of two electron tunneling structures on a chip in accordance with the present invention.FIG. 1A is a diagrammatic illustration, in perspective view, of aninterconnect assembly 10.Interconnect assembly 10 includes achip 11, which includescircuitry 12 formed on top of asubstrate 13. Awaveguide region 14 is defined onchip 11, and a firstelectron tunneling device 16 and a secondelectron tunneling device 18 are formed on top ofwaveguide region 14. First and secondelectron tunneling devices Waveguide region 14 may be formed, for example, of polymers, dielectric materials such as glass, fused silica and silicon-on-insulator, photonic crystals, lithium niobate, organic materials and photonic bandgap materials. In the embodiment illustrated inFIG. 1A , first and secondelectron tunneling devices electron tunneling devices squares 24 and 26) on the chip by, for example, pairs ofmetal lines electronic components - Still referring to
FIG. 1A , a number of different configurations of the interconnect assembly of the present invention are contemplated. As an example, firstelectron tunneling device 16 may be a modulator, as described in the P2 patent or P3 or P3-cip application, and secondelectron tunneling device 18 may be a detector, as described in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications. In this case, an external continuous wave (CW) light source (not shown) may feed a CW light, indicated by anarrow 40, intowaveguide 14, then the circuitry on the chip may cause first electron tunneling device 16 (modulator) to modulate the CW light in the waveguide so as to produce a modulated light, indicated by awavy arrow 42. The manner in which the first electron tunneling device may act as a modulator is described in detail in the aforementioned P2 patent and P3 applications.Waveguide region 14 may be further configured to act as an interconnect between the firstelectron tunneling device 16 and secondelectron tunneling device 18 such that second electron tunneling device 18 (detector) detects modulated light 42 to generate an electrical signal, indicated by anarrow 44.Electrical signal 44 can then be directed back into the existing circuitry on the chip or be coupled out to integratedelectronic component 26. Alternatively, secondelectron tunneling device 18 may be configured to detect only a portion of modulated light 42 such that a slightly attenuated, output light, indicated by awavy arrow 46, is further directed throughwaveguide 14 to be coupled out of the chip. As yet another alternative, secondelectron tunneling device 18 may be replaced by a conventional detector which is not based on electron tunneling such as, for example, a semiconductor-based detector. - Continuing to refer to
FIG. 1A ,interconnect assembly 10 is advantageous in that an optical means of interconnecting various devices on-chip as well as off-chip is provided without additional complications in the chip circuitry itself. As described in detail in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3 application, the electron tunneling devices disclosed by the assignee of the present invention may be formed of readily depositable materials, such as metals and insulators. As a result, firstelectron tunneling device 16 may be formed directly on top of a chip, as shown inFIG. 1A , without interference with the intended function of the integrated electronic components in the chip circuitry or displacing existing circuitry on the chip, using relatively simple, deposition and lithography, rather than semiconductor crystalline growth techniques. Also, rather than relying upon a direct, hardwire electrical connection from the portion of the chip circuitry nearcomponent 24 to thatnear component 26, data may be transferred between the two regions on the chip by the optical interconnection between the first electron tunneling device and the second electron tunneling device. Furthermore, modulatedlight 46, which contains information as encoded onto firstelectron tunneling device 16 acting as a modulator, may be directed onto a site away fromchip 11 such that the encoded information is transmitted off-chip at optical speeds. - Referring now to
FIGS. 1B and 1C , possible configurations for the electron tunneling devices shown inFIG. 1A are described.FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of an electron tunneling device suitable for use in the interconnect assembly of the present invention as shown in FIG. IA. This electron tunneling device is similar in design to those shown in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents. Anelectron tunneling device 16B includes a firstnon-insulating layer 50, which forms one of the antenna arms (e.g.,antenna arm 20 inFIG. 1A ) of the first electron tunneling device. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 1B , firstnon-insulating layer 50 is deposited on top ofwaveguide 14, which in turn has been formed on top ofcircuitry 12. Firstnon-insulating layer 50 may be, for example, a metal, semi-metal, semiconductor or superconductor. Afirst layer 52 is deposited also on top ofwaveguide 14 such thatfirst layer 52 partially overlaps firstnon-insulating layer 50.First layer 52 may be, for example, an amorphous or crystalline insulating material. The portion which overlaps with firstnon-insulating layer 50 may be, for instance, an oxide of the first non-insulating layer or a separately deposited, amorphous insulating layer. A secondnon-insulating layer 54 is deposited on top offirst layer 52 such that atunneling junction region 60B is formed by the overlapping portions of firstnon-insulating layer 50,first layer 52 and secondnon-insulating layer 54. Second insulatinglayer 54 defines the other of the antenna arms (e.g.,antenna arm 21 inFIG. 1A ) of firstelectron tunneling device 16B, and may be formed of, for example, a metal, semi-metal, semiconductor or superconductor. In a tunneling junction region (indicated by a dashedbox 60B), first and second non-insulating layers are spaced apart from one another such that a voltage (not shown) may be applied thereacross.First layer 52 is further configured to cooperate with the materials forming the first and second non-insulating layers such that electrons are allowed to travel therethrough by means of tunneling depending on the voltage placed across the first and second non-insulating layers. That is, the thickness offirst layer 52 as well as the material from which the first layer is formed are selected such that first electron tunneling device exhibits the desired electron tunneling characteristics. For instance, the first non-insulating layer may be 40 nm of nickel, and the second non-insulating material may also be 40 nm of nickel, both deposited by sputtering. The first layer may consist of, for example, a layer of nickel oxide, 4 nm thick, formed by thermal oxidation. - Referring now to
FIG. 1C , a variation of the electron tunneling device ofFIG. 1B is illustrated. Anelectron tunneling device 16C is based on the structures described in the co-assigned P1 patent mentioned earlier. Likeelectron tunneling device 16B shown inFIG. 1B ,electron tunneling device 16C includes first and secondnon-insulating layers first layer 52 disposed therebetween. Additionally, atunneling region 60C ofelectron tunneling device 16C includes asecond layer 62. As described in detail in the P1 patent, the addition ofsecond layer 62 serves to increase the nonlinearity in the current-voltage characteristics of the electron tunneling device. Moreover, the inclusion of the second layer allows the possibility of resonant tunneling as the electron transport mechanism through the electron tunneling device.Second layer 62 may be, for example, an amorphous or crystalline insulating layer. For instance, the first non-insulating layer may be 40 nm of niobium, and the second non-insulating material may be 40 nm of tantalum, both deposited by sputtering. The first layer may consist of amorphous niobium oxide, 1.5 nm thick, on top of which is deposited amorphous tantalum oxide, also 1.5 nm thick, both deposited by atomic layer deposition. - It should be noted that, the modifications shown in
FIGS. 1B and 1C may be applied to one or both of first and secondelectron tunneling devices FIG. 1A . Additional modifications, such as the addition of three or more adjacent insulating layers or a combination of metal and insulating layers between the first and second non-insulating layers as shown inFIGS. 1B and 1C , are also contemplated and discussed in the aforementioned co-assigned U.S. patent applications. - Additional variations on the interconnect assembly of the present invention are shown in
FIGS. 1D-1F .FIG. 1D is similar to the interconnect assembly shown inFIG. 1A , but firstelectron tunneling device 16 has been replaced with anelectron tunneling modulator 72.Electron tunneling modulator 72 includes first and second pairs of antenna arms. First pair ofantenna arms FIG. 1A , and is designed to receiveinput light 40 and modulate it so as to produce modulatedlight 42. As discussed in reference toFIGS. 1B and 1C ,antenna arms wires Electron tunneling device 72 further includes a second pair ofantenna arms optical modulation input 75.Optical modulation input 75 acts as an optical modulation signal to vary the electron transport characteristics of the tunneling junction region, thus, again, such thatelectron tunneling device 72 yields modulated light 42 in accordance with the optical modulation signal. Details of such a crossed-bowtie antenna modulator are disclosed in the aforementioned P2 patent. Additionally, second pair ofantenna arms electronic component 78 incircuitry 12 viawires -
FIG. 1E shows yet another alternative embodiment of aninterconnect assembly 80, this time using a surface plasmon device of the P3 application as a detector device, in place of secondelectron tunneling device 18 ininterconnect assembly 10 ofFIG. 1A . Asurface plasmon device 82 includes a pair ofantenna arms electron tunneling device 16.Antenna arms electrical signal 44 in accordance with the received modulated light. - As yet another alternative, an
interconnect assembly 90, as shown inFIG. 1F , may include asurface plasmon device 92 acting as an emitter, such as described in the P3 application. For instance, ininterconnect assembly 90 as shown inFIG. 1F ,surface plasmon device 92 receives anelectrical signal 93 from integratedelectrical component 28, which is a part of the chip circuitry. The received electrical signal generates surface plasmon waves (not shown) in a surfaceplasmon waveguide region 94. A pair ofantenna arms surface plasmon device 92 acts as an emitter antenna to emit the generated surface plasmon waves as anoutput light 46. -
FIGS. 1A-1F illustrate interconnect assemblies in which light coupling from the waveguide into and out of electron tunneling devices and surface plasmon devices is performed using antennae. It should be noted that other light coupling schemes are also possible. For example, as disclosed in the P3 application, surface plasmon evanescent couplers and grating couplers may also be used in the interconnect assembly of the present invention. - An application of the interconnect assembly of the present invention is shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B .FIG. 2A illustrates a cross-sectional view of anintegrated circuit chip 100A including an optical clock distribution configuration. Integratedcircuit chip 100A includescircuitry 12 disposed onsubstrate 13 as discussed earlier. Integratedcircuit chip 100A also includes atunneling device layer 102 based on aninsulator 104 with awaveguide layer 110 disposed thereon.Tunneling device layer 102 includes two or moreelectron tunneling devices 116, which are connected tocircuitry 12 through, for example,vias 118. Each one of the electron tunneling devices may be configured as a detector as described, for example, in the P1 and P2 patents and P3 application. In the integrated circuit chip shown inFIG. 2A , anoptical signal 120, carrying a clock signal shown as awaveform 122, is edge-coupled intowaveguide layer 110.Optical signal 120 may have a sufficiently long wavelength (e.g., 1550 nm) such that the optical signal is not absorbed by, for example, a silicon substrate or silicon components in the circuitry but only by the electron tunneling devices. Asoptical signal 120 is guided throughwaveguide layer 110, each one ofelectron tunneling devices 116 detects a portion of the optical signal, converts the optical signal into an electrical signal (not shown) and communicates the electrical signal tocircuitry 12. In this way, the clock signal encoded ontooptical signal 120 is very quickly distributed across the entire chip with minimal clock phase skew. - A variation of the optical distribution configuration of
FIG. 2A is illustrated inFIG. 2B , showing a cross-sectional view of anintegrated circuit chip 100B. Likeintegrated circuit chip 100A ofFIG. 2A , integratedcircuit chip 100B includessubstrate 13 andwaveguide 110, but the electronic circuitry and electron tunneling device layers have been combined. Acombination layer 130 includes circuitry 132 withelectron tunneling devices 116 monolithically integrated thereon such thatelectron tunneling devices 116B are disposed alongside electrical components (not individually shown) in the circuitry layer.Electron tunneling devices 116B may be formed during the same fabrication steps as those used to form circuitry 132 or may be formed separately following the fabrication of circuitry 132. - The optical clock distribution configurations shown in
FIGS. 2A and 2B present an improvement over the conventional, electrical clock distribution schemes, in which clock signals are provided as electrical signal through electrical lines that take up chip real estate, produce significant clock skew and produce electromagnetic pickup. The optical clock distribution configurations ofFIGS. 2A and 2B avoid these problems inherent to electrical clock signals by taking advantage of the fact that the interconnect assembly of the present invention, including the electron tunneling devices and waveguide, may be added on top of an existing integrated circuitry chip. It is often a difficult task in chip layout design to ensure that the clock signal reaches all parts of the chip simultaneously without degradation and while maintaining a constant phase across the chip. Since optical signals in waveguides travel much more quickly and more directly than electrical signals in electrical lines, an optical clock signal may be distributed over the chip much more quickly than an electrical clock signal. The optical clock signal broadcast into the waveguide layer may be picked up by the electron tunneling devices through, for instance, vias where needed. - Various modifications to the optical clock distribution configuration of
FIGS. 2A and 2B are contemplated. One such example is shown inFIGS. 3A and 3B . Like previously discussed embodiments of the present invention, anintegrated circuit chip 150 shown inFIG. 3A includescircuitry 12 on top of asubstrate 13. Likeintegrated circuit chip 100A ofFIG. 2A , integratedcircuit chip 150 also includestunneling device layer 102. Integratedcircuit chip 150 further includes a modifiedwaveguide layer 152, which is designed to receiveoptical signal 120 carrying aclock signal 122 when the optical signal is incident normally on modifiedwaveguide layer 152. Agrating coupler 154, which is integrated into modifiedwaveguide layer 152, couplesoptical signal 120 into modifiedwaveguide layer 152 such thatoptical signal 120 is radially broadcast throughout modifiedwaveguide layer 152 as an optical clock signal (represented by arrows 156). - Details of modified
waveguide layer 152 as well astunneling device layer 102 are more readily apparent inFIG. 3B , which illustrates integratedcircuit chip 150 in cross section. As shown inFIG. 3B , modifiedwaveguide layer 152 includesgrating coupler 154, which is designed to receiveoptical signal 120 and to direct the optical signal so received throughout modifiedwaveguide layer 152 asoptical clock signal 156.Optical clock signal 156 is picked up byelectron tunneling devices 116 at desired points across the integrated circuit chip.Electron tunneling devices 116 then communicate the optical clock signal to electrical components in the circuitry wherever needed. - As in the case of
integrated circuit chip 100A ofFIG. 2A , the optical clock distribution scheme used inintegrated circuit chip 150 is advantageous because the optical clock signal is distributed over the entire chip within picoseconds without being hampered by electrical delays. As a result, the clock signal received at the chip circuitry does not experience significant delay that may cause phase differences in different part of the chip. Also, since the optical clock signal is transmitted optically and is converted to an electrical signal by an electron tunneling device only where needed, electromagnetic pickup is reduced in comparison to conventional, electrical clock distribution through electrical transmission lines. - Various modifications to the optical clock distribution schemes shown in
FIGS. 2A-2B and 3A-3B are possible. For example, the optical clock signal may be broadcast over the integrated circuit chip through free-space and subsequently picked up by the electron tunneling devices at various locations on the integrated circuit chip. Such a free-space transmission scheme may include, for instance, additional optical components such as lenses, holographic optical elements and filters. Other modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art while remaining within the spirit of the present invention. - Turing now to
FIGS. 4A and 4B , still other alternative embodiments of an interconnect assembly of the present invention using optical fibers are illustrated.FIG. 4A shows aninterconnect assembly 200.Interconnect assembly 200 includes first andsecond chips First chip 202 includes asubstrate 206, on whichcircuitry 208 is formed. Similarly,second chip 204 includes asubstrate 210 withcircuitry 212 formed thereon. The first and second chips further include a firstelectron tunneling device 216 and a secondelectron tunneling device 218, respectively, formed thereon. In the embodiment as shown inFIG. 4A , firstelectron tunneling device 216 is configured to act as an emitter, such as those disclosed in the patent applications referenced above. Firstelectron tunneling device 216 emits alight beam 220, which is focused by afirst lens arrangement 222 onto anoptical fiber input 224.Light beam 220 is then transmitted through anoptical fiber 226 in the direction indicated by anarrow 228 toward anoptical fiber output 230. Atoptical fiber output 230,light beam 220 is then focused by asecond lens arrangement 232 onto secondelectron tunneling device 218. For instance, secondelectron tunneling device 218 may be an electron tunneling device, as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications, which is configured to act as a detector so as to receivelight beam 220. Alternatively, a conventional detector, such as a silicon-based detector, may be used as secondelectron tunneling device 218. In this way, an optical interconnection is established between devices on first andsecond chips -
FIG. 4B shows an alternative embodiment of an interconnect assembly using optical fiber. Aninterconnect assembly 250 is similar tointerconnect assembly 200 ofFIG. 4A with a number of key differences.Interconnect assembly 250 includes alaser 252 configured to direct an input laser light (not shown) through an inputoptical fiber 254 in the direction indicated by anarrow 256. Inputoptical fiber 254 directs the input laser light into anoptical circulator 258, which then directs the input laser light through afiber segment 260 toward firstelectron tunneling device 216. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 4B , firstelectron tunneling device 216 is configured to act as a reflective modulator, which receives and modulates the input laser light. As a result, alight beam 262 as shown inFIG. 4B includes both the input laser light and a modulated light (not shown) as reflected from firstelectron tunneling device 216 such thatfiber segment 260 contains light traveling into and out ofcirculator 258, as indicated by a double-headedarrow 263.Circulator 258 is configured such that any light entering the circulator from inputoptical fiber 254 is directed intofiber segment 260 while light entering the circulator fromfiber segment 260 is directed towardoptical fiber 226 indirection 228. In this way, modulated light from firstelectron tunneling device 216 is directed throughoptical fiber 226 and detected at secondelectron tunneling device 218. It is noted that multi-mode optical circulators are not commercially available at the current state of technology. Therefore, inputoptical fiber 254 andfiber segment 260 shown inFIG. 4B would be required to be single mode fibers if single mode circulators are used. However, it is anticipated that future development of a multi-mode optical circulator would enable the interconnect scheme ofFIG. 4B to be compatible with multi-mode optical signal transmission, therefore the use of single mode optical fiber as well as the use of multi-mode optical fiber in the configuration shown inFIG. 4B are considered to be within the spirit of the present invention. Alternatively, the optical circulator may be replaced by an optical coupler, albeit with loss of optical power intofiber 226. - Still referring to
FIG. 4B , firstelectron tunneling device 216 may be configured to receive a modulation signal from on-chip circuitry 208. Consequently, data fromcircuitry 208 may be encoded onto the modulated light produced at firstelectron tunneling device 216 and optically transmitted at high speeds to devices onchip 204 by way of secondelectron tunneling device 218. Also, secondelectron tunneling device 218 may be configured with a second optical circulator such that light reflected by secondelectron tunneling device 218 may be passed down a chain or around a token ring. - Alternative optical interconnect configurations using optical fiber are shown in
FIGS. 4C and 4D . As shown inFIG. 4C , aninterconnect assembly 270 includes first andsecond chips interconnect assembly 270 includes first andsecond waveguides electron tunneling devices second waveguides optical fiber 226 and vice versa. For instance, if firstelectron tunneling device 216 is configured as an emitter (as described, for example, in the P2 patent or the P3 application), light emitted by firstelectron tunneling device 216 is coupled throughfirst waveguide 272 and into one end ofoptical fiber 226. The light then travels throughoptical fiber 226 and, at a distinct end of the optical fiber, is coupled throughsecond waveguide 274 and into secondelectron tunneling device 218, which receives the transmitted light.Optical fiber 226 may be, for example, butt-coupled to first andsecond waveguides circuitry FIG. 4C . Instead, the waveguides may be embedded in the chip circuitry, as shown inFIG. 4D as first andsecond waveguides grooves - Yet another alternative embodiment of an interconnect assembly is shown in
FIG. 5 .FIG. 5 illustrates aninterconnect assembly 300 in a free space optical interconnect scheme.Interconnect assembly 300 includes afirst chip 310, which includes afirst substrate 312 andfirst circuitry 314. A first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a-316 e are disposed onfirst circuitry 314.Interconnect assembly 300 also includes a complementary,second chip 320, which includes asecond substrate 322,second circuitry 324 and a second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a-326 e formed thereon. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 5 ,first chip 310 andsecond chip 320 are positioned such that first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a-316 e onchip 310 are spaced apart from and in opposing relationship with second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a-326 e onchip 322. For instance, first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a-e are configured to each emit a light beam of at least a given frequency, indicated byarrows 328 and second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a-326 e are configured to detect light of at least the given frequency.Interconnect assembly 300 further includes alens arrangement 330, which is configured to direct light from each of first plurality of electron tunneling devices 316 a-316 e to a corresponding one of second plurality of electron tunneling devices 326 a-326 e. For instance, as shown inFIG. 5 ,lens 330 is designed such thatlight beam 328 emitted byelectron tunneling device 316 b onchip 310 is directed toelectron tunneling device 326 b onchip 320. Moreover, one or more additional optical components, as represented by acomponent 332, may also be included to perform additional optical operations. For example,component 332 may be another lens, filter, holographic optical element, reflector, grating, transmissive spatial light modulator, etc. In this way, data may be transferred optically fromchip 310 to chip 320 through a free space optical interconnect scheme. - Various modifications to the free space, interconnect assembly of
FIG. 5 . Optical components, such as mirrors and beamsplitters, may be added to enable a non-parallel configuration of the chips. Also,lens arrangement 330 may be configured to cooperate with the electron tunneling devices onchips chip 320 to act as emitters and configure the first plurality of electron tunneling devices onchip 310 to act as detectors so as to enable the transfer of data fromchip 320 tochip 310. Also,component 332 may be configured as, for instance, a waveguide including a grating or evanescent coupler such that at least portions oflight beams interconnect assembly 300. In this case, an additional light beam (not shown) may also be inserted into the interconnect assembly atcomponent 332 configured as a waveguide. Furthermore, the free space interconnect assembly ofFIG. 5 may be combined, for instance, with the optical clock distribution schemes illustrated inFIGS. 2, 3A and 3B such that, rather than having an optical clock signal be indiscriminately broadcast over the entire chip, the optical clock signal may be selectively imaged onto specific electron tunneling devices on the chip. - As described above, the interconnect assembly of the present invention, including electron tunneling devices, is advantageous due to the high speed and integrability with silicon devices (such as chips). The interconnect assembly of the present invention allows high speed interconnection between components on a chip, between chips, between boards and racks, etc., by taking advantage of high speeds possible in the optical regime. It should be noted that an important benefit of the approach of the present invention involving the use of electron tunneling devices in optical interconnect arrangements is the fact that the present invention takes advantage of the ability of the electron tunneling devices to detect, modulate or emit light directly into or out of a waveguide or optical fiber. That is, the electron tunneling device technology developed by the assignee of the present invention allows efficient coupling and conversion between optical and electrical signals in a compact configuration which is compatible with existing integrated circuit chip technology. This feature is in contrast to conventional silicon devices with waveguides, in which light traveling through the waveguide must be redirected away from the waveguide and into the silicon in order to be detected or otherwise acted upon.
- It is notable that the electron tunneling devices, for example as shown in
FIGS. 1A-1F , 2A-2B and 3A-3B, may be fabricated directly adjacent to a waveguide to allow fast, guided transmission of optical signals from one electron tunneling device to another. Furthermore, the electron tunneling devices may be used to couple light energy into and out of the waveguide as well as to direct light energy to electronic devices as electrical energy. Further details of such waveguide-coupled assemblies are discussed in further detail immediately hereinafter. - Turning now to
FIGS. 6A and 6B , a waveguide-coupledassembly 400 fabricated in accordance with the present invention is illustrated. Waveguide-coupledassembly 400 includes asubstrate 402, which supports a first insulatinglayer 404. For example,substrate 402 may be formed of silicon, while insulatinglayer 404 is formed of silicon dioxide. Waveguide-coupledassembly 400 further includes anoptical waveguide layer 406 and a second insulatinglayer 408.Optical waveguide layer 406 and second insulatinglayer 408 cooperate to define a raised,rib waveguide section 410.Rib waveguide section 410 includes anoptical input end 412, which directs input light incident thereon (indicated by an arrow 414) into the rib waveguide section. Waveguide-coupledassembly 400 further includes at least one electron tunneling device 416, which is formed on top ofrib waveguide section 410. Electron tunneling device 416 is designed to receive a portion ofinput light 414, modulate the received portion of the input light, and produce a modulated, output light (indicated by an arrow 418), whichoutput light 418 is directed toward anoptical output end 420. For instance, bowtie antenna arms 422 and 424 of electron tunneling device 416 may be formed in a particular shape and size so as to pick up a portion of the input light of a given wavelength. Different antenna designs may also be used to optimize coupling to particular waveguide modes, such as transverse-magnetic and transverse-electric modes. Alternatively, other coupling arrangements, such as grating couplers, may be used in place of an antenna in electron tunneling device 416. Also, a coupling arrangement and an electron tunneling component may be formed at physically separate locations while still being connected with each other such that an optical or electrical signal may be communicated therebetween. Electron tunneling device 416 may be a modulator fabricated in accordance with the disclosure in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications. As a possible variation, waveguide-coupledassembly 400 ofFIG. 6A is shown to include a linear array of four electron tunneling devices 416 to provide additional interaction with an evanescent light field portion of the input light so as to provideoutput light 418 having a desired degree of modulation. More or fewer electron tunneling devices may be used in a linear or two-dimensional array such that the resulting waveguide-coupled assembly provides a particular function. That is, by using more than one electron tunneling devices in the waveguide-coupled assembly, the interaction length between the input light and the electron tunneling devices may be effectively increased. Coupling between the antenna and waveguide may also be controlled by varying the spacing or cladding thickness between antenna and waveguide core. Any combination of the aforedescribed variations is also considered to be within the scope of the present invention. - It should be noted that, although waveguide-coupled
assembly 400 ofFIG. 6A is shown to include a silicon-on-insulator rib waveguide, other waveguide types, such as buried waveguides, fully etched waveguides, or photonic crystal waveguides, and different waveguide materials, such as glass or polymer, may also be used. In many instances, higher index and thinner waveguides couple more efficiently to the antenna and also take up less space on chip. - An example of the interaction of the electron tunneling devices with the input light is discussed in reference to
FIG. 6B , showing a cross-sectional view of waveguide-coupledassembly 400 ofFIG. 6A . As shown inFIG. 6B , electron tunneling devices 416 a-416 d pick up evanescent field portions of input light 414 (shown as arrows 430 a-430 d), modulate the received portions, then re-transmit modulated light (indicated by arrows 432 a-432 d) back intowaveguide layer 406 so as to provide modulated,output light 418. Evanescent coupling between the rib waveguide region and the electron tunneling devices is particularly efficient for thin, high index waveguides.4 - Continuing to refer to
FIGS. 6A and 6B , it is noted that further modifications to waveguide-coupledassembly 400 are possible. For example, each of electron tunneling devices 416 a-416 d may be configured to pick up a different wavelength of input light such that waveguide-coupledassembly 400 acts as a wavelength-dependent modulator of input light, which input light may include a variety of wavelengths. Alternatively, one or more of electron tunneling devices 416 a-416 d may be configured as a detector (see, for example, aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3 application) so as to receive a portion of the input light and generate an electrical signal in accordance with the input light so received, which electrical signal may be directed to an electronic device located off ofsubstrate 402 or also supported on the substrate. As yet another alternative, one or more of electron tunneling devices 416 a-416 d may be configured as an amplifier (see, for instance, aforementioned P2 patent and P3 application) so as to receive a portion of the input light or a portion of modulated light, as produced by another of the electron tunneling devices, and produce an amplified output light. In still another alternative, one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured as an emitter (see, for example, aforementioned P2 patent and P3 application) so as to emit additional light into the rib waveguide region to contribute to the output light. Still further, one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured to re-emit the portion of input light received at that electron tunneling device, for example, in a direction away from the waveguide and the substrate so as to produce a free-space optical signal in accordance with the input light. As yet another option, one or more of the electron tunneling devices may be configured to receive free-space illumination and re-transmit the received optical energy into the waveguide. -
FIGS. 6C and 6D illustrate still more alternative configurations to waveguide-coupledassembly 400 shown inFIGS. 6A and 6B . For example, as shown inFIG. 6C , modifiedelectron tunneling devices 416 a′-416 d′ are integrated into a modified insulatinglayer 404′, rather than being formed on top ofrib waveguide section 410. As in the embodiment illustrated inFIGS. 6A and 6B , the modified electron tunneling devices also couple to evanescent field portions of input light 414 (shown asarrows 430 a′-430 d′), modulate the received portions, then re-transmit modulated light (indicated byarrows 432 a′-432 d′) back intowaveguide layer 406 so as to provide modulated,output light 418. In contrast, modifiedelectron tunneling devices 416 a″-416 d″, shown inFIG. 6D , are integrated into a modifiedoptical waveguide layer 406″. In this case, input light 414 directly couples into modifiedelectron tunneling device 416 a″, which re-emits a modulated light 432 a″. Modulated light 432 a″ then couples into modifiedelectron tunneling device 416 b″, and so on until the output from the last device in the series, in this case modifiedelectron tunneling device 416 d″, becomesoutput light 418. Thus, each one of the configurations shown inFIGS. 6B-6D is advantageous in different situations, depending on the level of integration required. For example, although the electron tunneling devices are most readily fabricated on top of the rib waveguide region, it may be desirable in certain cases to have the direct coupling of the principal portion of the input light with the electron tunneling devices as allowed by the configuration shown inFIG. 6D . Alternatively, closer coupling of the evanescent field portions of input light 414 may be enabled by the positioning of the electron tunneling regions as shown inFIG. 6C without drastically altering the lightwave-guiding characteristics of the rib waveguide region. - Attention is now directed to
FIG. 6E , which illustrates an end-fire variation of the waveguide-coupled assembly ofFIG. 6A , generally indicated by areference number 450. To the extent that waveguide-coupledassembly 450 resembles previously described waveguide-coupledassembly 400, for example, with respect to its layered structure and the location of the electron tunneling devices, such descriptions are not repeated for purposes of brevity. Asubstrate 451 of waveguide-coupledassembly 450 includes first and second v-grooves optical fiber 454 and an output optical fiber 456, respectively. For example, inputoptical fiber 454 includes afiber core 458 surrounded by acladding 460, and is designed to direct an inputoptical signal 462 therethrough and intorib waveguide region 410 asinput light 414.Output light 418 provided atoptical output end 420 is then coupled into output optical fiber 456. As shown inFIG. 6E , output optical fiber 456 includes a fiber core 464 surrounded by a cladding 466 so as to direct at least a portion (indicated by an arrow 468) ofoutput light 418 away fromoptical output end 420. The coupling of optical fiber to the rib waveguide region enables ready insertion of waveguide-coupledassembly 450 into optical fiber-based systems, such as long distance communication systems. This end-fire embodiment allows higher coupling efficiency for single-mode fibers. Furthermore, inclusion of alignment aids, such as v-grooves substrate 451 allows self-alignment of optical fiber with the waveguide-coupled assembly of the present invention. - Referring now to
FIGS. 7A-7D , still further variations of the waveguide-coupled assembly of the present invention are discussed.FIG. 7A shows a waveguide-coupledassembly 500, which includes a shapedwaveguide 502.Shaped waveguide 502 includes first and secondtapered sections middle section 507. First and second chirped, focusing grating couplers (surrounded by dashedlines waveguide 502 such that first chirped, focusinggrating coupler 508 receives an inputoptical signal 512 and couples the optical signal so received into shapedwaveguide 502 as an input light (indicated by an arrow 514).Input light 514 is then directed through firsttapered section 504 intomiddle section 507. One or more electron tunneling devices (three are shown, indicated byreference numerals 516 a-516 c) are disposed on top ofmiddle section 507 and are configured for, for example, modulating the input light then producing a modulated, output light (indicated by an arrow 518). Modulated,output light 518 is then directed through secondtapered section 506 and coupled out of shapedwaveguide 502 through second chirped, focusinggrating coupler 510 as an outputoptical signal 520. -
FIG. 7B is an illustration of an integrated optical transceiver chip including the waveguide-coupled assembly ofFIG. 7A . The integrated optical transceiver chip, generally indicated byreference numeral 550, includes asubstrate 552 on which various components are supported, as will be described in detail immediately hereinafter.Substrate 552 includes an etched-outsection 554, in which a modified waveguide-coupledassembly 500′, which is similar in design to waveguide-coupledassembly 500 as shown inFIG. 7A . To the extent that waveguide-coupledassembly 500′ resembles previously described waveguide-coupledassembly 500, for example, with respect to its tapered waveguide structure, focused grating couplers and the location of the electron tunneling devices, such descriptions are not repeated for purposes of brevity. An array ofelectron tunneling devices 516′ of waveguide-coupledassembly 500′ are connected withmodulation inputs circuitry 558 supported onsubstrate 552.Circuitry 558 is also connected with adetector 560, which is also supported onsubstrate 552, via leads 562 a and 562 b. Power may be supplied tocircuitry 558 throughDC power lines - Referring now to
FIG. 7B in conjunction withFIG. 7C , one example of the operation of integratedoptical transceiver chip 550 is described in reference to a schematic 580 as shown inFIG. 7C . It is noted that corresponding components in the two figures are labeled with the same reference numbers for clarity. In one possible configuration,detector 560 may be designed to receive anoptical signal 582, including data encoded thereon, and to provide an electrical, detector signal (not shown), also including the data, via leads 562 a and 562 b tocircuitry 558.Circuitry 558 may include, for example, electrical components such as bias control/automatic gain control (AGC) 584, apre-amplifier 586, aclock recovery circuit 588 as well as amodulator driver 590.Modulator driver 590 generates a modulation signal in accordance with the detector signal and directs the modulation to the array of electron tunneling devices of waveguide-coupledassembly 500′. As a result, when a continuous wave (CW)light input 592 is incident on first chirped, focusinggrating coupler 508′, the array of electron tunneling devices modulate the CW light input and, consequently, waveguide-coupledassembly 500′ provides a modulatedlight output 594. -
FIG. 7D illustrates a further variation on the waveguide-coupled assembly of the present invention as illustrated inFIG. 7A .FIG. 7D is a diagrammatic view, in cross section, of a modified waveguide-coupledassembly 600. Modified waveguide-coupledassembly 600 includes waveguide-coupledassembly 500, as shown inFIG. 7A , supported on asubstrate 602 with an insulatinglayer 604 disposed therebetween.Input light 512 is provided through an inputoptical fiber 610, which includes afiber core 612 surrounded by acladding 614. As described previously in reference toFIG. 7A , waveguide-coupledassembly 500 provides a modulated,output light 520. In the case of modified waveguide-coupledassembly 600,output light 520 is received by an outputoptical fiber 620, which also includes afiber core 622 surrounded by acladding 624 for guiding the output light away from the modified waveguide-coupled assembly. - Turning now to
FIGS. 8A-8C , several packaging options for integratedoptical transceiver chip 550 as shown inFIG. 7B are described.FIG. 8A shows a paralleloptical transceiver 650 including atransceiver module 652 containing a plurality of integratedoptical transceiver chips 550 therein (not visible). Asingle mode fiber 654 serves as a CW input for modulation. A plurality of pin-outs (indicated by dashed bracket 656) serves to provide the various RF inputs/outputs as well as DC power input.Transceiver module 652 includes aninput receptacle 658 a and anoutput receptacle 658 b, both of which are designed to accept multi-mode fiber (MMF) ribbons. For example, afirst MMF ribbon 660 a may provide a plurality of optical data inputs for the plurality of integrated optical transceiver chips, while asecond MMF ribbon 660 b may serve to extract the plurality of optical data outputs produced by the integrated optical transceiver chips. -
FIG. 8B illustrates a scheme in which two or more chips may be optically interconnected. A chip-to-chipoptical backplane 700 is designed to accept a lead frame-mountedchip 702. Lead frame-mountedchip 702 includes a die 704 containing circuitry and connected to alead frame 706 including a plurality of pin-outs (indicated by a dashed bracket 708).Optical backplane 700 includes anintegrated circuit socket 710 including a plurality of receptacles (indicated by a dashed bracket 712) corresponding to the pin-outs of the lead frame-mounted chip.Optical backplane 700 further includes aMMF ribbon input 714, aMMF ribbon output 716,CW input 718 and DC power input throughleads circuit socket 710 includes a plurality of the aforedescribed optical transceiver chips so as to directly connect a chip in a standard lead frame package with the optical transceivers. -
FIG. 8C illustrates yet another packaging option for the optical transceiver chip of the present invention. Anoptical processor chip 750 includes apackage 752 containing a plurality of optical transceiver chips (not visible).Package 752 includes anoptical window 754, which allows direct, optical connection of the optical processor chip with other optical components through a parallel optical bus (indicated by arrows bracketed by a dashed bracket 756).Package 752 also includes the usual inputs for CW optical input (an optical fiber 758) and DC power input (leads 760 a and 760 b). - In addition to the optical interconnect applications described in the P5 application, the metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology, as described in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications, is readily adaptable to operate at frequencies other than in the optical regime. The aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling devices may be configured to transmit, receive and/or modulate signals with virtually any carrier frequency ranging, for example, from microwave (approximately 3 to 30 GHz) to millimeter-wave (approximately 30 to 300 GHz), sub-millimeter-wave (approximately 300 GHz to 3 THz) and through optical frequencies by suitable selection of, for instance, tunneling junction, antenna, and waveguide dimensions. Additionally, if the signal is riding on a carrier frequency much higher than the signal bandwidth, the relative change in wavelength over the signal bandwidth is small. As a result, transmission paths for such a high carrier frequency signal are much simpler to design than for signals exhibiting a large relative difference in wavelength over the bandwidth of the signal. In particular, if one doesn't have to design transmission lines that operate at DC, one can use electromagnetic radiation, guided or not, to transmit the information over the communication path.
- In particular, metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling devices transmitting/receiving signals with carrier frequencies above three gigahertz and into the terahertz (THz; i.e., 1012 Hz) realm are suited for intra- or inter-chip interconnection for applications such as signal transmission, power distribution and clock signal broadcasting. By THz frequency range, Applicants generally refer to frequencies from approximately one to several hundreds of THz, and, in particular, a frequency range of approximately 0.03 to 10×1012 Hz for the signal carrier frequency. It should be noted that the electron tunneling device technology as described in detail in the PI and P2 patents as well as P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications is particularly advantageous in that it is adaptable to provide devices in a wide range of frequencies including, and not limited to, approximately 3 GHz and up to several hundreds of THz. While the optical interconnection system disclosed in the P5 application provides significant advantages over commercially available electrical and wireless interconnects, interconnects based on the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology operating in a range from approximately 30 GHz into several THz may provide further advantages as described immediately hereinafter.
- A terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is advantageous over known prior art in that electrical lines and RF lines are eliminated. The THz carrier transmitter/receiver of the present invention provide sufficiently high frequency for efficient bandwidth use. For example, ten 10-Gb/s signals may be carried on one THz carrier. Also, the carrier frequency is high enough such that the carrier waves do not interfere with most of the electronic circuitry, thus keeping electromagnetic interference to acceptably low levels. That is, the carrier frequency is sufficiently high such that critical components in the electronic circuitry cannot respond to it. Alternatively, filters may be included in the electronic circuitry to filter out the THz carrier signals. Moreover, the 30 GHz through several THz frequency range is low enough such that the carrier signal is capable of penetrating many types of chip packaging and enclosure. As a result, separate chips, with the THz interconnect components of the present invention disposed or integrated thereon, may be separately hermetically sealed but still communicate in the present interconnect system. In addition, the THz carrier transmitter/receiver may be made tunable with the inclusion of tuning means such as, for instance, voltage-controlled capacitors.
- Furthermore, the antennae required in the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention have dimensions on the order of one millimeter, which are readily fabricated using existing deposition and lithography technology. The large collection area of such antennae provide correspondingly high sensitivity, and precise beam focusing or device alignment, as required in optical interconnects, is not necessary in terahertz interconnects. The antennae may be designed, for example, to receive power, clock signals, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. For example, the metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology developed by the assignee of the present invention (as described in, for example, P1 and P2 patents as well as P3, P3-cip, P1-cip and P5 applications) allows efficient generation/detection/modulation of signals using metal/insulator antenna/diode systems at the relevant frequencies. Alternatively, more traditional high speed components, such as Schottky diodes, may be used. The carrier signal may be encoded by schemes such as digital on/off, amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), spread spectrum and others.
- In addition, the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention allows flexible placement of the receivers and transmitters. Each of the terahertz devices, acting as an interconnect node, may be placed anywhere within the reception and transmission cross sections of each other device to/from which signals are to be transmitted or received. The limitation on device placement is basically a function of the directionality and strength of the signal to be radiated and detected. Chips containing the interconnect nodes may be laid out, for instance, randomly, end-to-end or even one on top of another. One or more transceivers may be formed on a single chip or on a plurality of chips. In particular, in comparison to devices requiring epitaxial growth techniques for fabrication, the electron tunneling device technology as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents as well as in the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications and based on a thin film approach, different layer structures are much more easily integrated onto the same chip.
- Some examples of device layout for the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention are shown in
FIGS. 9A-9D .FIG. 9A illustrates aterahertz interconnect system 800 in which a chip includes a terahertz receiver on one part of the chip and a terahertz transmitter on another part of the chip. Achip 810 ofterahertz interconnect system 800 includes asubstrate 811 with first and secondelectrical circuitry substrate 811. Firstelectrical circuitry 812 is configured to provide a firstelectrical signal 816 containing data and to direct firstelectrical signal 816 toward a firstelectron tunneling device 818, which is connected with firstelectrical circuitry 812 by a firstelectrical connection 820. Upon receipt of firstelectrical signal 816 from firstelectrical circuitry 812, firstelectron tunneling device 818 broadcasts through free space aterahertz carrier signal 822 corresponding to firstelectrical signal 816.Terahertz carrier signal 822 is received at a secondelectron tunneling device 824, which converts the terahertz carrier signal so received into a secondelectrical signal 816′. First and secondelectron tunneling devices electrical signal 816′ contains at least a portion of the data contained in firstelectrical signal 816. For instance, firstelectron tunneling device 818 may be sized so as to generateterahertz carrier signal 822 at a particular frequency, while secondelectron tunneling device 824 is of dimensions designed to receive that particular frequency of carrier signal. For example, first and secondelectron tunneling devices electron tunneling devices electron tunneling device 824 is connected with secondelectrical circuitry 814 by a secondelectrical connection 826 such that secondelectrical signal 816′ is transmitted toelectrical circuitry 814. In this way, data fromelectrical circuitry 812 is transmitted toelectrical circuitry 814 without the necessity for a direct electrical connection therebetween. - Another possible configuration of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is shown in
FIG. 9B .FIG. 9B illustrates an arrangement in which a plurality of chips are laid out in a V-configuration. Aterahertz interconnect system 850 includes amaster chip 852 and a plurality ofslave chips 854A-D. Master chip 852 is located at the apex of the V-configuration and includes amaster substrate 855 with a masterelectrical circuitry 856 disposed thereon. Masterelectrical circuitry 856 is connected with atransceiver arrangement 858 byelectrical connection Transceiver arrangement 858 may be based, for example, on the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip, P1-cip and P5 applications. Masterelectrical circuitry 856 provides a firstelectrical signal 862, which contains data and is communicated totransceiver arrangement 858 viaelectrical connection 860.Transceiver arrangement 858 converts firstelectrical signal 862 into aterahertz carrier signal 864, which is broadcast over the other chips in the V-configuration.Slave chips 854A-D includesubstrates 863A-D withreceivers 864A-D, respectively, disposed thereon.Receivers 864A-D are respectively connected with slaveelectrical circuitry 866A-D byelectrical connections 868A-D, respectively.Receivers 864A-D are configured to receiveterahertz carrier signal 864 broadcast fromtransceiver arrangement 858 and convert the signal so received intoelectrical signals 869A-D, respectively, containing at least a portion of the data contained inelectrical signal 862. Then,electrical signals 869A-D are respectively received at slaveelectrical circuitry 866A-D. In this way, data inelectrical signal 862 frommaster chip 852 is transmitted to slaveelectrical circuitry 866A-D without direct hardwired connections therebetween. - Yet another layout configuration is shown in
FIG. 9C . Aterahertz interconnect system 870 ofFIG. 9C includes a plurality ofchips 872A-H. Chips 872A-H includessubstrates 874A-H, respectively, withelectrical circuitry 876A-H respectively disposed thereon.Electrical circuitry 876A-H are connected withtransceivers 878A-H, respectively, by primary electrical connections 880A-H such thatelectrical signals 882A-H respectively produced byelectrical circuitry 876A-H are respectively communicated totransceivers 878A-H. Transceivers 878A-H convert the electrical signals so received into terahertz carrier signals such as, for example, terahertz carrier signals 884A (produced attransceiver 878A) and 884G (produced attransceiver 884G) as shown inFIG. 9C .Transceivers 878A-H as shown inFIG. 9C are further connectedelectrical circuitry 876A-H via secondaryelectrical connections 885A-H, respectively, such that terahertz carrier signals may be received from other chips and communicated to the electrical circuitry on a given chip in the system.Transceivers 878A-H may be based on, for example, the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling device technology as described in the P1 and P2 patent and P3, P3-cip, P5 and P1-cip applications. In one embodiment, each oftransceivers 878A-H may be configured to transmit and receive the terahertz carrier signal from only one other oftransceivers 878A-H. For example,transceiver 878A onchip 872A may be formed of predetermined dimensions so as to transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of only a particular frequency. At the same time,transceiver 878E onchip 872E may be configured transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of that same particular frequency while all other transceivers are configured to transmit and receive terahertz carrier signals of frequencies other than the particular frequency. In this way, although a plurality of chips are in close proximity,chips - Still another configuration is shown in
FIG. 9D , which illustrates aterahertz interconnect system 886.Terahertz interconnect system 887 includes atransmitter chip 887 and areceiver chip 888.Transmitter chip 887 includes asubstrate 889, on which a firstelectrical circuitry 890 is formed. Firstelectrical circuitry 890 is connected with a plurality oftransmitters 891A-C byelectrical connections 892A-C, respectively, so as to respectively and provideselectrical signals 893A-C therethrough. In one example,electrical signals 893A-C are synchronized and identical such thattransmitters 891A-C essentially receive copies of the same electrical signal.Transmitters 891A-C respectively convertelectrical signals 893A-C into synchronized terahertz carrier signals 894A-C. Synchronized terahertz carrier signals 895A-C add constructively to yield asum signal 894D with greater broadcasting power and potentially greater directionality than each one of synchronized terahertz carrier signals 894A-C. Sum signal 894D is then received at areceiver 895 formed on asubstrate 896 ofreceiver chip 888.Receiver 895 convertssum signal 894D into a convertedelectrical signal 897, which is transmitted to a secondelectrical circuitry 898 viaelectrical connection 899. - It is noted that FIGS. 9A-D illustrate only a few of the possible configurations for the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention. Other layout configurations are also contemplated and are considered to be within the scope of the present invention.
- Further advantages of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention includes the ease with which additional components may be added into the overall system. For example, additional components, such as memory or devices with different functionality, may be provided with a transmitter or receiver or transceiver operating in a terahertz wavelength range compatible with the existing components. Then, the additional components may simply be placed within the active region (i.e., within the broadcast range) of the existing components to be able to exchange data with other components so as to be incorporated into the system. In this way, defective or obsolete components may be removed or exchanged at will without affecting the remaining components in the system.
- Additionally, the terahertz carrier signals used in the interconnect system of the present invention may be communicated by means of free space transmission, as shown in, for example,
FIGS. 9A-9D or by guided wave transmission, such as shown inFIG. 1A for instance. It may be noted that guided wave transmission may limit the placement of the transmitters/receivers on, for instance, a chip substrate, but transmission of the terahertz carrier signal through a waveguide may result in a reduction in electromagnetic interference and improved power efficiency. Other possible embodiments of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention are discussed in detail immediately hereinafter. For purposes of the present application, the term “chip” is considered to encompass any type of compact device, set of components, input/output device or port, or a small system. - Turning now to
FIG. 10 , another possible configuration of the present invention for use in power or clock distribution to a plurality of electrical circuitry is illustrated. Asystem 900 as shown inFIG. 10 includes anoutput source 902.Output source 902 may be, for example, a power source which generates and radiates a power signal as anelectromagnetic radiation 904 in the form of, for instance, microwaves.Output source 902 may alternatively be a clock generator which generates a clock signal as the electromagnetic radiation in the form of, for instance, optical signals, for synchronizing a plurality of electrical circuitry such as those on chips, boards, or in larger system configurations.Electromagnetic radiation 904 is directed toward a group of sub-systems, indicated by a dashedbox 906.Sub-systems 906 may include, for instance, afirst chip 910.First chip 910 includes afirst substrate 911 on which at least anelectrical circuitry 912 is disposed.Electrical circuitry 912 is connected with areceiver 914 by anelectrical connection 916. The size and dimensions ofreceiver 914 are designed such thatreceiver 914 is responsive toelectromagnetic radiation 904.Receiver 914 receives a portion ofelectromagnetic radiation 904 and converts it to anelectrical signal 918 to be directed toelectrical circuitry 912 viaelectrical connection 916. For example, ifelectromagnetic radiation 904 is a power signal, thenelectrical signal 918 becomes a power input forelectrical circuitry 912. Alternatively, ifelectromagnetic radiation 904 is a clock signal, thenelectrical signal 918 acts as a clock input forelectrical circuitry 912. In this way,electrical circuitry 912 may be supplied with an external power or clock signal fromoutput source 902 without the need for direct electrical connection withoutput source 902. - Continuing to refer to
FIG. 10 ,sub-system 906 may also include asecond chip 930, which in turn includes asecond substrate 931 with anelectrical circuitry 932 and atransceiver 934 disposed thereon.Electrical circuitry 932 andtransceiver 934 are connected by a firstelectrical connection 936.Transceiver 934 receives a portion ofelectromagnetic radiation 904 and converts it to a firstelectrical signal 938 to be directed toelectrical circuitry 932 as, for instance, a power signal to supply power or as a clock signal toelectrical circuitry 932. Furthermore,electrical circuitry 932 is additionally connected withtransceiver 934 by a secondelectrical connection 940 and is configured to generate a secondelectrical signal 942 towardtransceiver 934.Transceiver 934 is additionally configured to convert secondelectrical signal 942 received thereon into a secondelectromagnetic signal 946 to be radiated away fromsecond chip 930. For example, secondelectrical signal 942 may contain data, andtransceiver 934 converts secondelectrical signal 942 into secondelectromagnetic signal 946 containing at least a portion of the data. In this way,electrical circuitry 932 onsecond chip 930 may receive power or clock signal from an external source as well as transmit a data signal to other components insystem 900 without the need for hardwired electrical or optical connections. - Still referring to
FIG. 10 ,sub-system 906 may further include athird chip 950.Third chip 950 includes a third substrate 951 with a primaryelectrical circuitry 952 and areceiver 954 disposed thereon. Primaryelectrical circuitry 952 andreceiver 954 are connected by a firstelectrical connection 956.Receiver 954 receiveselectromagnetic radiation 904, converts it into a firstelectrical signal 958, and directs it along firstelectrical connection 956 to primaryelectrical circuitry 952, for example, as a power signal to supply power or as a clock signal.Third chip 950 also includes atransmitter 960, which is connected with primaryelectrical circuitry 952 by a secondelectrical connection 962. Primaryelectrical circuitry 952 is configured to provide a secondelectrical signal 964 to be directed towardtransmitter 960 through secondelectrical connection 962.Transmitter 960 receives secondelectrical signal 964 from primaryelectrical circuitry 952 and converts it into a thirdelectromagnetic signal 968 to be radiated away fromtransmitter 960.Third chip 950 further includes a secondaryelectrical circuitry 970 connected with atransceiver 972 by a thirdelectrical connection 974.Transceiver 972 is also configured to be sensitive toelectromagnetic radiation 904 so as to receiveelectromagnetic radiation 904, convert it to a third electrical signal 976 to be directed toward secondaryelectrical circuitry 970 through thirdelectrical connection 974 as, for instance, a power or clock signal. Secondelectrical signal 970 andtransceiver 972 are also connected by-fi fourthelectrical connection 980 such that a fourthelectrical signal 982 generated by secondaryelectrical circuitry 970 may be directed along fourthelectrical connection 980 towardtransceiver 972.Transceiver 972 converts fourthelectrical signal 982 received thereon into a fourthelectromagnetic signal 986 to be radiated away fromtransceiver 972. Alternatively,transceiver 972 may additionally be configured to receive, for instance, thirdelectromagnetic signal 968 fromtransmitter 960 or secondelectromagnetic signal 946 fromtransceiver 934 onsecond chip 930 so as to convert the electromagnetic signal so received into a part of third electrical signal 976 to be directed to secondaryelectrical circuitry 970.Transceiver 972 may further be configured to receive and modulate firstelectromagnetic signal 968 so as to provide a modulated electrical signal as a part of third electrical signal 976 to secondaryelectrical circuitry 970. Such modulation techniques are described in detail in, for instance, the P2 patent and the P3 application. - Various modifications to the system shown in
FIG. 10 are contemplated. Additional connections, for instance electrical, optical or RF interconnection, may be provided between each ofsub-systems 906.Sub-systems 906 may be located on a single board or be located on different boards arranged in relative proximity such thatelectromagnetic signal 904 is receivable at each of the sub-systems 906.Electromagnetic radiation 904 may have a frequency different from the carrier frequency of other signals in the system, or be in the same range of frequencies as those used for signal transmission. Electromagnetic signals provided at the various transmitters and transceivers in the system may be directed to, for instance, adjacent chips, external computer and/or other input/output devices. In the clock distribution implementation,output source 902 may be another electrical circuitry—transmitter combination as provided in the present invention in, for instance, the master chip—slave chips configuration ofFIG. 9B .System 900 as shown inFIG. 10 is capable of handling a serial information stream or parallel, multi-channel data due to the large bandwidth enabled by the use of, for example, terahertz carrier frequencies. Alternatively, each chip or electrical circuitry may actually be hardwired to a power supply or other devices readily accessible via electrical interconnects, such as low frequency signal sources and input/output ports while higher frequency channels, or channels which are more practically connected via free-space interconnection, may be provided by terahertz wave interconnects. -
System 900 as shown inFIG. 10 is advantageous because a group of electrical circuitry, whether on the same chip or on different chips or boards, may receive power and/or synchronized, clock signals from a single external source without direct electrical connection to the source. Simultaneously, signal transmission and inter- or intra-chip communication may be provided by the system of the present invention. In this way, a plurality of chips or other components, each of which performs a specific function, may be readily interconnected and supplied with power or be synchronized by a single clock signal source. In particular, the clock distribution scheme as provided by the present invention enables higher frequency electromagnetic wave clock signals than is feasible using electrical interconnects while providing less skew. Also, the present invention provides a simpler implementation with less power consumption than is feasible using optical clock signals distributed through optical interconnects. The present invention as shown inFIG. 10 may serve as a replacement for hard-wired, electrical interconnects, replacing wires for short reach, high data rate connection. Also, due to the high carrier frequencies used (e.g., frequencies above 30 GHz), higher data rates are enabled. A system such assystem 900 is useful in a variety of applications. For example, the system maybe use used in high speed memory access, in which the circuitry on each memory chip is connected with an external microprocessor by the interconnection system of the present invention. Also, the system may be useful in imaging devices, in which a plurality of receivers/transmitters may be used to measure and/or transmit image information. - The interconnect system of the present invention may also be used in an optocoupler configuration. A conventional optocoupler is generally a combination of a light-emitting diode (LED) and a photodetector used to separate two parts of an electrical circuit. An electrical signal in a first part of the electrical circuit is converted to a light signal at the LED, then the light signal is received at the photodetector and converted back to an electrical signal to be directed to a second part of the electrical circuit. An optocoupler is used, for example, to isolate noisy signals or to protect parts of the electrical circuitry from spurious high voltage electrical signals.
- Conventional optocouplers, however, are limited in operating speed up to approximately 50 Mbps mostly due to the speed limitations of the LED as a result of its spontaneous emission lifetime. That is, the operating speed of the conventional optocoupler based on an LED-photodetector pair is limited by how fast the LED can be modulated (i.e., turned on and off). Although the LED may be replaced by a faster emitter device such as, for instance, a semiconductor diode laser, the laser is more costly and consumes more power than the LED. Also, there are various packaging complexities to consider in the conventional optocoupler. For instance, the LED and the photodetector are generally fabricated as separate chips. As a result, the LED chip and the photodetector chip must be aligned relative to one another within the overall, optocoupler package in order to provide efficient coupling of the light signal. Further complicating this alignment task is the fact that an LED chip usually emits light out of an edge of the chip while the photodetector usually accepts light normal to the face of the chip; that is, the LED and the photodetector chips must be aligned at right angles to each other.
- Attention is now directed to
FIG. 11 , which illustrates anoptocoupler 1000 including an interconnect system designed in accordance with the present invention.Optocoupler 1000 includes atransmitter arrangement 1002 and areceiver arrangement 1004 coupled together by anelectromagnetic signal 1006.Transmitter arrangement 1002 is configured such that it emitselectromagnetic signal 1006 having a carrier frequency in and around the terahertz frequency range (e.g., 0.03 to 10 THz), whilereceiver arrangement 1004 is configured to be responsive toelectromagnetic signal 1006 having a carrier frequency in and around the terahertz range. In the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 11 ,transmitter arrangement 1002 includes asignal input 1110, which receives a firstelectrical signal 1112 from a first part of an electrical circuitry (not shown), and adriver amplifier 1114, which amplifies the first electrical signal so received and provides a first amplifiedelectrical signal 1115. First amplifiedelectrical signal 1115 is directed through, for example, first andsecond leads oscillator 1118, which converts amplifiedelectrical signal 1115 intoelectromagnetic signal 1006 to be transmitted through atransmitter antenna 1120.Transmitter antenna 1120 may include, for example, first and secondtransmitter antenna arms Oscillator 1118 may be based, for example, on an electron tunneling device as described in the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications.Oscillator 1118 andtransmitter antenna 1120 may be connected with each other through first and secondelectrical interconnections oscillator 1118, as in the case ofsurface plasmon device 92 as shown inFIG. 1F . - Continuing to refer to
FIG. 11 ,receiver arrangement 1004 ofoptocoupler 1000 includes areceiver antenna 1130 for receivingelectromagnetic signal 1006. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 11 ,receiver antenna 1130 includes first and secondreceiver antenna arms electromagnetic signal 1006. For instance, first and secondreceiver antenna arms electromagnetic signal 1006.Receiver antenna 1130 is connected with areceiver 1136, which may be, for instance, based on an electron tunneling device as described in the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications or on other high speed diode technology such as Schottky diodes.Receiver 1136 convertselectromagnetic signal 1006 into a secondelectrical signal 1138. As shown inFIG. 11 ,receiver 1136 is connected via third and fourthelectrical interconnections receiver amplifier 1144. Receiver amplifier 1140 receives secondelectrical signal 1138 fromreceiver 1136 then produces an second, amplifiedelectrical signal 1146 at asignal output 1148 to be directed to a second part of the electrical circuitry (not shown). In this way,optocoupler 1000 connects the first and second parts of electrical circuitry by means of terahertz waves while providing high data rates, noise isolation and high voltage protection. - The optocoupler including the interconnect system of the present invention provides several advantages over conventional optocouplers. For example, the terahertz carrier frequency is high enough to support data rates of 10 Gbps and higher. Also, the alignment tolerances of terahertz emitters and detectors (on the order of 100 microns) are much more relaxed in comparison to the precise, sub-micron alignment tolerance required for optical connection. The use of electron tunneling device technology, as described in the P1 and P2 patents and P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications, enables practical emitters/oscillators and detectors. For example, metal-insulator-metal-insulator-metal hot electron tunneling transistors coupled with antennas may be used as
oscillator 1118, and metal-insulator-metal electron tunneling diodes coupled with antennas may be used asreceiver 1136 to provide a low cost, high speed alternative to the conventional optocoupler. Furthermore, as discussed especially in the P5 application, a complete optocoupler including the aforementioned electron tunneling devices may be fabricated monolithically with the transmitter and receiver arrangements being fabricated, for example, in the same process as the two parts of the electrical circuitry, and/or on the same substrate. Also, various antenna designs, such as dipole, vee and Vivaldi, are applicable to the optocoupler of the present invention. In this way, the known alignment and connection concerns of the conventional optocouplers may be alleviated. - An application of the terahertz optocoupler of the present invention is use as a video interconnect. The performance speed of the terahertz optocoupler of the present invention allows the replacement of group of parallel video lines in a video system by a single, serial terahertz optocoupler. In this way, the video connections within a system are simplified while eliminating insertion force problems in high data rate transmission. Furthermore, the terahertz optocoupler may function as a part of a larger, wireless video/audio network within a small area (such as a room) without the problems associated with the electrical interconnect bottleneck.
- Another problem which maybe solved using the terahertz interconnect concept of the present invention is the rigidity of microcomputer architecture. Current microcomputer architectures are largely fixed at the time of original design and, therefore, are not flexible once the actual computer has been manufactured. During the design process, the architecture may be designed for a specific microprocessor chip, for instance, and a certain number and types of memory and input/output (I/O) ports, and one or more printed circuit boards, including the mother board, are laid out with data bus lines and control lines for electrically connecting all of the chips intended to be placed on the board. In general, the only flexibility is in the add-on boards that may be placed in standardized I/O sockets pre-positioned on the motherboard. Therefore, in order to add more memory than provided in the original design of the board or to upgrade to a faster microprocessor chip requires a whole new motherboard (or, commonly, a new computer). Additionally, current microcomputer architectures still largely conform to the von Neumann architecture. In this conventional architecture, multi-processing and parallel processing are accomplished in essentially a serial manner through a single main processor. Therefore, although the von Neumann approach has its advantages, it generally cannot accommodate the more parallel processing approach needed in many computing problems. For example, pattern recognition requires tremendous computing resources when performed serially, but may readily be broken down into a number of parallel tasks which may potentially be performed in parallel. Also, other problems such as cognitive computing require massively parallel object associations, which are prohibitively time intensive in a von Neumann architecture.
- Just as the internet connects an array of nodes, each of which can perform its function in conjunction with any other node, so a micro-internet may be formed using the components of the current invention. In the micro-internet a node comprises a microprocessor, a memory device, a storage device, an input/output device, a clocking device, a signal repeater, an amplifier, a system, or any other element that functions in conjunction with other nodes. Each interconnected node includes at least one signal emitter, receiver or transceiver. As described herein, the nodes may be interconnected via free space, waveguides or transmission lines. The nodes are situated within no more than a communication distance away from at least one other node, within an enclosure or among enclosures. The nodes may be fixed in position, or mobile, and may operate simultaneously or at different times. The interconnection can function such that any node can communicate with any other node, all nodes communicate through a central node, a reconfigurable cellular configuration, or any other interconnection scheme known to those skilled in the art.
- The terahertz interconnect system of the present invention enables the construction of a flexible, networked architecture to solve the aforedescribed problem. In this approach, the computer architecture is considered like a “micro-Internet” where each node within the network includes a terahertz transceiver and at least some processing power and storage capacity. This computer architecture of the present invention is enabled by the chip- and board-integrable, high speed data transfer for low cost as provided, for example, the electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and the P1 -cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications.
- Examples of such a flexible architecture are shown in
FIGS. 12A and 12B . Asystem 1200 includes a plurality of nodes (indicated as 1202A-G in the figure) in a networked architecture. Each one of the nodes may be a chip, a board, or a small system and includes one or more emitters, receivers or transceivers, each connected with an antenna. In the example shown inFIG. 12A , each one of thenodes 1202A-G includes aprocessor 1204 andmemory 1206 such that each node has some “intelligence” (i.e., processing and storage capacity). It should be noted that, althoughprocessor 1204 andmemory 1206 are shown as being located near a corner of each one ofnodes 1202A-G, the processor and memory may be disposed at any convenient position on the node such as, for example, at opposing corners of the node or even embedded within the node. - Continuing to refer to
FIG. 12A , each one of the plurality ofnodes 1202A-G includes a surfacenormal antenna 1208 in the center of the node as well as a plurality ofedge antennae 1210, each one of the plurality of edge antennae being located near an edge of the node. Surfacenormal antenna 1208, as well as each one of the plurality ofedge antennae 1210, is connected with atransceiver 1212.Transceiver 1212 may be based, for example, on the electron tunneling device technology of the P1 and P2 patents and the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications so as to enable high frequency detection and emission of an electromagnetic signal such as, for instance, terahertz carrier frequency signals. The transceivers on each node are connected with the processor on the node such that electrical signal produced at the processor may be communicated out of the node through the transceivers and the antennae and, simultaneously, the electromagnetic signal received at any of the antennae is converted to an electrical signal and directed to the processor. - Still referring to
FIG. 12A , theplurality nodes 1202A-G are each configured to communicate with other adjacent nodes. For example,node 1202A communicates via electromagnetic signal withnode 1202D, as indicated by a double-headed arrow A-D, through the centrally located, surfacenormal antenna 1208 on each node. That is, the surface normal antenna and the corresponding transceiver on each node is configured to send and receive electromagnetic signals in a direction normal to the planar surface of the node. In this way, the processor signal from the processor onnode 1202A may be transmitted to the processor onnode 1202D, and vice versa by means of the surface normal antennae and associated transceivers. Similarly,node 1202D may communicate with, for example,node 1202B as indicated by a double-headed arrow B-D through adjacent edge antennae via electromagnetic signals. -
System 1200 ofFIG. 12A has various advantages. New nodes may be readily added in order to add, for example, more processing power, increased storage and input/output capability. In contrast to conventional computers with completely pre-planned interconnections, the networked architecture ofsystem 1200 may grow and evolve over time as needs arise. Old or obsolete nodes may be left in place, except to the extent that they use power and take up space, or they may be removed or exchanged with newer nodes. Node failure or failure of one interconnect link would have minimal effect on the system performance since the network topology ofsystem 1200 allows for bypassing of the failed node or connection. The use of electromagnetic signals, such as terahertz frequency carrier signals, enables flexible, high-speed interconnection between nodes. In addition to the stacked configuration shown inFIG. 12A , the nodes may be connected, for example, in a token-ring type arrangement or in some sort of a network topology (such as packet-switching). Additionally, some of the nodes maybe configured to broadcast the electromagnetic signal over a 2-D area or a 3-D volume so as to enable communication between non-adjacent nodes. The nodes may also be equipped with point-to-point links such as, for example, waveguides in order to reduce external noise and electromagnetic signal transmission loss. Moreover, the electromagnetic signals transmitted through the system may be multiplexed by, for example, frequency-division multiplexing, code-division multiplexing (like a miniature cellular network) or a master-slave architecture, in which a master node controls which of the nodes may communicate with which other nodes at a given time. - For example,
system 1200 ofFIG. 12A may be adapted to provide interconnects for scalable 3-D storage servers. Modular Internet storage servers, such as the IBM IceCube concept,5 require low cost, high speed wireless interconnects between processing and storage modules (so-called “Collective Intelligent Bricks” or CIBs). Low cost is a requirement due to the large number of interconnects required in the server. Wireless interconnects are needed so that the bricks may be assembled, interchanged and/or added without hardwiring. High speed is needed to enable a high rate of data transfer within the system. The use of free-space optical interconnects has been suggested as a possible high speed solution to this problem, but power consumption and alignment precision of optical interconnects make them expensive and impractical to implement. Capacitive interconnects provide some level of high speed and low cost, but are only useful when the wavelength of the signal used to communicate within the system is substantially longer than the capacitive coupling elements. To solve this problem, the plurality ofnodes 1202A-G as shown may each be equipped with, for instance, a processor, electronic memory and one or more hard disks, then interconnected through, for example, surface normal and edge antennae as shown inFIG. 12A . In this way, processed data and processing capability are distributed over several nodes while the terahertz interconnection between the nodes enable high speed interconnection with easy alignment of the nodes with respect to each other. For example, using the electron tunneling device technology as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents as well as the P1-cip, P3, P3-cip and P5 applications, terahertz transmitters and receivers may be built on the outer faces of the nodes rather than taking up valuable on-chip real estate. - A example of the master-slave architecture configuration of node interconnection is shown in
FIG. 12B , which shows asystem 1250 including a plurality ofnodes 1252A-G. In contrast tonodes 1202A-G ofFIG. 12A , in which each node is essentially identical to each other node, each one ofnodes 1252A-G is configured to perform a different function within a computer architecture. For example,node 1252A may include an arithmetic logic unit (ALU)circuitry 1254A whilenode 1252D may contain a central processing unit (CPU)circuitry 1254D. In the exemplary embodiment shown inFIG. 12B ,node 1252A includesALU circuitry 1254A,node 1252B includes a random access memory (RAM)circuitry 1254B, andnode 1252D includes aCPU circuitry 1254D. Other circuitry such as, but not limited to, video chips, networking chips, read-only memory (ROM) circuitry and a sound chip may also be implemented as the circuitry in a given node. In the example shown inFIG. 12B ,node 1252D serves as a central node to which the other nodes are connected via a plurality of transceivers 1212A-G, surfacenormal antennae 1208 and a plurality ofedge antennae 1210 by terahertz interconnection of the present invention such that CPU circuitry 1256 regulates the circuitry on the other nodes. As a result, each one of the various circuitry may be readily interchanged or upgraded by replacing the node associated with that circuitry. For instance,node 1252D may be removed and replaced with a new node including a faster CPU circuitry without disturbing the connection of the various other nodes. Furthermore, although not shown in the present figure, additional nodes including additional circuitry, such as additional RAM, may readily be added in order to provide additional functionality to the system. - One consideration in the use of terahertz range frequencies in interconnects is attenuation of the interconnection signal. Terahertz signals broadcast from transceivers broadcasting isotropically in three dimensions do not have very long propagation length; namely, the signal strength decreases an inverse square of the propagation distance. As a result, the basic concept of interconnecting terahertz transceiver nodes in a 3-D volume is limited in the overall size and interconnection distance by the output power of each transmitter and the detection sensitivity of each receiver. Although this problem may be ameliorated by proper design of the transmitter and receiver antennae, it may still be desirable to increase the propagation distance while limiting the negative effects of, for example, external noise. Furthermore, it would be desirable to provide a structure in which commercially available chips and other circuitry may be readily interfaced with the terahertz interconnect systems of the present invention without requiring extensive modification to the chip or circuitry. Although the metal-insulator-based, electron tunneling technology as disclosed in the P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip, P1-cip and P5 applications enable the direct integration of transmitters and receivers on a chip surface, at times it may not be desirable to bring terahertz carrier signals directly onto the chip because the terahertz carrier signals may contribute to interference or crosstalk with other signals already present on the chip. For instance, metal interconnects on a chip may act as antennas and, if of a suitable length, may act as a receiver for the terahertz waves. Rectifying elements within the chip circuit may the produce unwanted crosstalk signals from these terahertz waves. Also, depending on the wavelength of the carrier signal to be used, the aforedescribed metal-insulator-based tunneling technology may take up too much real estate on the chip. Metal interconnects or highly-doped semiconductor regions on a chip may interfere with terahertz transmission and reception.
- A compact solution to this problem of signal attenuation and chip compatibility may be provided by confining the terahertz carrier signal in combination structure of a waveguide and chip package to increase communication range and/or transmission efficiency. 2-D waveguides (e.g., a slab waveguide) or 1-D waveguides (e.g., metal transmission lines, such as coplanar, strip line, and parallel plate configurations) may be used. Such a transceiver may effectively transmit terahertz signals without the need for an antenna. Alternatively, various antenna designs may be used to optimize the signal coupling between the transceiver and the waveguide. The edges and/or ends of the waveguides used in the terahertz interconnection system may include absorbing material to avoid unwanted back reflections. In the case of the 2-D waveguide structure, a slab waveguide, for example, may be provided on a support (such as on a chip, board, etc., across which the interconnection is to be provided), then terahertz transceivers, transmitters and/or receivers maybe be placed anywhere in proximity to or directly on the waveguide surface. Each transceiver or transmitter then broadcasts a terahertz carrier signal through the slab such that the signal is guided along the waveguide. The signal in the waveguide may be picked up by another transmitter or a receiver disposed on or in proximity to the waveguide. For a 1-D waveguide structure, each transceiver or transmitter may be placed on an outer surface of, for example, a transmission line so as to interact with the evanescent field of the traveling wave. Alternatively, the transceiver, transmitter or receiver may be placed inside of the waveguide to absorb and/or detect the terahertz carrier signal traveling therethrough. Also, transceivers may be used to receive and re-transmit signals along a waveguide as necessary so as to act as repeaters. The signal coupling between the waveguide and the transceiver, transmitter or receiver may be optimized by the suitable design of an antenna connected therewith, but an antenna is not absolutely necessary if the transceiver, transmitter or receiver is disposed in close proximity with the waveguide.
- Some of the aforementioned guiding and chip package structures are illustrated in
FIGS. 13A-13D .FIG. 13A illustrates an assembly for providing terahertz interconnection between two separated electrical circuitry. Anassembly 1300 includes asubstrate 1302 with afirst chip package 1304 disposed thereon.First chip package 1304 is configured to accommodate afirst chip 1306, for example, by envelopingfirst chip 1306 therein. Afirst transceiver 1308 is embedded withinfirst chip package 1308 as a part offirst chip 1306 such thatfirst transceiver 1308 receives electrical signals provided byfirst chip 1306 and converts the electrical signals so received into a terahertz carrier signal.Assembly 1300 further includes awaveguide arrangement 1310, which in turn includes first andsecond waveguide couplers First waveguide coupler 1312 is configured to receive the terahertz carrier signal fromfirst transceiver 1308 and direct the terahertz carrier signal throughwaveguide arrangement 1310 towardsecond waveguide coupler 1314. Terahertz carrier signal may be coupled into first waveguide coupler by broadcast fromfirst transceiver 1308, for instance, or by near field, mode coupling.Assembly 1300 further includes asecond chip package 1316 also disposed onsubstrate 1302.Second chip package 1316 is configured to accommodate asecond chip 1318 with asecond transceiver 1320 embedded therein.Second waveguide coupler 1314 is disposed in close proximity tosecond transceiver 1320 such that the terahertz carrier signal fromfirst transceiver 1308 is coupled tosecond transceiver 1320. Second transceiver then converts the terahertz carrier signal into a second electrical signal to be directed tosecond chip 1318.Waveguide arrangement 1310 serves to confine the terahertz carrier signal therein during propagation fromfirst waveguide coupler 1312 tosecond waveguide coupler 1314 so as to limit propagation loss and introduction of external noise. Furthermore, first andsecond chip packages substrate 1302 and withwaveguide arrangement 1310 such that first and second chips, first and second transceivers and first and second waveguide couplers are positioned with respect to each other to yield efficient coupling between the various components. Moreover,assembly 1300 may also function in a reverse direction wheresecond transceiver 1320 converts electrical signals fromsecond chip 1318 into the terahertz carrier signal to be carried through the waveguide arrangement fromsecond chip package 1316 and intofirst chip package 1304 to be received attransceiver 1308 and, consequently, atfirst chip 1306. In this way, the data lines that need to be driven for operation of the chip is reduced from the usual ˜48 inches down to less than ½-inch. As a result, especially with careful design of, for instance, shielding, crosstalk resulting from the coupling of terahertz signals with logic circuitry is virtually eliminated. - Another example of terahertz interconnect packaging is shown in
FIG. 13B . Anassembly 1325 ofFIG. 13B includes achip package 1327, which in turn encloses achip 1329 and atransceiver 1331 while keeping the chip and transceiver in close proximity but not in contact with each other.Transceiver 1331 receives electrical signals produced atchip 1320 then converts the electrical signals into terahertz carrier signals.Assembly 1325 further includes asubstrate 1333 with awaveguide arrangement 1335 disposed therein.Waveguide arrangement 1335 includes awaveguide coupler 1337, andchip package 1327 is positioned relative towaveguide arrangement 1335 in such a way that transceiver 1331 andwaveguide coupler 1337 are in close enough proximity in order to couple the terahertz carrier signal therebetween. -
Assembly 1325 provides further advantages in thatchip 1329 does not need to be physically altered in order to be accommodated into the assembly. That is, a commercially available, standard chip circuitry may be used aschip 1329 and accommodated intochip package 1329 without the need, for example, to specially embed a terahertz transceiver therein. The terahertz carrier signal coupled intowaveguide arrangement 1335 may be received, for instance, by a receiving arrangement similar tosecond chip package 1316 ofFIG. 13A . Furthermore, no change in the IC design is required, and the chip is only required to drive input/output lines of approximately one centimeter in length such that higher off-chip data rate is possible at lower drive power. - Still another example of the combination of improved chip compatibility and signal propagation is shown in
FIG. 13C , which illustrates asocket system 1340.Socket system 1340 includes asocket arrangement 1342, which is configured to accommodate astandard chip package 1346 including a plurality of pin-outs 1348. Atransceiver 1350 is embedded withinsocket arrangement 1342 in close proximity to pin-outs 1348 such that electrical signals fromstandard chip package 1346 is received through pin-outs 1348 and attransceiver 1350.Socket system 1340 also includes asubstrate 1352, which supportssocket arrangement 1342 thereon and further includes awaveguide arrangement 1354 with awaveguide coupler 1356 connected therewith.Socket arrangement 1342 is disposed onsubstrate 1352 such thattransceiver 1350 andwaveguide coupler 1356 are brought in close proximity to each other. In this way, the electrical signal provided at the standard chip package is converted into a terahertz carrier signal and guided away fromstandard chip package 1346 by broadcast from the transceiver and/or near field mode coupling, without requiring any modification to the chip package (or the chip enclosed therein) or any hardwired electrical connections outside of the chip package. - Yet another example of the combination of standard chip packaging and waveguiding in a terahertz interconnect system is shown in
FIG. 13D . Anassembly 1360 ofFIG. 13D includes achip package 1362 enclosing achip 1364.Chip 1364 is connected through anelectrical interconnect 1366 with atransceiver 1370.Transceiver 1370 is enclosed in atransceiver package 1372 and is disposed in close proximity with awaveguide coupler 1374 of awaveguide arrangement 1376. The chip package, electrical interconnect, transceiver package and waveguide arrangement are all supported on asubstrate 1378. For short distances,electrical interconnect 1366 may be sufficient to provide relatively noise/loss-free transmission betweenchip 1364 andtransceiver 1370.Assembly 1360 also allows the inclusion of a separately packaged, standard chip with a pre-fabricated terahertz carrier signal waveguide arrangement without any modification to the chip or the chip package. - Another application of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is for use as board-to-board interconnects with near-field coupled, terahertz devices. There are various instances where high data rate, wireless communications over very short distances are required. It is submitted that electrical interconnections in such applications are slow and generally result in a data feed bottleneck. As described in the Background section, optical interconnects are currently cost-prohibitive and unpractical due to the precise and stable alignment required. It would be desirable to provide an interconnection scheme which allows a certain degree of tolerance to misalignment while allowing close proximity of transmitter and receiver placement in order to minimize the amount of required transmit power. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to achieve a high degree of energy coupling from the transmitter to the receiver in order to reduce stray radiation, which wastes power and may interfere with other existing circuits.
- As illustrated in
FIGS. 14A-14C , a number of terahertz interconnect components may be grouped together on boards to provide a larger network of interconnected systems. For example, atransceiver pair 1400 as shown in FIG. 14A includes first andsecond transceiver assemblies second transceiver assemblies second substrates second transceiver circuitry 1408A and 1408B are respectively connected with first andsecond antennae FIG. 14A , first andsecond antennae first antenna 1410A in this case, will “see” an identical impedance in the receive antenna, namelysecond antenna 1410B in this case, and transfer its terahertz carrier signal to the receive antenna. First andsecond antennae first antenna 1410A. - An alternative approach to using impedance matched, poor radiator antennae is to use coupled transmission lines, as shown in
FIG. 14B . Atransmitter pair 1450 ofFIG. 14B includes first andsecond transmitter assemblies second transmitter assembly 1452B, the transmitter assembly includes a transmitter circuitry 1454B driving a pair of terminated, transmission lines 1456B that provides an evanescent field 1458B in the free space immediately surrounding the transmission line pair, terminated by a termination 1460B. Although not visible in the present figure, a matching set of terminated transmission line pair 1456A, with termination 1460A and evanescent field 1458A, is present on the hidden face oftransmitter assembly 1452A facing transmitter assembly 1452. Since the transmission line pair 1456B is terminated by termination 1460B, virtually no electromagnetic energy is radiated away from the transmitter assembly. However, when the matching pair of transmission lines 1456A of transmitter assembly 1450A is brought into close proximity with the transmitter transmission line 1456B, energy from the transmitter transmission line couples into the receiver transmission line by evanescent coupling, as represented by anarrow 1462B. Although the two transmission lines would require relatively precise alignment and coupling lengths of several wavelengths long for high percentage coupling, the coupling process itself is quite efficient, while allowing the freedom from hardwired electrical connections. It may be noted that the process described in the foregoing is reversible such that energy transfer may occur fromfirst transmitter assembly 1452A toward 1452B as well. - The near-field terahertz communication link concept may be expanded to provide board-to-board interconnects to provide connections between standard printed circuit boards in an enclosure with high data-rate, low power backplane links. For example,
assembly 1470 ofFIG. 14C includes a plurality ofboards 1472 interconnected by a series oftransmitter pairs 1400 fromFIG. 14A ortransmitter pairs 1450 ofFIG. 14B . For example, transceivers on each board are aligned to standardized positions on the boards such that the boards may be stacked in close proximity to one another. Each board-to-board link is terminated at each end with atransceiver assembly - The scheme as shown in
FIG. 14C includes a number of advantages over traditional, card-edge, backplane interconnects. First, the communications lines on the board are not required to run all the way to the edge of the board. Second, in contrast to the one-dimensional interconnect array of the traditional card-edge approach, a two dimensional array of interconnects may be implemented on each board, thus resulting in high interconnect density and shorter wire runs on the boards. Third, no card-edge sockets are needed; basically, the boards need only to be generally aligned with the transceiver assemblies in fairly close proximity to each other. - In some applications, it may not be possible to bring the boards to such close proximity due to, for instance, cooling, crosstalk or assembly considerations. In such applications, individual transceiver pairs may be enclosed, for example, in hollow metal waveguides in order to confine the terahertz carrier signals between transceiver pairs. Examples of such waveguided structures are shown in
FIGS. 15A-15C as described in detail immediately hereinafter. - Referring first to
FIG. 15A in conjunction withFIG. 14C , awaveguided interconnect system 1500 includes a plurality oftransceiver arrangements 1502 disposed on opposing surfaces ofboards 1503.Waveguided interconnect system 1500 would be suitable for use, for example, as one of the transceiver pairs 1402A-1402B as shown inFIG. 14C . Eachtransceiver arrangement 1502 includes atransceiver 1504 embedded therein and analignment flange 1506.Alignment flange 1506 may be formed integrally from the transceiver arrangement, as shown inFIG. 15A , or be formed separately then affixed to be a part oftransceiver arrangement 1502.Boards 1503 and the correspondingtransceiver arrangements 1502 are aligned with respect to each other such thatalignment flanges 1506 serve as guides for the alignment of awaveguide 1510 thereacross.Waveguide 1510 may be, for example, a hollow metal tube waveguide such as an extruded metal tubing or metallized plastic tubing. In addition,alignment flanges 1506 on the transceiver arrangements allowwaveguide 1510 to be accurately aligned with respect totransceiver 1504. An alignment tolerance of approximately λ/20 ( 1/20 of a wavelength) is sufficient for efficient waveguiding. For example, in the case of a 1 THz carrier wave, the signal free-space wavelength is 300 microns, corresponding to an alignment tolerance of approximately 15 microns, which is much relaxed in comparison to the sub-micron alignment tolerances required, for instance, in optical interconnections. Lateral misalignment between transceiver chips between boards corresponds to angular misalignment of transceiver to waveguide. For small angles, it is submitted that this misalignment is not critical due to the large alignment tolerance enabled by the use of terahertz range frequency carrier signals. As a result,waveguide 1510 efficiently guides, for instance, aterahertz carrier signal 1512 from onetransceiver 1506 at one end of the waveguide to another transceiver at another end of the waveguide. - An alternative
waveguided interconnect system 1520 is shown inFIG. 15B . Inwaveguided interconnect system 1520, a plurality oftransceiver arrangements 1522 are embedded inboards 1523 such that eachtransceiver arrangement 1522 actually protrudes on either side of eachboard 1523. Each one oftransceiver arrangements 1522 includes a pair oftransceivers 1504 arranged back to back such thattransceiver arrangement 1522 is capable of transmitting and receiving a terahertzcarrier frequency signal 1512 from either side ofboard 1523. Liketransceiver arrangement 1502 inFIG. 15A ,transceiver arrangement 1522 includesalignment flanges 1506 such thatwaveguide 1510 may be aligned with respect to the transceiver arrangements on adjacent boards in order to guideterahertz carrier signal 1512 therebetween. A terminatingwaveguide 1525, including anabsorber 1527, may be used to cap the transceiver arrangement if no signal transmission in that direction is required. - Finally, to be compatible with traditional circuit board mounting, some applications require a card-edge backplane connector. A
waveguided interconnect system 1550 as shown inFIG. 15C accommodates such connection schemes by providing transceiver chips in card-edge socket packages.Waveguided interconnect system 1550 is configured to accept card-edgeconnected boards 1553 or a pass-throughboard 1555 to take up an empty slot, and includes a plurality oftransceiver arrangements 1560.Transceiver arrangements 1560 includes aslot 1562 configured for board insertion therein. In this way,transceivers 1504 embedded intransceiver arrangements 1560 are aligned at the edge of each board, andwaveguide 1510 is aligned at a suitable position to guide the signals transmitted between the transceivers. - Still another interconnect system using coupled transmission lines is illustrated in
FIGS. 16A-16C .FIG. 16A shows aninterconnect system 1600 including asubstrate 1602 withtransceiver arrangements 1604 disposed thereon. Each one oftransceiver arrangements 1604 includes atransceiver 1606, atransmission line arrangement 1608 and atermination 1610.Transceiver 1606 provides, for example, a terahertz frequency carrier signal (not shown inFIG. 16A for clarity) which is directed throughtransmission line arrangement 1608 towardtermination 1610. As the terahertz frequency carrier signal travels throughtransmission line arrangement 1608 in one of thetransceiver arrangements 1604, the signal is coupled to the transmission line arrangement of the adjacent one of the transceiver arrangements by evanescent coupling. In this way, there is no requirement for energy to be radiated outside of the transceiver arrangement, thus eliminating crosstalk and wasted energy. - The details of the evanescent coupling taking place between
transceiver arrangements 1604 are illustrated inFIG. 16B .FIG. 16B illustrates the coupling of a signal (represented by an energy curve 1622) from a firsttransmission line arrangement 1608A to a secondtransmission line arrangement 1608B. Assignal 1622 propagates along firsttransmission line arrangement 1608A towardstermination 1610A in a propagation direction indicated by anarrow 1624, the evanescent field associated withsignal 1622 couples into secondtransmission line arrangement 1608B, which is placed in close proximity with firsttransmission line arrangement 1608A. As a result, energy fromsignal 1622 is directed in a coupling direction, indicated by anarrow 1626, and transferred into secondtransmission line arrangement 1608B to becomesignal 1622′ propagating in a direction indicated by anarrow 1624′. The process may also take place in the opposite direction from secondtransmission line arrangement 1608B toward firsttransmission line arrangement 1608A. - An alternative configuration of the coupled transmission line interconnect system is shown in
FIG. 16C . In aninterconnect system 1650, thetransceiver arrangements 1604 are disposed on opposing surfaces ofsubstrate 1602. In this way, as long assubstrate 1602 is thin enough to enable evanescent coupling therethrough, the signal from the top transceiver arrangement may be transferred to the bottom transceiver arrangement, and vice versa. - Still another configuration for the opto-coupler of the present invention are illustrated in
FIGS. 17A-17C .FIG. 17A shows a terahertz opto-coupler 1700 including a pair oftransceiver arrangements insulator layer 1704.Transceiver arrangements substrates circuitry Circuitry Transceiver arrangements insulator layer 1704 by bondinglayers coupler 1700 ofFIG. 17A may be readily incorporated into an electrical system by connection with electrical contacts as shown inFIG. 17B . InFIG. 17B , terahertz opto-coupler 1700 is connected with, for example, achip 1722 by means ofball bonds coupler 1700 may be electrically connected with an existing chip or printed circuit board or other electrical circuitry. In place of the ball bonds, other electrical contact techniques, such as those used in flip-chip bonding, may be used.FIG. 17C illustrates a further variation of the terahertz opto-coupler including an insulator layer. InFIG. 17C , an opto-coupler 1750 includes integratedcircuit assemblies Integrated circuit assemblies substrates electronic circuitry insulator layer 1704,transceiver circuitry Integrated circuit assemblies transceiver circuitry ball bonds 1762 and/or other types of electrical contact techniques. In this way, the terahertz interconnect techniques of the present invention may be used to provide fast, opto-couplers that are readily compatible with existing electronic circuitry. - Although each of the aforedescribed embodiments have been illustrated with various components having particular respective orientations, it should be understood that the present invention may take on a variety of specific configurations with the various components being located in a wide variety of positions and mutual orientations and still remain within the spirit and scope of the present invention. Furthermore, suitable equivalents may be used in place of or in addition to the various components, the function and use of such substitute or additional components being held to be familiar to those skilled in the art and are therefore regarded as falling within the scope of the present invention. For example, a reflective layer may be disposed between the circuitry layer and the waveguide layer for better isolation of the waveguide layer from the circuitry as well as for improved coupling of optical signals from the waveguide into the electron tunneling devices (see, for example, the P2-cip application). Also, the waveguide layer shown, for example, in
FIG. 1A may be a separately deposited waveguide or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) integrated waveguide. Furthermore, the substrate itself may be optically transmissive or guiding such that the optical signal may be provided from the substrate side of the interconnect arrangement rather than being edge-fed or incident from the top side. Still further, a variety of light coupling arrangements may be included in the embodiments of the present invention such as, and not limited to, antennas (as shown in, for instance,FIGS. 1A and 6A ), grating couplers and surface plasmon evanescent couplers, all of which are discussed in detail in the aforementioned P1 and P2 patents and P3, P3-cip and P1-cip applications. Another application of the terahertz interconnect system of the present invention is an optical-to-terahertz interconnect interface. There is a range of cases in which an incoming signal in an optical fiber, for instance, must be converted to a much lower carrier frequency, such as in or near the terahertz range, and vice versa. There is a range of cases in which an incoming signal in an optical fiber must be converted to a much lower carrier frequency, e.g., having a carrier frequency in or near the terahertz range, or vice versa. This conversion can be accomplished by a number of means. One is to receive the optical signal in a optical fiber receiver that converts the signal to a pure electronic one, and then use this signal to modulate a terahertz-wave transmitter, as described herein. Another approach is to use mixing in a nonlinear device, in which the optical signal is mixed with an optical frequency that differs from that of the optical signal carrier frequency by a specified near-terahertz-range frequency. The result will include the same signal now having a carrier frequency of the specified near-terahertz-range frequency. The nonlinear device that performs this function can include an antenna/metal-insulator based device to perform the receiving, mixing, and/or re-emission functions. Other means for converting a signal having an optical-frequency carrier to a near-terahertz-range-frequency carrier are known to those skilled in the art. Similar means may be used to perform the opposite function of converting a signal having an near-terahertz-range-frequency carrier to a optical frequency carrier. Other examples of applications of terahertz interconnect technology of the present invention are described in a Phiar Corporation white paper,6 which is attached to the present application as Appendix A and is incorporated herein in its entirety. - Therefore, the present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims.
-
- 1. Neil Savage, “Linking with Light,” IEEE Spectrum, vol. 39, Issue 8, pp. 32-36 (2002).
- 2. A. F. J. Levi, “Optical Interconnects in Systems,” Proceedings of the IEEE, vol. 88, pp. 750-757 (2002).
- 3. IEEE Virtual Museum, “Millimeter Waves” (http://www.ieee-virtual-museum.org/collection/tech.php?id=2345917&lid=1) (2003).
- 4. Brian J. Soller and Dennis G. Hall, “Energy transfer at optical frequencies to silicon-based waveguiding structures,” J. Opt. Soc. Am. A, vol. 18, no. 10, pp. 2577-2584 (2001).
- 5. Winfried Wilcke et al., “IceCube: A System Architecture for Storage and Internet Servers,” (http://www.almaden.ibm.com/StorageSystems/autonomic_storage/CIB_Hardware/IceCubePrez.pdf), IBM Almaden Research, Jan. 24, 2002.
- 6. Garret Moddel et al., “Phiar's Terahertz-Wave Interconnect Technology,” Phiar Corporation white paper, Jun. 14, 2003.
Claims (5)
1. An assembly comprising:
a first substrate supporting
a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data, and
a transmitting arrangement connected with said first electrical circuitry configured for receiving said first electrical signal, and converting said first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of the data, said electromagnetic signal having a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz;
a second substrate, separate from said first substrate, supporting
a receiving arrangement configured for receiving said electromagnetic signal and for converting said electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of said portion of said data, and
a second electrical circuitry connected with said receiving arrangement and configured for receiving said second electrical signal wherein said transmitting and receiving arrangements are configured to cooperate with one another such that said transmitting arrangement conveys said electromagnetic signal to said receiving arrangement by free-space transmission.
2. An assembly comprising:
a first substrate supporting
a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data;
a transmitting arrangement connected with said first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving said first electrical signal and for converting said first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of said data, said electromagnetic signal having a carrier frequency greater than 300 GHz;
a second substrate, separate from said first substrate, supporting
a receiving arrangement configured for receiving said electromagnetic signal and for converting said electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of said portion of said data;
a second electrical circuitry connected with said receiving arrangement and configured for receiving said second electrical signal; and
a directing configuration cooperating with said transmitting arrangement and said receiving arrangement such that said electromagnetic signal is guided therebetween along a predetermined path that is defined, at least in part, using a waveguide wherein said waveguide includes a first segment connected with said transmitting arrangement and a second, distinct segment connected with said receiving arrangement such that said first segment of said waveguide is supported by said first substrate and said second, distinct segment is supported by said second substrate.
3. An assembly comprising:
a first substrate configured for supporting
a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data; a transmitting arrangement connected with said first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving said first electrical signal and for converting said first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of said data
a second substrate, separate from said first substrate, configured for supporting
a receiving arrangement configured for receiving said electromagnetic signal and for converting said electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of said portion of said data, said receiving arrangement being configured to cooperate with the transmitting arrangement to convey said electromagnetic signal therebetween using free-space transmission, and
a second electrical circuitry connected with said receiving arrangement and configured for receiving said second electrical signal,
wherein at least one of said transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, said electron tunneling device including first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said first and second non-insulating layers, said arrangement including at least a first layer configured such that said transport of electrons produces electron tunneling between said first and second non-insulating layers.
4. An assembly comprising:
a first substrate configured for supporting
a first electrical circuitry for providing a first electrical signal containing data,
a transmitting arrangement connected with said first electrical circuitry and configured for receiving said first electrical signal and for converting said first electrical signal into an electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of said data;
a second substrate configured for supporting
a receiving arrangement configured for receiving said electromagnetic signal and for converting said electromagnetic signal into a second electrical signal containing at least some of said portion of said data, and
a second electrical circuitry connected with said receiving arrangement and configured for receiving said second electrical signal,
wherein at least one of said transmitting and receiving arrangements includes an electron tunneling device, said electron tunneling device including first and second non-insulating layers spaced apart from one another such that a given voltage can be provided across the first and second non-insulating layers, and an arrangement disposed between the first and second non-insulating layers and configured to serve as a transport of electrons between and to said first and second non-insulating layers, said arrangement including at least a first layer configured for producing electron tunneling between said first and second non-insulating layers; and
a directing configuration cooperating with said transmitting arrangement and said receiving arrangement such that said electromagnetic signal is conveyed therebetween along a predetermined path using a waveguide for defining at least a portion of said predetermined path, said waveguide including a first segment connected with said transmitting arrangement and a second, distinct segment connected with said receiving arrangement.
5. In a system including an integrated circuit package, which integrated circuit package includes an integrated circuit module configured for providing an output electrical signal containing output data, an assembly for receiving said integrated circuit module and extracting said output data, said assembly comprising:
an electrical interconnect having first and second ends, said first end being connected with said integrated circuit module through said integrated circuit package and configured to receive said output electrical signal at said first end such that said output electrical signal is directed through said electrical interconnect to said second end;
a transceiver package including a transceiver chip, said transceiver chip being connected with said second end of said electrical interconnect and configured for receiving said output electrical signal, converting said output electrical signal into an output electromagnetic signal containing at least a portion of said output data, and directing said output electromagnetic signal away from said transceiver package;
a substrate for supporting said electrical interconnect and said transceiver package; and
a transmission line having a first segment and a distinct, second segment, at least said first segment also being supported on said substrate, said distinct, second segment being located away from said transceiver package,
wherein said transceiver chip is further configured for directing at least a portion of said output electromagnetic signal into said first segment of said transmission line, and wherein said first segment of said transmission line is configured for receiving said portion of said output electromagnetic signal and directing said portion of said output electromagnetic signal to said second, distinct segment of said transmission line and, consequently, away from said transceiver package.
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US11/258,297 US20060038168A1 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2005-10-24 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
Applications Claiming Priority (7)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US09/860,988 US6534784B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2001-05-21 | Metal-oxide electron tunneling device for solar energy conversion |
US09/860,972 US6563185B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2001-05-21 | High speed electron tunneling device and applications |
US10/103,054 US7010183B2 (en) | 2002-03-20 | 2002-03-20 | Surface plasmon devices |
US10/140,535 US7177515B2 (en) | 2002-03-20 | 2002-05-06 | Surface plasmon devices |
US10/337,427 US7126151B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2003-01-06 | Interconnected high speed electron tunneling devices |
US10/462,491 US6967347B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2003-06-14 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
US11/258,297 US20060038168A1 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2005-10-24 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/462,491 Continuation US6967347B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2003-06-14 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20060038168A1 true US20060038168A1 (en) | 2006-02-23 |
Family
ID=46299439
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/462,491 Expired - Fee Related US6967347B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2003-06-14 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
US11/258,297 Abandoned US20060038168A1 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2005-10-24 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US10/462,491 Expired - Fee Related US6967347B2 (en) | 2001-05-21 | 2003-06-14 | Terahertz interconnect system and applications |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US6967347B2 (en) |
Cited By (69)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050075080A1 (en) * | 2003-10-03 | 2005-04-07 | Nanyang Technological University | Inter-chip and intra-chip wireless communications systems |
US20070063914A1 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2007-03-22 | Becker Charles D | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US20080025680A1 (en) * | 2006-07-27 | 2008-01-31 | National Taiwan University | Plastic waveguide for terahertz wave |
US20080218293A1 (en) * | 2005-04-22 | 2008-09-11 | Nxp B.V. | High Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Receiver and Broadband Waveguide Mixer |
US20080266829A1 (en) * | 2007-04-30 | 2008-10-30 | Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. | Shielding structures for signal paths in electronic devices |
US20080285978A1 (en) * | 2007-05-14 | 2008-11-20 | Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute | Optical hybrid module |
US20090022500A1 (en) * | 2004-01-14 | 2009-01-22 | Thierry Pinguet | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip |
US20090033359A1 (en) * | 2007-07-31 | 2009-02-05 | Broadcom Corporation | Programmable logic device with millimeter wave interface and method for use therewith |
WO2009048773A1 (en) * | 2007-10-02 | 2009-04-16 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip |
US20090152699A1 (en) * | 2007-12-12 | 2009-06-18 | Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute | Packaging apparatus of terahertz device |
US20090303573A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2009-12-10 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation | Optical antenna with phase control |
US20090315797A1 (en) * | 2008-06-19 | 2009-12-24 | Ahmadreza Rofougaran | Method and system for inter-chip communication via integrated circuit package antennas |
US20090321620A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2009-12-31 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware | Electromagnetic device with integral non-linear component |
US20100159829A1 (en) * | 2008-12-23 | 2010-06-24 | Mccormack Gary D | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
US20100226657A1 (en) * | 2007-10-23 | 2010-09-09 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | All Optical Fast Distributed Arbitration In A Computer System Device |
US20100278538A1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2010-11-04 | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Millimeter wave wireless communication system |
US20110130093A1 (en) * | 2009-11-30 | 2011-06-02 | Broadcom Corporation | Wireless power and wireless communication integrated circuit |
KR20110107808A (en) * | 2009-01-07 | 2011-10-04 | 휴렛-팩커드 디벨롭먼트 컴퍼니, 엘.피. | Photonic waveguide |
US20120286049A1 (en) * | 2011-05-12 | 2012-11-15 | Waveconnex, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US20120301149A1 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2012-11-29 | Thierry Pinguet | Method And System For Hybrid Integration Of Optical Communication Systems |
US8362430B1 (en) * | 2007-09-05 | 2013-01-29 | Jefferson Science Assosiates, LLC | Method for large and rapid terahertz imaging |
US20130070817A1 (en) * | 2011-09-15 | 2013-03-21 | Gary D. McCormack | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
CN103580751A (en) * | 2012-08-07 | 2014-02-12 | 卢克斯特拉有限公司 | Method and system for hybrid integration of optical communication systems |
US8794980B2 (en) | 2011-12-14 | 2014-08-05 | Keyssa, Inc. | Connectors providing HAPTIC feedback |
US8811526B2 (en) | 2011-05-31 | 2014-08-19 | Keyssa, Inc. | Delta modulated low power EHF communication link |
US8897700B2 (en) | 2011-06-15 | 2014-11-25 | Keyssa, Inc. | Distance measurement using EHF signals |
US8929834B2 (en) | 2012-03-06 | 2015-01-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | System for constraining an operating parameter of an EHF communication chip |
US9191263B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2015-11-17 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless replacement for cabled standards-based interfaces |
US9203597B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2015-12-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Systems and methods for duplex communication |
US9219956B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2015-12-22 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless audio adapter, and methods |
CN105659506A (en) * | 2013-10-18 | 2016-06-08 | 凯萨股份有限公司 | Contactless communication unit connector assemblies with signal directing structures |
US9374154B2 (en) | 2012-09-14 | 2016-06-21 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless connections with virtual hysteresis |
US9379450B2 (en) | 2011-03-24 | 2016-06-28 | Keyssa, Inc. | Integrated circuit with electromagnetic communication |
US9407311B2 (en) | 2011-10-21 | 2016-08-02 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless signal splicing using an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication link |
US9426660B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2016-08-23 | Keyssa, Inc. | EHF secure communication device |
US9474099B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2016-10-18 | Keyssa, Inc. | Smart connectors and associated communications links |
US9473207B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2016-10-18 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless EHF data communication |
US9515365B2 (en) | 2012-08-10 | 2016-12-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | Dielectric coupling systems for EHF communications |
US9531425B2 (en) | 2012-12-17 | 2016-12-27 | Keyssa, Inc. | Modular electronics |
US9553353B2 (en) | 2012-03-28 | 2017-01-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Redirection of electromagnetic signals using substrate structures |
US9553616B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2017-01-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Extremely high frequency communication chip |
US9559790B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2017-01-31 | Keyssa, Inc. | Link emission control |
US9588292B2 (en) * | 2013-06-25 | 2017-03-07 | The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York | Integrated photonic devices based on waveguides patterned with optical antenna arrays |
US9614590B2 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2017-04-04 | Keyssa, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US9705204B2 (en) | 2011-10-20 | 2017-07-11 | Keyssa, Inc. | Low-profile wireless connectors |
KR101796341B1 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2017-11-10 | 키사, 아이엔씨. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US9853746B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2017-12-26 | Keyssa, Inc. | Shielded EHF connector assemblies |
US9906304B2 (en) | 2004-01-14 | 2018-02-27 | Luxtera, Inc. | Integrated transceiver with lightpipe coupler |
US9954579B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2018-04-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Smart connectors and associated communications links |
US9960820B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2018-05-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless data transfer systems and methods |
US10049801B2 (en) | 2015-10-16 | 2018-08-14 | Keyssa Licensing, Inc. | Communication module alignment |
US20180287773A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2018-10-04 | Intel Corporation | Millimeter wave cmos engines for waveguide fabrics |
US20190025525A1 (en) * | 2017-07-20 | 2019-01-24 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Wave Conductor, Waveguide Connector, and Communications Link |
WO2019089772A1 (en) * | 2017-10-31 | 2019-05-09 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit with dielectric waveguide connector using photonic bandgap structure |
US10305196B2 (en) | 2012-04-17 | 2019-05-28 | Keyssa, Inc. | Dielectric lens structures for EHF radiation |
CN109828330A (en) * | 2019-01-30 | 2019-05-31 | 电子科技大学 | The antenna integrated transition structure of Terahertz on piece with multistage tapered waveguide structure |
US20190235188A1 (en) * | 2018-01-03 | 2019-08-01 | Fu Ding Precision Component (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd. | Interconnection system with hybrid transmission |
US10375221B2 (en) | 2015-04-30 | 2019-08-06 | Keyssa Systems, Inc. | Adapter devices for enhancing the functionality of other devices |
US10444432B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2019-10-15 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Galvanic signal path isolation in an encapsulated package using a photonic structure |
US10497651B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2019-12-03 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Electromagnetic interference shield within integrated circuit encapsulation using photonic bandgap structure |
KR102058605B1 (en) | 2012-12-11 | 2019-12-23 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Photodetector and image sensor including the same |
US10553573B2 (en) | 2017-09-01 | 2020-02-04 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Self-assembly of semiconductor die onto a leadframe using magnetic fields |
US10557754B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2020-02-11 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Spectrometry in integrated circuit using a photonic bandgap structure |
US10622270B2 (en) | 2017-08-31 | 2020-04-14 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit package with stress directing material |
US10833648B2 (en) | 2017-10-24 | 2020-11-10 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Acoustic management in integrated circuit using phononic bandgap structure |
TWI712139B (en) * | 2019-11-19 | 2020-12-01 | 虹晶科技股份有限公司 | Package antenna, package antenna array and method for fabricating package antenna |
US10873399B2 (en) | 2008-09-08 | 2020-12-22 | Luxtera Llc | Method and system for a photonic interposer |
US10886187B2 (en) | 2017-10-24 | 2021-01-05 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Thermal management in integrated circuit using phononic bandgap structure |
US11438065B2 (en) | 2008-09-08 | 2022-09-06 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for monolithic integration of photonics and electronics in CMOS processes |
Families Citing this family (135)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US6542720B1 (en) * | 1999-03-01 | 2003-04-01 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Microelectronic devices, methods of operating microelectronic devices, and methods of providing microelectronic devices |
WO2014169246A1 (en) * | 2013-04-12 | 2014-10-16 | Georgia State University Research Foundation | Spaser to speed up cmos processors |
US6828947B2 (en) * | 2003-04-03 | 2004-12-07 | Ae Systems Information And Electronic Systems Intergation Inc. | Nested cavity embedded loop mode antenna |
US7378861B1 (en) * | 2003-04-07 | 2008-05-27 | Luxtera, Inc. | Optical alignment loops for the wafer-level testing of optical and optoelectronic chips |
US7184626B1 (en) * | 2003-04-07 | 2007-02-27 | Luxtera, Inc | Wafer-level testing of optical and optoelectronic chips |
US7403396B2 (en) * | 2005-01-20 | 2008-07-22 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Communicating with an electronic module that is slidably mounted in a system |
US20060251421A1 (en) * | 2005-05-09 | 2006-11-09 | Ben Gurion University Of The Negev, Research And Development Authority | Improved free space optical bus |
GB0510112D0 (en) * | 2005-05-18 | 2005-06-22 | Ct For Integrated Photonics Th | The detector |
CN101389991B (en) * | 2006-02-22 | 2010-12-08 | 艾迪株式会社 | Low loss funnel-type plc optical splitter with input cladding mode absorption structure and/or output segmented taper structure |
US7529454B2 (en) * | 2006-03-17 | 2009-05-05 | Searete Llc | Photonic crystal surface states |
US7529456B2 (en) * | 2006-03-17 | 2009-05-05 | Searete Llc | Photonic crystal surface states |
US20090196561A1 (en) * | 2006-03-17 | 2009-08-06 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware | Photonic crystal surface states |
US20070223940A1 (en) * | 2006-03-23 | 2007-09-27 | Smolyaninov Igor I | Plasmonic systems and devices utilizing surface plasmon polaritons |
US8873585B2 (en) | 2006-12-19 | 2014-10-28 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Distributed antenna system for MIMO technologies |
DE102006061586B4 (en) * | 2006-12-27 | 2009-01-08 | Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. | Connection network between semiconductor structures and thus equipped circuit and method for data transmission |
US7612733B2 (en) * | 2007-03-12 | 2009-11-03 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | Transition region for use with an antenna-integrated electron tunneling device and method |
FR2915029A1 (en) * | 2007-04-13 | 2008-10-17 | Commissariat Energie Atomique | COMPACT OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING AT LEAST ONE SURFACE-EMITTING LASER |
WO2009081376A2 (en) | 2007-12-20 | 2009-07-02 | Mobileaccess Networks Ltd. | Extending outdoor location based services and applications into enclosed areas |
US20090220194A1 (en) * | 2008-02-19 | 2009-09-03 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Plasmonic antenna feed and coupling method and device |
US7928525B2 (en) * | 2008-04-25 | 2011-04-19 | Qimonda Ag | Integrated circuit with wireless connection |
EP2344915A4 (en) | 2008-10-09 | 2015-01-21 | Corning Cable Sys Llc | Fiber optic terminal having adapter panel supporting both input and output fibers from an optical splitter |
KR101520143B1 (en) * | 2009-01-09 | 2015-05-13 | 휴렛-팩커드 디벨롭먼트 컴퍼니, 엘.피. | Optical engine for point-to-point communications |
EP2394378A1 (en) | 2009-02-03 | 2011-12-14 | Corning Cable Systems LLC | Optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems, components, and related methods for monitoring and configuring thereof |
WO2010091004A1 (en) | 2009-02-03 | 2010-08-12 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems, components, and related methods for calibration thereof |
US9673904B2 (en) | 2009-02-03 | 2017-06-06 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Optical fiber-based distributed antenna systems, components, and related methods for calibration thereof |
US9590733B2 (en) | 2009-07-24 | 2017-03-07 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Location tracking using fiber optic array cables and related systems and methods |
US8280259B2 (en) | 2009-11-13 | 2012-10-02 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Radio-over-fiber (RoF) system for protocol-independent wired and/or wireless communication |
CN102576130B (en) | 2009-12-21 | 2014-04-09 | 惠普发展公司,有限责任合伙企业 | Circuit switched optical interconnection fabric |
WO2011084155A1 (en) | 2010-01-06 | 2011-07-14 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Optical interconnect |
US8472437B2 (en) * | 2010-02-15 | 2013-06-25 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Wireless chip-to-chip switching |
US8275265B2 (en) | 2010-02-15 | 2012-09-25 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Dynamic cell bonding (DCB) for radio-over-fiber (RoF)-based networks and communication systems and related methods |
AU2011217862B9 (en) * | 2010-02-19 | 2014-07-10 | Pacific Biosciences Of California, Inc. | Integrated analytical system and method |
CN102845001B (en) | 2010-03-31 | 2016-07-06 | 康宁光缆系统有限责任公司 | Based on positioning service in the distributed communication assembly of optical fiber and system and associated method |
WO2011139283A1 (en) * | 2010-05-07 | 2011-11-10 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Telecentric optical assembly |
JP5375738B2 (en) * | 2010-05-18 | 2013-12-25 | ソニー株式会社 | Signal transmission system |
IT1400154B1 (en) * | 2010-05-21 | 2013-05-17 | Palma | RADIATION SENSOR IN THZ BAND, IN PARTICULAR FOR IMAGE FORMATION. |
US8570914B2 (en) | 2010-08-09 | 2013-10-29 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Apparatuses, systems, and methods for determining location of a mobile device(s) in a distributed antenna system(s) |
JP2012064719A (en) * | 2010-09-15 | 2012-03-29 | Sumitomo Electric Ind Ltd | Light source device and display device |
JP5859008B2 (en) * | 2010-09-21 | 2016-02-10 | 日本テキサス・インスツルメンツ株式会社 | Interchip communication using submillimeter waves and dielectric waveguides |
US9123737B2 (en) * | 2010-09-21 | 2015-09-01 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Chip to dielectric waveguide interface for sub-millimeter wave communications link |
US9070703B2 (en) * | 2010-09-21 | 2015-06-30 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | High speed digital interconnect and method |
US9252874B2 (en) | 2010-10-13 | 2016-02-02 | Ccs Technology, Inc | Power management for remote antenna units in distributed antenna systems |
CN103430072B (en) | 2010-10-19 | 2018-08-10 | 康宁光缆系统有限责任公司 | For the transformation box in the fiber distribution network of multitenant unit |
KR102050038B1 (en) * | 2010-12-17 | 2019-11-28 | 더 리전츠 오브 더 유니버시티 오브 캘리포니아 | Periodic near field directors (PNFD) for short-range milli-meter-wave-wireless-interconnect (M2W2-interconnect) |
CN103609146B (en) | 2011-04-29 | 2017-05-31 | 康宁光缆系统有限责任公司 | For increasing the radio frequency in distributing antenna system(RF)The system of power, method and apparatus |
CN103548290B (en) | 2011-04-29 | 2016-08-31 | 康宁光缆系统有限责任公司 | Judge the communication propagation delays in distributing antenna system and associated component, System and method for |
US8693468B2 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2014-04-08 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Wireless bridge IC |
US9240900B2 (en) | 2011-09-06 | 2016-01-19 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Wireless router system |
US9219546B2 (en) | 2011-12-12 | 2015-12-22 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Extremely high frequency (EHF) distributed antenna systems, and related components and methods |
US10110307B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2018-10-23 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Optical network units (ONUs) for high bandwidth connectivity, and related components and methods |
WO2013148986A1 (en) | 2012-03-30 | 2013-10-03 | Corning Cable Systems Llc | Reducing location-dependent interference in distributed antenna systems operating in multiple-input, multiple-output (mimo) configuration, and related components, systems, and methods |
US9405064B2 (en) * | 2012-04-04 | 2016-08-02 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Microstrip line of different widths, ground planes of different distances |
US9781553B2 (en) | 2012-04-24 | 2017-10-03 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Location based services in a distributed communication system, and related components and methods |
EP2842245A1 (en) | 2012-04-25 | 2015-03-04 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Distributed antenna system architectures |
US10009106B2 (en) * | 2012-05-14 | 2018-06-26 | Acacia Communications, Inc. | Silicon photonics multicarrier optical transceiver |
CN104823092B (en) * | 2012-07-10 | 2017-05-17 | 3M创新有限公司 | Wireless connector with a hollow telescopic waveguide |
WO2014024192A1 (en) | 2012-08-07 | 2014-02-13 | Corning Mobile Access Ltd. | Distribution of time-division multiplexed (tdm) management services in a distributed antenna system, and related components, systems, and methods |
US9455784B2 (en) | 2012-10-31 | 2016-09-27 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Deployable wireless infrastructures and methods of deploying wireless infrastructures |
CN105308876B (en) | 2012-11-29 | 2018-06-22 | 康宁光电通信有限责任公司 | Remote unit antennas in distributing antenna system combines |
US9647758B2 (en) | 2012-11-30 | 2017-05-09 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Cabling connectivity monitoring and verification |
US9158864B2 (en) | 2012-12-21 | 2015-10-13 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Systems, methods, and devices for documenting a location of installed equipment |
US9516755B2 (en) * | 2012-12-28 | 2016-12-06 | Intel Corporation | Multi-channel memory module |
KR102026738B1 (en) * | 2013-02-15 | 2019-09-30 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Optical modulator and Method of adjusting optical angle using the the same |
US9134481B2 (en) * | 2013-03-08 | 2015-09-15 | International Business Machines Corporation | Graphene plasmonic communication link |
US9041015B2 (en) | 2013-03-12 | 2015-05-26 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. | Package structure and methods of forming same |
US8976833B2 (en) | 2013-03-12 | 2015-03-10 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. | Light coupling device and methods of forming same |
US9432119B2 (en) * | 2013-03-14 | 2016-08-30 | Tyco Electronics Corporation | Contactless fiber optic connector assemblies |
JP6039472B2 (en) * | 2013-03-15 | 2016-12-07 | 日東電工株式会社 | Antenna module and manufacturing method thereof |
CN105452951B (en) | 2013-06-12 | 2018-10-19 | 康宁光电通信无线公司 | Voltage type optical directional coupler |
EP3008828B1 (en) | 2013-06-12 | 2017-08-09 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. | Time-division duplexing (tdd) in distributed communications systems, including distributed antenna systems (dass) |
CN103632910B (en) * | 2013-07-10 | 2016-01-20 | 中国科学院电子学研究所 | Based on the THz source amplifying device of multiple cascade high-frequency structure |
US9247543B2 (en) | 2013-07-23 | 2016-01-26 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Monitoring non-supported wireless spectrum within coverage areas of distributed antenna systems (DASs) |
US9661781B2 (en) | 2013-07-31 | 2017-05-23 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Remote units for distributed communication systems and related installation methods and apparatuses |
US9385810B2 (en) | 2013-09-30 | 2016-07-05 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Connection mapping in distributed communication systems |
US9178635B2 (en) | 2014-01-03 | 2015-11-03 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Separation of communication signal sub-bands in distributed antenna systems (DASs) to reduce interference |
US9515368B2 (en) * | 2014-03-11 | 2016-12-06 | Nxp B.V. | Transmission line interconnect |
JP6138076B2 (en) * | 2014-03-17 | 2017-05-31 | ソニーセミコンダクタソリューションズ株式会社 | COMMUNICATION DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND COMMUNICATION METHOD |
US9775123B2 (en) | 2014-03-28 | 2017-09-26 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. | Individualized gain control of uplink paths in remote units in a distributed antenna system (DAS) based on individual remote unit contribution to combined uplink power |
US9488719B2 (en) | 2014-05-30 | 2016-11-08 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc. | Automotive radar sub-system packaging for robustness |
US9357551B2 (en) | 2014-05-30 | 2016-05-31 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Systems and methods for simultaneous sampling of serial digital data streams from multiple analog-to-digital converters (ADCS), including in distributed antenna systems |
US9525472B2 (en) | 2014-07-30 | 2016-12-20 | Corning Incorporated | Reducing location-dependent destructive interference in distributed antenna systems (DASS) operating in multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) configuration, and related components, systems, and methods |
WO2016023105A1 (en) * | 2014-08-15 | 2016-02-18 | Aeponyx Inc. | Methods and systems for microelectromechanical packaging |
US9730228B2 (en) | 2014-08-29 | 2017-08-08 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Individualized gain control of remote uplink band paths in a remote unit in a distributed antenna system (DAS), based on combined uplink power level in the remote unit |
US9602210B2 (en) | 2014-09-24 | 2017-03-21 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Flexible head-end chassis supporting automatic identification and interconnection of radio interface modules and optical interface modules in an optical fiber-based distributed antenna system (DAS) |
US9420542B2 (en) | 2014-09-25 | 2016-08-16 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | System-wide uplink band gain control in a distributed antenna system (DAS), based on per band gain control of remote uplink paths in remote units |
US9893026B2 (en) | 2014-10-29 | 2018-02-13 | Elwha Llc | Systems, methods and devices for inter-substrate coupling |
US9887177B2 (en) | 2014-10-29 | 2018-02-06 | Elwha Llc | Systems, methods and devices for inter-substrate coupling |
US9728489B2 (en) | 2014-10-29 | 2017-08-08 | Elwha Llc | Systems, methods and devices for inter-substrate coupling |
US9729267B2 (en) | 2014-12-11 | 2017-08-08 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Multiplexing two separate optical links with the same wavelength using asymmetric combining and splitting |
FR3030954A1 (en) * | 2014-12-17 | 2016-06-24 | Thales Sa | OPTOELECTRONIC COMPONENT FOR GENERATING AND RADIATING A HYPERFREQUENCY SIGNAL |
US20160249365A1 (en) | 2015-02-19 | 2016-08-25 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd. | Offsetting unwanted downlink interference signals in an uplink path in a distributed antenna system (das) |
US9537199B2 (en) | 2015-03-19 | 2017-01-03 | International Business Machines Corporation | Package structure having an integrated waveguide configured to communicate between first and second integrated circuit chips |
US9681313B2 (en) | 2015-04-15 | 2017-06-13 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Optimizing remote antenna unit performance using an alternative data channel |
US9948349B2 (en) | 2015-07-17 | 2018-04-17 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | IOT automation and data collection system |
US10560214B2 (en) | 2015-09-28 | 2020-02-11 | Corning Optical Communications LLC | Downlink and uplink communication path switching in a time-division duplex (TDD) distributed antenna system (DAS) |
JP6719882B2 (en) * | 2015-10-20 | 2020-07-08 | キヤノン株式会社 | Oscillation element and measuring device using the same |
US10078183B2 (en) * | 2015-12-11 | 2018-09-18 | Globalfoundries Inc. | Waveguide structures used in phonotics chip packaging |
US10122420B2 (en) * | 2015-12-22 | 2018-11-06 | Intel IP Corporation | Wireless in-chip and chip to chip communication |
US9947980B2 (en) | 2016-01-14 | 2018-04-17 | Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation | Terahertz filter tuning |
US9648580B1 (en) | 2016-03-23 | 2017-05-09 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Identifying remote units in a wireless distribution system (WDS) based on assigned unique temporal delay patterns |
US10236924B2 (en) | 2016-03-31 | 2019-03-19 | Corning Optical Communications Wireless Ltd | Reducing out-of-channel noise in a wireless distribution system (WDS) |
US9967049B2 (en) * | 2016-04-28 | 2018-05-08 | Oracle International Corporation | Temperature-insensitive optical transceiver |
US10361787B2 (en) * | 2016-09-01 | 2019-07-23 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for optical alignment to a silicon photonically-enabled integrated circuit |
US11830831B2 (en) | 2016-09-23 | 2023-11-28 | Intel Corporation | Semiconductor package including a modular side radiating waveguide launcher |
US11309619B2 (en) | 2016-09-23 | 2022-04-19 | Intel Corporation | Waveguide coupling systems and methods |
US11394094B2 (en) | 2016-09-30 | 2022-07-19 | Intel Corporation | Waveguide connector having a curved array of waveguides configured to connect a package to excitation elements |
US11022824B2 (en) * | 2016-11-23 | 2021-06-01 | Rockley Photonics Limited | Electro-optically active device |
WO2019101369A1 (en) * | 2017-11-23 | 2019-05-31 | Rockley Photonics Limited | Electro-optically active device |
US11105975B2 (en) * | 2016-12-02 | 2021-08-31 | Rockley Photonics Limited | Waveguide optoelectronic device |
US10461388B2 (en) * | 2016-12-30 | 2019-10-29 | Intel Corporation | Millimeter wave fabric network over dielectric waveguides |
US10468736B2 (en) | 2017-02-08 | 2019-11-05 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Radar assembly with ultra wide band waveguide to substrate integrated waveguide transition |
WO2018165898A1 (en) * | 2017-03-15 | 2018-09-20 | Hong Kong R & D Centre for Logistics and Supply Chain Management Enabling Technologies Limited | A radio communication device and a rfid device for assisting visually impaired users |
JP7194444B2 (en) * | 2017-03-21 | 2022-12-22 | エー・テー・ハー・チューリッヒ | Apparatus for generating and/or detecting terahertz and manufacturing method thereof |
CN108461888B (en) * | 2018-03-23 | 2019-12-06 | 重庆大学 | Directional diagram reconfigurable broadband flexible electrically small antenna applied to intelligent traffic |
FR3079665A1 (en) * | 2018-03-28 | 2019-10-04 | Hani Sherry | IMAGEUR TERAHERTZ WITH CLOSE FIELD |
US10819445B2 (en) * | 2018-11-20 | 2020-10-27 | Intel Corporation | Waveguide and transceiver interference mitigation |
US20200296823A1 (en) * | 2019-03-15 | 2020-09-17 | Intel Corporation | Multi-package on-board waveguide interconnects |
US11527808B2 (en) * | 2019-04-29 | 2022-12-13 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide launcher |
US11726260B2 (en) * | 2020-09-29 | 2023-08-15 | Google Llc | Substrate coupled grating couplers in photonic integrated circuits |
US11362436B2 (en) | 2020-10-02 | 2022-06-14 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Plastic air-waveguide antenna with conductive particles |
US11757166B2 (en) | 2020-11-10 | 2023-09-12 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Surface-mount waveguide for vertical transitions of a printed circuit board |
US11749883B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2023-09-05 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide with radiation slots and parasitic elements for asymmetrical coverage |
US11681015B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2023-06-20 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide with squint alteration |
US11502420B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2022-11-15 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Twin line fed dipole array antenna |
US11626668B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2023-04-11 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide end array antenna to reduce grating lobes and cross-polarization |
US11901601B2 (en) | 2020-12-18 | 2024-02-13 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide with a zigzag for suppressing grating lobes |
US11444364B2 (en) | 2020-12-22 | 2022-09-13 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Folded waveguide for antenna |
CN114696874A (en) * | 2020-12-31 | 2022-07-01 | 华为技术有限公司 | Terahertz carrier wave transmitting device and receiving device |
CN114696873A (en) * | 2020-12-31 | 2022-07-01 | 华为技术有限公司 | Terahertz carrier wave transmitting device and receiving device |
US20220238999A1 (en) * | 2021-01-26 | 2022-07-28 | Cypress Semiconductor Corporation | Close-range communication systems for high-density wireless networks |
US11668787B2 (en) | 2021-01-29 | 2023-06-06 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide with lobe suppression |
US11721905B2 (en) | 2021-03-16 | 2023-08-08 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Waveguide with a beam-forming feature with radiation slots |
US11616306B2 (en) | 2021-03-22 | 2023-03-28 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Apparatus, method and system comprising an air waveguide antenna having a single layer material with air channels therein which is interfaced with a circuit board |
US11616282B2 (en) | 2021-08-03 | 2023-03-28 | Aptiv Technologies Limited | Transition between a single-ended port and differential ports having stubs that match with input impedances of the single-ended and differential ports |
CN115378468A (en) * | 2022-09-17 | 2022-11-22 | 德氪微电子(深圳)有限公司 | Millimeter wave isolating device |
Citations (61)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4163920A (en) * | 1977-09-26 | 1979-08-07 | Ford Motor Company | Solid state source of radiant energy having a controllable frequency spectra characteristic |
US4272641A (en) * | 1979-04-19 | 1981-06-09 | Rca Corporation | Tandem junction amorphous silicon solar cells |
US4344052A (en) * | 1980-09-29 | 1982-08-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Distributed array of Josephson devices with coherence |
US4442185A (en) * | 1981-10-19 | 1984-04-10 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Photoelectrochemical cells for conversion of solar energy to electricity and methods of their manufacture |
US4857893A (en) * | 1986-07-18 | 1989-08-15 | Bi Inc. | Single chip transponder device |
US4973858A (en) * | 1986-07-18 | 1990-11-27 | Ibm Corporation | Resonant tunneling semiconductor devices |
US5018000A (en) * | 1988-06-24 | 1991-05-21 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Semiconductor device using MIS capacitor |
US5019530A (en) * | 1990-04-20 | 1991-05-28 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method of making metal-insulator-metal junction structures with adjustable barrier heights |
US5056111A (en) * | 1988-08-09 | 1991-10-08 | Ibm Corporation | Integrated terahertz electromagnetic wave system |
US5067788A (en) * | 1990-03-21 | 1991-11-26 | Physical Optics Corporation | High modulation rate optical plasmon waveguide modulator |
US5093692A (en) * | 1990-11-09 | 1992-03-03 | Menlo Industries, Inc. | Tunnel diode detector for microwave frequency applications |
US5157361A (en) * | 1991-05-10 | 1992-10-20 | Gruchalla Michael E | Nonlinear transmission line |
US5202752A (en) * | 1990-05-16 | 1993-04-13 | Nec Corporation | Monolithic integrated circuit device |
US5208726A (en) * | 1992-04-03 | 1993-05-04 | Teledyne Monolithic Microwave | Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor-around-via structure for a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) and method of manufacturing same |
US5287212A (en) * | 1989-09-07 | 1994-02-15 | Cox Charles H | Optical link |
US5302838A (en) * | 1992-06-09 | 1994-04-12 | University Of Cincinnati | Multi-quantum well injection mode device |
US5326984A (en) * | 1991-07-05 | 1994-07-05 | Thomson-Csf | Electromagnetic wave detector |
US5335361A (en) * | 1991-12-11 | 1994-08-02 | Motorola, Inc. | Integrated circuit module with devices interconnected by electromagnetic waves |
US5345213A (en) * | 1992-10-26 | 1994-09-06 | The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of Commerce | Temperature-controlled, micromachined arrays for chemical sensor fabrication and operation |
US5362961A (en) * | 1990-09-21 | 1994-11-08 | Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. | Optical information transmitting device and method of manufacturing same |
US5455451A (en) * | 1989-08-18 | 1995-10-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Superconductized semiconductor device using penetrating Cooper pairs |
US5543652A (en) * | 1992-08-10 | 1996-08-06 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Semiconductor device having a two-channel MISFET arrangement defined by I-V characteristic having a negative resistance curve and SRAM cells employing the same |
US5606177A (en) * | 1993-10-29 | 1997-02-25 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Silicon oxide resonant tunneling diode structure |
US5621913A (en) * | 1992-05-15 | 1997-04-15 | Micron Technology, Inc. | System with chip to chip communication |
US5621222A (en) * | 1987-07-22 | 1997-04-15 | Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Superlattice semiconductor device |
US5675295A (en) * | 1995-05-09 | 1997-10-07 | Imec Vzw | Microwave oscillator, an antenna therefor and methods of manufacture |
US5737458A (en) * | 1993-03-29 | 1998-04-07 | Martin Marietta Corporation | Optical light pipe and microwave waveguide interconnects in multichip modules formed using adaptive lithography |
US5751629A (en) * | 1995-04-25 | 1998-05-12 | Irori | Remotely programmable matrices with memories |
US5754948A (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 1998-05-19 | University Of North Carolina At Charlotte | Millimeter-wave wireless interconnection of electronic components |
US5764655A (en) * | 1997-07-02 | 1998-06-09 | International Business Machines Corporation | Built in self test with memory |
US5796119A (en) * | 1993-10-29 | 1998-08-18 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Silicon resonant tunneling |
US5825049A (en) * | 1996-10-09 | 1998-10-20 | Sandia Corporation | Resonant tunneling device with two-dimensional quantum well emitter and base layers |
US5825240A (en) * | 1994-11-30 | 1998-10-20 | Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | Resonant-tunneling transmission line technology |
US5883549A (en) * | 1997-06-20 | 1999-03-16 | Hughes Electronics Corporation | Bipolar junction transistor (BJT)--resonant tunneling diode (RTD) oscillator circuit and method |
US5895934A (en) * | 1997-08-13 | 1999-04-20 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army | Negative differential resistance device based on tunneling through microclusters, and method therefor |
US5994891A (en) * | 1994-09-26 | 1999-11-30 | The Boeing Company | Electrically small, wideband, high dynamic range antenna having a serial array of optical modulators |
US6034809A (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2000-03-07 | Verifier Technologies, Inc. | Optical plasmon-wave structures |
US6049308A (en) * | 1997-03-27 | 2000-04-11 | Sandia Corporation | Integrated resonant tunneling diode based antenna |
US6096496A (en) * | 1997-06-19 | 2000-08-01 | Frankel; Robert D. | Supports incorporating vertical cavity emitting lasers and tracking apparatus for use in combinatorial synthesis |
US6110393A (en) * | 1996-10-09 | 2000-08-29 | Sandia Corporation | Epoxy bond and stop etch fabrication method |
US6121541A (en) * | 1997-07-28 | 2000-09-19 | Bp Solarex | Monolithic multi-junction solar cells with amorphous silicon and CIS and their alloys |
US6181001B1 (en) * | 1996-12-27 | 2001-01-30 | Rohm Co., Ltd. | Card mounted with circuit chip and circuit chip module |
US6195485B1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2001-02-27 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Direct-coupled multimode WDM optical data links with monolithically-integrated multiple-channel VCSEL and photodetector |
US6211531B1 (en) * | 1997-07-18 | 2001-04-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Controllable conduction device |
US6263193B1 (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 2001-07-17 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Microwave transmitter/receiver module |
US6284557B1 (en) * | 1999-10-12 | 2001-09-04 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company | Optical sensor by using tunneling diode |
US6329655B1 (en) * | 1998-10-07 | 2001-12-11 | Raytheon Company | Architecture and method of coupling electromagnetic energy to thermal detectors |
US6373447B1 (en) * | 1998-12-28 | 2002-04-16 | Kawasaki Steel Corporation | On-chip antenna, and systems utilizing same |
US6380614B1 (en) * | 1999-07-02 | 2002-04-30 | Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd. | Non-contact type IC card and process for manufacturing same |
US6424223B1 (en) * | 2001-01-19 | 2002-07-23 | Eic Corporation | MMIC power amplifier with wirebond output matching circuit |
US6442321B1 (en) * | 1999-12-23 | 2002-08-27 | Spectalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US6459084B1 (en) * | 1997-05-30 | 2002-10-01 | University Of Central Florida | Area receiver with antenna-coupled infrared sensors |
US20020145566A1 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2002-10-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Integrated on-chip half-wave dipole antenna structure |
US6512431B2 (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2003-01-28 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Millimeterwave module compact interconnect |
US20030059147A1 (en) * | 2000-07-31 | 2003-03-27 | Spectalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US6542720B1 (en) * | 1999-03-01 | 2003-04-01 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Microelectronic devices, methods of operating microelectronic devices, and methods of providing microelectronic devices |
US6563185B2 (en) * | 2001-05-21 | 2003-05-13 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | High speed electron tunneling device and applications |
US6614960B2 (en) * | 1999-12-23 | 2003-09-02 | Speotalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US20030179974A1 (en) * | 2002-03-20 | 2003-09-25 | Estes Michael J. | Surface plasmon devices |
US6664562B2 (en) * | 2001-05-21 | 2003-12-16 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | Device integrated antenna for use in resonant and non-resonant modes and method |
US7197207B2 (en) * | 2002-03-07 | 2007-03-27 | International Business Machines Corporation | Apparatus and method for optical interconnection |
-
2003
- 2003-06-14 US US10/462,491 patent/US6967347B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
-
2005
- 2005-10-24 US US11/258,297 patent/US20060038168A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (61)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4163920A (en) * | 1977-09-26 | 1979-08-07 | Ford Motor Company | Solid state source of radiant energy having a controllable frequency spectra characteristic |
US4272641A (en) * | 1979-04-19 | 1981-06-09 | Rca Corporation | Tandem junction amorphous silicon solar cells |
US4344052A (en) * | 1980-09-29 | 1982-08-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Distributed array of Josephson devices with coherence |
US4442185A (en) * | 1981-10-19 | 1984-04-10 | The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy | Photoelectrochemical cells for conversion of solar energy to electricity and methods of their manufacture |
US4857893A (en) * | 1986-07-18 | 1989-08-15 | Bi Inc. | Single chip transponder device |
US4973858A (en) * | 1986-07-18 | 1990-11-27 | Ibm Corporation | Resonant tunneling semiconductor devices |
US5621222A (en) * | 1987-07-22 | 1997-04-15 | Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha | Superlattice semiconductor device |
US5018000A (en) * | 1988-06-24 | 1991-05-21 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Semiconductor device using MIS capacitor |
US5056111A (en) * | 1988-08-09 | 1991-10-08 | Ibm Corporation | Integrated terahertz electromagnetic wave system |
US5455451A (en) * | 1989-08-18 | 1995-10-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Superconductized semiconductor device using penetrating Cooper pairs |
US5287212A (en) * | 1989-09-07 | 1994-02-15 | Cox Charles H | Optical link |
US5067788A (en) * | 1990-03-21 | 1991-11-26 | Physical Optics Corporation | High modulation rate optical plasmon waveguide modulator |
US5019530A (en) * | 1990-04-20 | 1991-05-28 | International Business Machines Corporation | Method of making metal-insulator-metal junction structures with adjustable barrier heights |
US5202752A (en) * | 1990-05-16 | 1993-04-13 | Nec Corporation | Monolithic integrated circuit device |
US5362961A (en) * | 1990-09-21 | 1994-11-08 | Nippon Sheet Glass Co., Ltd. | Optical information transmitting device and method of manufacturing same |
US5093692A (en) * | 1990-11-09 | 1992-03-03 | Menlo Industries, Inc. | Tunnel diode detector for microwave frequency applications |
US5157361A (en) * | 1991-05-10 | 1992-10-20 | Gruchalla Michael E | Nonlinear transmission line |
US5326984A (en) * | 1991-07-05 | 1994-07-05 | Thomson-Csf | Electromagnetic wave detector |
US5335361A (en) * | 1991-12-11 | 1994-08-02 | Motorola, Inc. | Integrated circuit module with devices interconnected by electromagnetic waves |
US5208726A (en) * | 1992-04-03 | 1993-05-04 | Teledyne Monolithic Microwave | Metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor-around-via structure for a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) and method of manufacturing same |
US5621913A (en) * | 1992-05-15 | 1997-04-15 | Micron Technology, Inc. | System with chip to chip communication |
US5302838A (en) * | 1992-06-09 | 1994-04-12 | University Of Cincinnati | Multi-quantum well injection mode device |
US5543652A (en) * | 1992-08-10 | 1996-08-06 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Semiconductor device having a two-channel MISFET arrangement defined by I-V characteristic having a negative resistance curve and SRAM cells employing the same |
US5345213A (en) * | 1992-10-26 | 1994-09-06 | The United States Of America, As Represented By The Secretary Of Commerce | Temperature-controlled, micromachined arrays for chemical sensor fabrication and operation |
US5737458A (en) * | 1993-03-29 | 1998-04-07 | Martin Marietta Corporation | Optical light pipe and microwave waveguide interconnects in multichip modules formed using adaptive lithography |
US5606177A (en) * | 1993-10-29 | 1997-02-25 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Silicon oxide resonant tunneling diode structure |
US5796119A (en) * | 1993-10-29 | 1998-08-18 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Silicon resonant tunneling |
US5994891A (en) * | 1994-09-26 | 1999-11-30 | The Boeing Company | Electrically small, wideband, high dynamic range antenna having a serial array of optical modulators |
US5825240A (en) * | 1994-11-30 | 1998-10-20 | Massachusetts Institute Of Technology | Resonant-tunneling transmission line technology |
US5751629A (en) * | 1995-04-25 | 1998-05-12 | Irori | Remotely programmable matrices with memories |
US5675295A (en) * | 1995-05-09 | 1997-10-07 | Imec Vzw | Microwave oscillator, an antenna therefor and methods of manufacture |
US5754948A (en) * | 1995-12-29 | 1998-05-19 | University Of North Carolina At Charlotte | Millimeter-wave wireless interconnection of electronic components |
US5825049A (en) * | 1996-10-09 | 1998-10-20 | Sandia Corporation | Resonant tunneling device with two-dimensional quantum well emitter and base layers |
US6110393A (en) * | 1996-10-09 | 2000-08-29 | Sandia Corporation | Epoxy bond and stop etch fabrication method |
US6181001B1 (en) * | 1996-12-27 | 2001-01-30 | Rohm Co., Ltd. | Card mounted with circuit chip and circuit chip module |
US6049308A (en) * | 1997-03-27 | 2000-04-11 | Sandia Corporation | Integrated resonant tunneling diode based antenna |
US6263193B1 (en) * | 1997-03-28 | 2001-07-17 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Microwave transmitter/receiver module |
US6459084B1 (en) * | 1997-05-30 | 2002-10-01 | University Of Central Florida | Area receiver with antenna-coupled infrared sensors |
US6096496A (en) * | 1997-06-19 | 2000-08-01 | Frankel; Robert D. | Supports incorporating vertical cavity emitting lasers and tracking apparatus for use in combinatorial synthesis |
US5883549A (en) * | 1997-06-20 | 1999-03-16 | Hughes Electronics Corporation | Bipolar junction transistor (BJT)--resonant tunneling diode (RTD) oscillator circuit and method |
US5764655A (en) * | 1997-07-02 | 1998-06-09 | International Business Machines Corporation | Built in self test with memory |
US6211531B1 (en) * | 1997-07-18 | 2001-04-03 | Hitachi, Ltd. | Controllable conduction device |
US6121541A (en) * | 1997-07-28 | 2000-09-19 | Bp Solarex | Monolithic multi-junction solar cells with amorphous silicon and CIS and their alloys |
US5895934A (en) * | 1997-08-13 | 1999-04-20 | The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army | Negative differential resistance device based on tunneling through microclusters, and method therefor |
US6034809A (en) * | 1998-03-26 | 2000-03-07 | Verifier Technologies, Inc. | Optical plasmon-wave structures |
US6329655B1 (en) * | 1998-10-07 | 2001-12-11 | Raytheon Company | Architecture and method of coupling electromagnetic energy to thermal detectors |
US6195485B1 (en) * | 1998-10-26 | 2001-02-27 | The Regents Of The University Of California | Direct-coupled multimode WDM optical data links with monolithically-integrated multiple-channel VCSEL and photodetector |
US6373447B1 (en) * | 1998-12-28 | 2002-04-16 | Kawasaki Steel Corporation | On-chip antenna, and systems utilizing same |
US6542720B1 (en) * | 1999-03-01 | 2003-04-01 | Micron Technology, Inc. | Microelectronic devices, methods of operating microelectronic devices, and methods of providing microelectronic devices |
US6380614B1 (en) * | 1999-07-02 | 2002-04-30 | Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd. | Non-contact type IC card and process for manufacturing same |
US6284557B1 (en) * | 1999-10-12 | 2001-09-04 | Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company | Optical sensor by using tunneling diode |
US6614960B2 (en) * | 1999-12-23 | 2003-09-02 | Speotalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US6442321B1 (en) * | 1999-12-23 | 2002-08-27 | Spectalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US20030059147A1 (en) * | 2000-07-31 | 2003-03-27 | Spectalis Corp. | Optical waveguide structures |
US6424223B1 (en) * | 2001-01-19 | 2002-07-23 | Eic Corporation | MMIC power amplifier with wirebond output matching circuit |
US6512431B2 (en) * | 2001-02-28 | 2003-01-28 | Lockheed Martin Corporation | Millimeterwave module compact interconnect |
US20020145566A1 (en) * | 2001-03-19 | 2002-10-10 | International Business Machines Corporation | Integrated on-chip half-wave dipole antenna structure |
US6563185B2 (en) * | 2001-05-21 | 2003-05-13 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | High speed electron tunneling device and applications |
US6664562B2 (en) * | 2001-05-21 | 2003-12-16 | The Regents Of The University Of Colorado | Device integrated antenna for use in resonant and non-resonant modes and method |
US7197207B2 (en) * | 2002-03-07 | 2007-03-27 | International Business Machines Corporation | Apparatus and method for optical interconnection |
US20030179974A1 (en) * | 2002-03-20 | 2003-09-25 | Estes Michael J. | Surface plasmon devices |
Cited By (155)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20050075080A1 (en) * | 2003-10-03 | 2005-04-07 | Nanyang Technological University | Inter-chip and intra-chip wireless communications systems |
US10341021B2 (en) | 2004-01-14 | 2019-07-02 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a CMOS chip |
US10454586B2 (en) | 2004-01-14 | 2019-10-22 | Luxtera, Inc. | Integrated transceiver with lightpipe coupler |
US9906304B2 (en) | 2004-01-14 | 2018-02-27 | Luxtera, Inc. | Integrated transceiver with lightpipe coupler |
US10727944B2 (en) * | 2004-01-14 | 2020-07-28 | Luxtera Llc. | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a CMOS chip |
US9813152B2 (en) * | 2004-01-14 | 2017-11-07 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a CMOS chip |
US10128954B2 (en) | 2004-01-14 | 2018-11-13 | Luxtera, Inc. | Integrated transceiver with lightpipe coupler |
US20090022500A1 (en) * | 2004-01-14 | 2009-01-22 | Thierry Pinguet | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip |
US20090303573A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2009-12-10 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation | Optical antenna with phase control |
US20090321620A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2009-12-31 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware | Electromagnetic device with integral non-linear component |
US7825364B1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2010-11-02 | Invention Science Fund I | Electromagnetic device with integral\non-linear component |
US20100270460A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2010-10-28 | Searete Llc,A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware | Electromagnetic device with integral\non-linear component |
US20100232810A1 (en) * | 2005-02-28 | 2010-09-16 | Searete Llc, A Limited Liability Corporation Of The State Of Delaware | Electromagnetic device with integral/non-linear component |
US7957648B2 (en) | 2005-02-28 | 2011-06-07 | The Invention Science Fund I, Llc | Electromagnetic device with integral non-linear component |
US7952061B2 (en) | 2005-02-28 | 2011-05-31 | The Invention Science Fund I, Llc | Electromagnetic device with integral/non-linear component |
US20080218293A1 (en) * | 2005-04-22 | 2008-09-11 | Nxp B.V. | High Frequency Electromagnetic Wave Receiver and Broadband Waveguide Mixer |
US7606592B2 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2009-10-20 | Becker Charles D | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US20090325628A1 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2009-12-31 | Becker Charles D | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US20070063914A1 (en) * | 2005-09-19 | 2007-03-22 | Becker Charles D | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US8489015B2 (en) | 2005-09-19 | 2013-07-16 | Wireless Expressways Inc. | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US8897695B2 (en) | 2005-09-19 | 2014-11-25 | Wireless Expressways Inc. | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US8078215B2 (en) | 2005-09-19 | 2011-12-13 | Becker Charles D | Waveguide-based wireless distribution system and method of operation |
US20080025680A1 (en) * | 2006-07-27 | 2008-01-31 | National Taiwan University | Plastic waveguide for terahertz wave |
US7409132B2 (en) * | 2006-07-27 | 2008-08-05 | National Taiwan University | Plastic waveguide for terahertz wave |
US20110075394A1 (en) * | 2007-04-30 | 2011-03-31 | Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. | Shielding structures for signal paths in electronic devices |
US7869225B2 (en) | 2007-04-30 | 2011-01-11 | Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. | Shielding structures for signal paths in electronic devices |
US20080266829A1 (en) * | 2007-04-30 | 2008-10-30 | Freescale Semiconductor, Inc. | Shielding structures for signal paths in electronic devices |
US8385084B2 (en) | 2007-04-30 | 2013-02-26 | Jinbang Tang | Shielding structures for signal paths in electronic devices |
US20080285978A1 (en) * | 2007-05-14 | 2008-11-20 | Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute | Optical hybrid module |
US20090033359A1 (en) * | 2007-07-31 | 2009-02-05 | Broadcom Corporation | Programmable logic device with millimeter wave interface and method for use therewith |
US8362430B1 (en) * | 2007-09-05 | 2013-01-29 | Jefferson Science Assosiates, LLC | Method for large and rapid terahertz imaging |
KR101554755B1 (en) | 2007-10-02 | 2015-09-21 | 럭스테라, 인코포레이티드 | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip |
WO2009048773A1 (en) * | 2007-10-02 | 2009-04-16 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip |
US20100226657A1 (en) * | 2007-10-23 | 2010-09-09 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | All Optical Fast Distributed Arbitration In A Computer System Device |
US8335434B2 (en) * | 2007-10-23 | 2012-12-18 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | All optical fast distributed arbitration in a computer system device |
US20090152699A1 (en) * | 2007-12-12 | 2009-06-18 | Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute | Packaging apparatus of terahertz device |
US7755100B2 (en) * | 2007-12-12 | 2010-07-13 | Electronics And Telecommunications Research Institute | Packaging apparatus of terahertz device |
US8384596B2 (en) * | 2008-06-19 | 2013-02-26 | Broadcom Corporation | Method and system for inter-chip communication via integrated circuit package antennas |
US20090315797A1 (en) * | 2008-06-19 | 2009-12-24 | Ahmadreza Rofougaran | Method and system for inter-chip communication via integrated circuit package antennas |
US10873399B2 (en) | 2008-09-08 | 2020-12-22 | Luxtera Llc | Method and system for a photonic interposer |
US11438065B2 (en) | 2008-09-08 | 2022-09-06 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for monolithic integration of photonics and electronics in CMOS processes |
US10588002B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2020-03-10 | Keyssa, Inc. | Smart connectors and associated communications links |
US10236938B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2019-03-19 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless replacement for cabled standards-based interfaces |
US9525463B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2016-12-20 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless replacement for cabled standards-based interfaces |
US10142728B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2018-11-27 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless audio adapter, and methods |
US9960820B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2018-05-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless data transfer systems and methods |
US10965347B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2021-03-30 | Keyssa, Inc. | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
US10595124B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2020-03-17 | Keyssa, Inc. | Full duplex contactless communication systems and methods for the use thereof |
US9954579B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2018-04-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Smart connectors and associated communications links |
US10601470B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2020-03-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless data transfer systems and methods |
US8554136B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2013-10-08 | Waveconnex, Inc. | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
US9191263B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2015-11-17 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless replacement for cabled standards-based interfaces |
US9474099B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2016-10-18 | Keyssa, Inc. | Smart connectors and associated communications links |
US20100159829A1 (en) * | 2008-12-23 | 2010-06-24 | Mccormack Gary D | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
US9219956B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2015-12-22 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless audio adapter, and methods |
US9819397B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2017-11-14 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless replacement for cabled standards-based interfaces |
US9853696B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2017-12-26 | Keyssa, Inc. | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
US9565495B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2017-02-07 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless audio adapter, and methods |
US10243621B2 (en) | 2008-12-23 | 2019-03-26 | Keyssa, Inc. | Tightly-coupled near-field communication-link connector-replacement chips |
KR20110107808A (en) * | 2009-01-07 | 2011-10-04 | 휴렛-팩커드 디벨롭먼트 컴퍼니, 엘.피. | Photonic waveguide |
KR101629531B1 (en) | 2009-01-07 | 2016-06-10 | 휴렛-팩커드 디벨롭먼트 컴퍼니, 엘.피. | Photonic waveguide |
US9274297B2 (en) * | 2009-01-07 | 2016-03-01 | Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development Lp | Photonic waveguide |
US20110268386A1 (en) * | 2009-01-07 | 2011-11-03 | Terrel Morris | Photonic waveguide |
CN102272642A (en) * | 2009-01-07 | 2011-12-07 | 惠普开发有限公司 | Hewlett packard development co |
US20100278538A1 (en) * | 2009-04-29 | 2010-11-04 | Georgia Tech Research Corporation | Millimeter wave wireless communication system |
US9331096B2 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2016-05-03 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for hybrid integration of optical communication systems |
US9625665B2 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2017-04-18 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for hybrid integration of optical communication systems |
US20160246018A1 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2016-08-25 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method And System For Hybrid Integration Of Optical Communication Systems |
US9829661B2 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2017-11-28 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method and system for hybrid integration of optical communication systems |
US20180074270A1 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2018-03-15 | Luxtera, Inc. | Method And System For Hybrid Integration Of Optical Communication Systems |
US20120301149A1 (en) * | 2009-09-04 | 2012-11-29 | Thierry Pinguet | Method And System For Hybrid Integration Of Optical Communication Systems |
US9806767B2 (en) * | 2009-11-30 | 2017-10-31 | Koninklijke Philips N.V. | Wireless power and wireless communication integrated circuit |
US20110130093A1 (en) * | 2009-11-30 | 2011-06-02 | Broadcom Corporation | Wireless power and wireless communication integrated circuit |
US9444146B2 (en) | 2011-03-24 | 2016-09-13 | Keyssa, Inc. | Integrated circuit with electromagnetic communication |
US9379450B2 (en) | 2011-03-24 | 2016-06-28 | Keyssa, Inc. | Integrated circuit with electromagnetic communication |
US11923598B2 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2024-03-05 | Molex, Llc | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
KR101796341B1 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2017-11-10 | 키사, 아이엔씨. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US20120286049A1 (en) * | 2011-05-12 | 2012-11-15 | Waveconnex, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US8714459B2 (en) * | 2011-05-12 | 2014-05-06 | Waveconnex, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US8757501B2 (en) * | 2011-05-12 | 2014-06-24 | Waveconnex, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US9614590B2 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2017-04-04 | Keyssa, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US10601105B2 (en) | 2011-05-12 | 2020-03-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity |
US9515859B2 (en) | 2011-05-31 | 2016-12-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | Delta modulated low-power EHF communication link |
US8811526B2 (en) | 2011-05-31 | 2014-08-19 | Keyssa, Inc. | Delta modulated low power EHF communication link |
US9722667B2 (en) | 2011-06-15 | 2017-08-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Proximity sensing using EHF signals |
US9444523B2 (en) | 2011-06-15 | 2016-09-13 | Keyssa, Inc. | Proximity sensing using EHF signals |
US8897700B2 (en) | 2011-06-15 | 2014-11-25 | Keyssa, Inc. | Distance measurement using EHF signals |
US9322904B2 (en) | 2011-06-15 | 2016-04-26 | Keyssa, Inc. | Proximity sensing using EHF signals |
US8909135B2 (en) * | 2011-09-15 | 2014-12-09 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
TWI554165B (en) * | 2011-09-15 | 2016-10-11 | 奇沙公司 | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
US10707557B2 (en) | 2011-09-15 | 2020-07-07 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
US20130070817A1 (en) * | 2011-09-15 | 2013-03-21 | Gary D. McCormack | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
US10381713B2 (en) | 2011-09-15 | 2019-08-13 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless communications with dielectric medium |
US10027018B2 (en) | 2011-09-15 | 2018-07-17 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
US9787349B2 (en) | 2011-09-15 | 2017-10-10 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless communication with dielectric medium |
US9705204B2 (en) | 2011-10-20 | 2017-07-11 | Keyssa, Inc. | Low-profile wireless connectors |
US9407311B2 (en) | 2011-10-21 | 2016-08-02 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless signal splicing using an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication link |
US9647715B2 (en) | 2011-10-21 | 2017-05-09 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless signal splicing using an extremely high frequency (EHF) communication link |
US8794980B2 (en) | 2011-12-14 | 2014-08-05 | Keyssa, Inc. | Connectors providing HAPTIC feedback |
US9197011B2 (en) | 2011-12-14 | 2015-11-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Connectors providing haptic feedback |
US9900054B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2018-02-20 | Keyssa, Inc. | Link emission control |
US9853746B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2017-12-26 | Keyssa, Inc. | Shielded EHF connector assemblies |
US9559790B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2017-01-31 | Keyssa, Inc. | Link emission control |
US10110324B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2018-10-23 | Keyssa, Inc. | Shielded EHF connector assemblies |
US10236936B2 (en) | 2012-01-30 | 2019-03-19 | Keyssa, Inc. | Link emission control |
US9203597B2 (en) | 2012-03-02 | 2015-12-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Systems and methods for duplex communication |
US8929834B2 (en) | 2012-03-06 | 2015-01-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | System for constraining an operating parameter of an EHF communication chip |
US9300349B2 (en) | 2012-03-06 | 2016-03-29 | Keyssa, Inc. | Extremely high frequency (EHF) communication control circuit |
US9553353B2 (en) | 2012-03-28 | 2017-01-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Redirection of electromagnetic signals using substrate structures |
US10651559B2 (en) | 2012-03-28 | 2020-05-12 | Keyssa, Inc. | Redirection of electromagnetic signals using substrate structures |
US10305196B2 (en) | 2012-04-17 | 2019-05-28 | Keyssa, Inc. | Dielectric lens structures for EHF radiation |
CN103580751A (en) * | 2012-08-07 | 2014-02-12 | 卢克斯特拉有限公司 | Method and system for hybrid integration of optical communication systems |
US9515365B2 (en) | 2012-08-10 | 2016-12-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | Dielectric coupling systems for EHF communications |
US10069183B2 (en) | 2012-08-10 | 2018-09-04 | Keyssa, Inc. | Dielectric coupling systems for EHF communications |
US9374154B2 (en) | 2012-09-14 | 2016-06-21 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless connections with virtual hysteresis |
US9515707B2 (en) | 2012-09-14 | 2016-12-06 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless connections with virtual hysteresis |
US10027382B2 (en) | 2012-09-14 | 2018-07-17 | Keyssa, Inc. | Wireless connections with virtual hysteresis |
KR102058605B1 (en) | 2012-12-11 | 2019-12-23 | 삼성전자주식회사 | Photodetector and image sensor including the same |
US9531425B2 (en) | 2012-12-17 | 2016-12-27 | Keyssa, Inc. | Modular electronics |
US10523278B2 (en) | 2012-12-17 | 2019-12-31 | Keyssa, Inc. | Modular electronics |
US10033439B2 (en) | 2012-12-17 | 2018-07-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Modular electronics |
US10925111B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2021-02-16 | Keyssa, Inc. | EHF secure communication device |
US9473207B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2016-10-18 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless EHF data communication |
US9960792B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2018-05-01 | Keyssa, Inc. | Extremely high frequency communication chip |
US9553616B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2017-01-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Extremely high frequency communication chip |
US9894524B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2018-02-13 | Keyssa, Inc. | EHF secure communication device |
US10602363B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2020-03-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | EHF secure communication device |
US9426660B2 (en) | 2013-03-15 | 2016-08-23 | Keyssa, Inc. | EHF secure communication device |
US9588292B2 (en) * | 2013-06-25 | 2017-03-07 | The Trustees Of Columbia University In The City Of New York | Integrated photonic devices based on waveguides patterned with optical antenna arrays |
EP3058663A4 (en) * | 2013-10-18 | 2017-09-13 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless communication unit connector assemblies with signal directing structures |
US20170033818A1 (en) * | 2013-10-18 | 2017-02-02 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless communication unit connector assemblies with signal directing structures |
CN105659506A (en) * | 2013-10-18 | 2016-06-08 | 凯萨股份有限公司 | Contactless communication unit connector assemblies with signal directing structures |
US9954566B2 (en) * | 2013-10-18 | 2018-04-24 | Keyssa, Inc. | Contactless communication unit connector assemblies with signal directing structures |
US10764421B2 (en) | 2015-04-30 | 2020-09-01 | Keyssa Systems, Inc. | Adapter devices for enhancing the functionality of other devices |
US10375221B2 (en) | 2015-04-30 | 2019-08-06 | Keyssa Systems, Inc. | Adapter devices for enhancing the functionality of other devices |
US10049801B2 (en) | 2015-10-16 | 2018-08-14 | Keyssa Licensing, Inc. | Communication module alignment |
US20180287773A1 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2018-10-04 | Intel Corporation | Millimeter wave cmos engines for waveguide fabrics |
US10211970B2 (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2019-02-19 | Intel Corporation | Millimeter wave CMOS engines for waveguide fabrics |
CN108696317A (en) * | 2017-03-31 | 2018-10-23 | 英特尔公司 | Millimeter-wave CMOS engine for waveguide group structure |
US11041996B2 (en) * | 2017-07-20 | 2021-06-22 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Wave conductor, waveguide connector, and communications link |
US20190025525A1 (en) * | 2017-07-20 | 2019-01-24 | Te Connectivity Germany Gmbh | Wave Conductor, Waveguide Connector, and Communications Link |
US10622270B2 (en) | 2017-08-31 | 2020-04-14 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit package with stress directing material |
US10553573B2 (en) | 2017-09-01 | 2020-02-04 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Self-assembly of semiconductor die onto a leadframe using magnetic fields |
US10833648B2 (en) | 2017-10-24 | 2020-11-10 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Acoustic management in integrated circuit using phononic bandgap structure |
US10886187B2 (en) | 2017-10-24 | 2021-01-05 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Thermal management in integrated circuit using phononic bandgap structure |
WO2019089772A1 (en) * | 2017-10-31 | 2019-05-09 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit with dielectric waveguide connector using photonic bandgap structure |
US10371891B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2019-08-06 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit with dielectric waveguide connector using photonic bandgap structure |
US10788367B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2020-09-29 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Integrated circuit using photonic bandgap structure |
US10444432B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2019-10-15 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Galvanic signal path isolation in an encapsulated package using a photonic structure |
US10557754B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2020-02-11 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Spectrometry in integrated circuit using a photonic bandgap structure |
US10497651B2 (en) | 2017-10-31 | 2019-12-03 | Texas Instruments Incorporated | Electromagnetic interference shield within integrated circuit encapsulation using photonic bandgap structure |
US10795102B2 (en) * | 2018-01-03 | 2020-10-06 | Fuding Precision Components (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd | Interconnection system with hybrid transmission |
US20190235188A1 (en) * | 2018-01-03 | 2019-08-01 | Fu Ding Precision Component (Shen Zhen) Co., Ltd. | Interconnection system with hybrid transmission |
CN109828330A (en) * | 2019-01-30 | 2019-05-31 | 电子科技大学 | The antenna integrated transition structure of Terahertz on piece with multistage tapered waveguide structure |
TWI712139B (en) * | 2019-11-19 | 2020-12-01 | 虹晶科技股份有限公司 | Package antenna, package antenna array and method for fabricating package antenna |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US6967347B2 (en) | 2005-11-22 |
US20040069984A1 (en) | 2004-04-15 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US6967347B2 (en) | Terahertz interconnect system and applications | |
US20070029544A1 (en) | Interconnected high speed electron tunneling devices | |
US6854901B1 (en) | Optical wiring device | |
EP2820461B1 (en) | Chip assembly configuration with densely packed optical interconnects | |
US7233725B2 (en) | 1×N fanout waveguide photodetector | |
JP3728147B2 (en) | Opto-electric hybrid wiring board | |
KR101513324B1 (en) | Three-dimensional die stacks with inter-device and intra-device optical interconnect | |
Forbes et al. | Optically interconnected electronic chips: a tutorial and review of the technology | |
Schow et al. | Get on the optical bus | |
JP2004145034A (en) | Optical connecting device, opto-electric mixed loading device, and electronic device using the same | |
US11728894B2 (en) | Optically-enhanced multichip packaging | |
CN108700707A (en) | Dynamic beam turns to optoelectronic packaging | |
US8363988B2 (en) | Opto-electronic connector module and opto-electronic communication module having the same | |
CN102402710A (en) | Usb optical thin card structure | |
US8121446B2 (en) | Macro-chip including a surface-normal device | |
JP2004069797A (en) | Optical waveguide device, photoelectric fused substrate and electronic equipment using them | |
CN112904496A (en) | Silicon optical integrated module | |
CN112904497A (en) | Silicon optical integrated module based on PWB | |
CN116964501A (en) | Method for co-packaging optical modules on a switch package substrate | |
US20030038297A1 (en) | Apparatus,system, and method for transmission of information between microelectronic devices | |
Kimerling et al. | Monolithic microphotonic integration on the silicon platform | |
Gaburro | Optical interconnect | |
US20230129104A1 (en) | Visible led-based flex waveguide interconnects | |
Esener | Implementation and prospects for chip-to-chip free-space optical interconnects | |
WO2023202769A1 (en) | Antenna array system |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, BODY CORPOR Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ESTES, MICHAEL J.;MODDEL, GARRET;REEL/FRAME:017147/0235 Effective date: 20031204 |
|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |