Structures and methods for proximity communication using bridge chips

• US 20060095639A1
• Filed: 11/01/2005
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Cunningham, John E., Krishnamoorthy, Ashok V., Zingher, Arthur R., Ho, Ronald, Guenin, Bruce M., Nettleton, Nyles I.
• Application Number:
  US11/264,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20060095639A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/310
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/48 Arrangements for conducting electric current to or from the solid state body in operation, e.g. leads, terminal arrangements ; Selection of materials therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0652 the devices being arranged next and on each other, i.e. mixed assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates proximity communication using a bridge chip. This system includes a base chip with an active face, upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face. The bridge chip is mounted to the base chip using a mounting, interconnection, and communication structure. The bridge chip is positioned so that a free end is proximate to a neighboring chip, thereby supporting proximity communication between the base chip and the neighboring chip.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a base chip with an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face; and

a bridge chip mounted to the base chip using a mounting and communication structure;

wherein the bridge chip is positioned so that a free end is proximate to a neighboring chip; and

wherein the bridge chip supports proximity communication between the base chip in the system and the neighboring chip.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge chip communicates with the neighboring chip using proximity communication techniques that include:

capacitive coupling across a thin gap using mating sets of capacitors;

optical communication using mating sets of optical transmitters and optical receivers;

magnetic coupling using mating sets of electromagnets;

short-wavelength microwave radiation; and

/or

electromagnetic signals using mating sets of electromagnetic transmitters and receivers, wherein the electromagnetic signals may use various bands and modes of the electromagnetic spectrum.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge chip is mounted either to a corner or a side of the base chip.

4. The system of claim 1,

wherein the bridge chip has 2 ends and resembles a rectangle or a capital ‘

I’

;

wherein the bridge chip has 3 ends and resembles a capital ‘

Y’

;

or

wherein the bridge chip has 4 ends and resembles either a capital ‘

X’

or a small square.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the bridge chip is thin enough to bend in the z-direction.

6. The system of claim 5,

wherein the bridge chip includes wiring deposited on a face of the bridge chip;

and

wherein this wiring should be compliant and may include a spring layer than can bend elastically in the z-direction.

7. The system of claim 1,

wherein the bridge chip primarily supports communication, and thereby consumes less power than chips that support both computation and communication;

and

wherein using bridge chips facilitates the layout of sets of multiple base chips in a single layer, thereby simplifying system design.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the mounting and communication structure includes bonded and/or separable mountings for bridge chips.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the mounting and communication structure includes mechanisms to support proximity communication and/or conductive communication.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein circuitry within the bridge chip can be either active or passive.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the mounting and communication structure includes a conductive micro-bump mounting.

12. A computer system that includes:

a base chip; and

a bridge chip mounted to the base chip using a mounting and communication structure;

wherein the base chip includes an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face;

wherein the bridge chip is positioned so that a free end is proximate to a neighboring chip; and

wherein the bridge chip supports proximity communication between the base chip in the integrated circuit module and the neighboring chip.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the bridge chip communicates with the neighboring chip using proximity communication techniques that include:

capacitive coupling across a thin gap using mating sets of capacitors;

optical communication using mating sets of optical transmitters and optical receivers;

magnetic coupling using mating sets of electromagnets;

short-wavelength microwave radiation; and

/or electromagnetic signals using mating sets of electromagnetic transmitters and receivers, wherein the electromagnetic signals may use various bands and modes of the electromagnetic spectrum.

14. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the bridge chip is mounted either to a corner or a side of the base chip.

15. The computer system of claim 12,

wherein the bridge chip has 2 ends and resembles a rectangle or a capital ‘

I’

;

wherein the bridge chip has 3 ends and resembles a capital ‘

Y’

;

or

wherein the bridge chip has 4 ends and resembles either a capital ‘

X’

or a small square.

16. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the bridge chip is thin enough to bend in the z-direction.

17. The computer system of claim 16,

wherein the bridge chip includes wiring deposited on a face of the bridge chip;

and

wherein this wiring should be compliant and may include a spring layer than can bend elastically in the z-direction.

18. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the mounting and communication structure includes bonded and/or separable mountings for bridge chips.

19. The computer system of claim 12, wherein the mounting and communication structure includes mechanisms to support proximity communication and/or conductive communication.

20. A method for manufacturing a system, comprising:

mounting a bridge chip to a base chip using a mounting and communication structure, wherein the base chip includes an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face;

wherein the bridge chip is positioned so that a free end is proximate to a neighboring chip; and

wherein the bridge chip supports proximity communication between the base chip in the integrated circuit module and the neighboring chip.