Integrated segmented and interdigitated broadside- and edge-coupled transmission lines
First Claim
1. A transmission line element, in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:
- a plurality of metal layers in the integrated circuit chip, each of said metal layers being separated from an adjacent said metal layer by at least one dielectric layer;
at least first and second conductors in the integrated circuit;
the first conductor comprising at least two transmission lines, at least some of the at least two transmission lines of the first conductor being in different said metal layers, and a plurality of first electrical connections through which the at least two transmission lines are electrically connected to one another; and
the second conductor comprising at least two transmission lines, at least some of the at least two transmission lines of the second conductor being in different said metal layers, and a plurality of second electrical connections through which the at least two transmission lines are electrically connected to one another, wherein the at least first and second conductors run parallel to one another, the at least two transmission lines in said at least first and second conductors run parallel to one another, at least one transmission line in each of the at least first and second conductors is edge-coupled to at least one said transmission line another said conductor and broadside-coupled to at least one said transmission line in another said conductor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A transmission line element is formed in an integrated circuit chip. The transmission line element includes a plurality of parallel conductors, with each conductor including a plurality of electrically connected transmission lines. At least two of the transmission lines of each conductor are in different ones of plural metal layers of the integrated circuit chip. The metal layers are separated by at least one dielectric layer. Each transmission line in each conductor is edge-coupled to a transmission line of another of the conductors, and broadside-coupled to a transmission line of another of the conductors. The transmission line element can be used, for example, to fabricate various types of balanced and unbalanced transformers.
35 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A transmission line element, in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:
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a plurality of metal layers in the integrated circuit chip, each of said metal layers being separated from an adjacent said metal layer by at least one dielectric layer;
at least first and second conductors in the integrated circuit;
the first conductor comprising at least two transmission lines, at least some of the at least two transmission lines of the first conductor being in different said metal layers, and a plurality of first electrical connections through which the at least two transmission lines are electrically connected to one another; and
the second conductor comprising at least two transmission lines, at least some of the at least two transmission lines of the second conductor being in different said metal layers, and a plurality of second electrical connections through which the at least two transmission lines are electrically connected to one another, wherein the at least first and second conductors run parallel to one another, the at least two transmission lines in said at least first and second conductors run parallel to one another, at least one transmission line in each of the at least first and second conductors is edge-coupled to at least one said transmission line another said conductor and broadside-coupled to at least one said transmission line in another said conductor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A transmission line element, in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:
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at least a first and second metal layers, and at least one dielectric layer, in the integrated circuit, each said metal layer being separated from another said metal layer by a said dielectric layer;
at least a first transmission line and a second transmission line formed in said first metal layer;
at least a third transmission line and a fourth transmission line formed in said second metal layer, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transmission lines run parallel to each other, the third transmission line is vertically aligned with the first transmission line, and the fourth transmission line is vertically aligned with the second transmission line; and
a plurality of metal vias each extending through at least one said dielectric layer, wherein the first and fourth transmission lines are electrically connected through at least two said vias, and the second and third transmission lines are electrically connected through at least two said vias. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A transmission line element, in an integrated circuit chip, comprising:
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a plurality of metal layers in the integrated circuit chip, each of said metal layers being separated from an adjacent said metal layer by at least one dielectric layer; and
a plurality of parallel conductors each comprising at least two parallel transmission lines in an electrical connection with one another, each of the transmission lines being formed in one of the metal layers, wherein at least one of the transmission lines of each said conductor is in a different said metal layer than another of the transmission lines of the same conductor, and wherein each of the at least two transmission lines in each said conductor is edge-coupled to at least one transmission line of another said conductor, and broadside-coupled to at least one transmission line of another said conductor. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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23. A transmission line element formed in an integrated circuit chip comprising:
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at least first and second conductors in the integrated circuit extending parallel to one another, the at least first and second conductors each comprising at least two parallel transmission lines, at least some of the transmission lines of the respective conductor being in different metal layers of the integrated circuit chip, each said metal layer being separated from an adjacent said metal layer by a dielectric layer;
a plurality of interconnects located at predetermined positions along said conductors, each of said interconnects containing an electrical connection between the transmission lines of each of respective at least first and second conductors, wherein a linear distance along the respective conductors between adjacent pairs of the interconnects is less than 30 degrees of an operating frequency of a transformer including the at least first and second conductors. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification