Electromagnetically coupled interconnect system architecture

• US 7,889,022 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2009
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BENNY T
• Application Number:
  US12/611,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20100045407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 333/24.R, 333/109, 333/247
• US Class Current: 333/24.00R
• 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 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/366 substantially perpendicularly to each other H05K3/361 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 70/50 Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product

Abstract

An electromagnetic interconnect method and apparatus effects contactless, proximity connections between elements in an electronics system. Data to be communicated between elements in an electronic system are modulated into a carrier signal and transmitted contactlessly by electromagnetic coupling. The electromagnetic coupling may be directly between elements in the system or through an intermediary transmission medium.

Claims

1. A method for effecting contactless, proximity connections between elements in an electronics system, the method comprising:

positioning a first electromagnetic coupler of a first electronics system element proximate to a transmission line, wherein the positioning comprises positioning the first electromagnetic coupler within less than 10 millimeters from the transmission line;

providing a first signal from the first element to the first electromagnetic coupler; and

inducing a second signal in the transmission line in response to the first signal,

providing a second electromagnetic coupler of a second electronics system element proximate to the transmission line;

inducing a third signal in the second electromagnetic coupler in response to the second signal, wherein the third signal is an attenuated version of the first signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first electronics system element is any of:

an integrated circuit and a daughter card, and the second electronics system element is any of;

an integrated circuit and a daughter card, and the transmission line is disposed on a printed circuit board.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the positioning comprises positioning the first electromagnetic coupler within less than 25 millimeters from the second electromagnetic coupler.

3. A method for effecting contactless, proximity connections between elements in an electronics system, the method comprising:

positioning a first electromagnetic coupler of a first electronics system element proximate to a second electromagnetic coupler of a second electronic system element;

providing a first signal from the first electronics system element to the first electromagnetic coupler; and

inducing a second signal in the second electromagnetic coupler in response to the first signal, wherein the second signal is an attenuated version of the first signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels,

wherein the first electronics system element is an integrated circuit and the first electromagnetic coupler is formed on or is a part of the integrated circuit.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising disposing a shielding element between the first electromagnetic coupler and any of:

circuit portions of the first electronics system element and circuit portions of the second electronics system element.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the second electronics system element is any of:

an integrated circuit, a circuit board, and a daughter card.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

encoding data into the first signal by the first electronics systems element; and

decoding the data from the second signal by the second electronic systems element.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the encoding comprises modulating the data onto a radio frequency signal, and wherein the decoding comprises demodulating the data.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the first electronics system element is circuitry on a top surface of a semiconductor substrate and the second electronics system element is circuitry on a bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

positioning a third electromagnetic coupler of a third electronics system element proximate to the first electromagnetic coupler of the first electronic system element;

inducing a third signal in the third electromagnetic coupler in response to the first signal, wherein the third signal is an attenuated version of the first signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels.

10. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a third signal from the first electronic systems element to a third electromagnetic coupler of the first electronics system element; and

inducing a fourth signal in a fourth electromagnetic coupler of the second electronics system element in response to the third signal, wherein the fourth signal is an attenuated version of the third signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising processing the second signal in the second electronic system element.

13. A method for effecting contactless, proximity connections between elements in an electronics system, the method comprising:

positioning a first electromagnetic coupler of a first electronics system element proximate to a transmission line;

providing a first signal from the first element to the first electromagnetic coupler; and

inducing a second signal in the transmission line in response to the first signal, providing a second electromagnetic coupler of a second electronics system element proximate to the transmission line;

inducing a third signal in the second electromagnetic coupler in response to the second signal, wherein the third signal is an attenuated version of the first signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels,

wherein the first electronics system element is an integrated circuit and the first electromagnetic coupler is formed on or is a part of the integrated circuit.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing the third signal in the second electronic system element.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the third signal is attenuated by at least 20 decibels relative to the first signal.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the second electronics system element is any of:

an integrated circuit and a daughter card, and the transmission line is disposed on a printed circuit board.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising disposing a shielding element between the first electromagnetic coupler and any one of:

circuit portions of the first electronics system element, circuit portions of the second electronics system element, circuitry disposed proximate to the transmission line.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the positioning comprises positioning the first electromagnetic coupler within less than 10 millimeters from the transmission line.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a third electromagnetic coupler of a third electronics system element proximate to the transmission line; and

inducing a fourth signal in the third electromagnetic coupler in response to the second signal, wherein the fourth signal is an attenuated version of the first signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

providing a fourth signal from the first electronics system element to a third electromagnetic coupler of the first electronics system element;

inducing a fifth signal in a second transmission line in response to the fourth signal,

inducing a sixth signal in a fourth electromagnetic coupler of the second electronics system element in response to the fifth signal, wherein the sixth signal is an attenuated version of the fourth signal attenuated by at least 10 decibels.