Monolithic microwave integrated circuit with diamond layer

• US 8,143,654 B1
• Filed: 01/16/2008
• Issued: 03/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qorvo US, Inc. (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TriQuint Semiconductor Incorporated (Qorvo, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saunier, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, EARL N
• Application Number:
  US12/015,415
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 257/275, 257/276, 257/277, 257/728, 257/E21.604, 257/E23.111
• US Class Current: 257/275
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8206 the substrate being a semiconductor, using diamond technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8213 the substrate being a semiconductor, using SiC technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8252 the substrate being a semiconductor, using III-V technology H01L21/8258 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/0605 integrated circuits made of compound material, e.g. AIIIBV
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/1602 Diamond
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/2003 Nitride compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/778 with two-dimensional charge carrier gas channel, e.g. HEMT ; with two-dimensional charge-carrier layer formed at a heterojunction interface H01L29/803 takes precedence

Abstract

Embodiments of apparatuses, articles, methods, and systems for a monolithic microwave integrated circuit with a substrate having a diamond layer are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Claims

1. A monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) comprising:

a substrate including a diamond layer having a thickness of approximately 25 micrometers or less;

an active layer coupled to the substrate, the active layer having a first side adjacent to the substrate and a second side;

a plurality of transistors disposed at the second side of the active layer;

a dielectric polymer layer coupled to the second side of the active layer and encompassing the plurality of transistors;

a transmission line coupled to a top surface of the dielectric polymer layer and electrically coupled to a first transistor of the plurality of transistors by a via through the dielectric polymer layer; and

a ground plane corresponding to the transmission line and electrically coupled to the plurality of transistors by one or more vias through the substrate and the active layer.

2. The MMIC of claim 1, wherein the dielectric polymer layer comprises polyimide and/or benzocyclobutene.

3. The MMIC of claim 1, further comprising:

a capacitor coupled to the second side of the active layer and configured to electrically couple the first transistor to the via.

4. The MMIC of claim 1, wherein the dielectric polymer layer has a thickness between approximately 10-100 micrometers.

5. The MMIC of claim 1, wherein the active layer has a thickness of approximately 5 micrometers or less.

6. The MMIC of claim 1, wherein the plurality of transistors are configured to operate in a microwave and/or millimeter wave frequency range.

12. The MMIC of claim 1, wherein the diamond layer has a thickness of approximately 25 micrometers.

7. A system comprising:

a monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) including

a substrate having a diamond layer that has a thickness of approximately 25 micrometers or less;

an active layer, coupled to the substrate, having a first side adjacent to the substrate and a second side;

a plurality of transistors disposed at the second side of the active layer;

a dielectric polymer layer coupled to the second side of the active layer and encompassing the plurality of transistors;

a transmission line coupled to a top surface of the dielectric polymer layer and electrically coupled to a first transistor of the plurality of transistors by a via through the dielectric polymer layer; and

a ground plane corresponding to the transmission line and electrically coupled to the plurality of transistors by one or more vias through the substrate and the active layer; and

a controller configured to control the MMIC in a manner to transmit and/or receive signals via a signaling medium.

8. The system of claim 7,

wherein the dielectric polymer has a thickness between approximately 10-100 micrometers.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the dielectric polymer layer comprises polyimide and/or benzocyclobutene.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the active layer has a thickness of approximately 5 micrometers or less.

11. The MMIC of claim 7, wherein the diamond layer has a thickness of approximately 25 micrometers.