Integrated circuit with electromagnetic intrachip communication and methods for use therewith

• US 8,709,872 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2012
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP USA, Inc. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza (Reza)
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Hoa B
• Application Number:
  US13/627,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 580 Days
• Field of Search: 438107-110, 438/127
• US Class Current: 438/109
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6627 Waveguides, e.g. microstrip line, strip line, coplanar line
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/023 Redistribution layers [RDL] for bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05554 being square
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/06 of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• 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 2924/0001 Technical content checked by a classifier
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01014 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 : Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01027 : Cobalt [Co]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01031 : Gallium [Ga]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01061 : Promethium [Pm]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01083 : Bismuth [Bi]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13091 : Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistor [MOSFET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1433 : Application-specific integrated circuit [ASIC]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1903 : including wave guides
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19041 : being a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19042 : being an inductor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19043 : being a resistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30105 : Capacitance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30107 : Inductance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 : Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 : matching
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 : mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/38 : formed by a conductive layer on an insulating support patch antennas H01Q9/0407; microstrip dipole antennas H01Q9/065; microstrip slot antennas H01Q13/106; transmission line microstrip antennas H01Q13/206; manufacturing reflecting surfaces using insulating material for supporting the reflecting surface H01Q15/142
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 : Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/065 : Microstrip dipole antennas patch antenna H01Q9/0407
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/22 : Capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 : Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 : for local intradevice communication

Abstract

An integrated circuit includes a substrate and a first integrated circuit die having a first circuit coupled to the substrate via a first bonding wire, the first circuit having a first intra-chip interface. A second integrated circuit die has a second circuit coupled to the substrate via a second bonding wire, the second circuit having a second intra-chip interface, the second bonding wire electrically isolated from the first bonding wire. The first circuit communicates with the second circuit via the first intra-chip interface and the second intra-chip interface, and wherein the first intra-chip interface and the second intra-chip interface communicate via a first electromagnetic coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

interfacing a first circuit of a first integrated circuit die to a second circuit of a second integrated circuit die via a first electromagnetic coupling between a first bonding wire that couples the first circuit to a substrate and a second bonding wire that couples the second circuit to the substrate;

wherein the first integrated circuit die is stacked onto the second integrated circuit die and the second bonding wire is electrically isolated from the first bonding wire.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first circuit is further coupled to the substrate via a third bonding wire, wherein the second circuit is further coupled to the substrate via a fourth bonding wire, wherein the fourth bonding wire is electrically isolated from the third bonding wire;

and wherein interfacing further includes;

communicating via a second electromagnetic coupling between the third bonding wire and the fourth bonding wire.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling is via one of:

an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and a millimeter wave RF coupling;

wherein the second electromagnetic coupling is via one of;

an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and a millimeter wave RF coupling; and

wherein the first electromagnetic coupling differs from the second electromagnetic coupling.

13. A method comprising:

interfacing a first circuit of an integrated circuit to a second circuit of the integrated circuit via a first electromagnetic coupling between a first bonding wire that couples the first circuit to a substrate and a second bonding wire that couples the second circuit to the substrate;

wherein the first circuit is stacked onto the second circuit and the second bonding wire is electrically isolated from the first bonding wire.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling includes an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an RF millimeter wave coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the interfacing includes, in a first mode of operation, communicating via an inductive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire;

and

wherein the interfacing includes, in a second mode of operation, communicating via a capacitive coupling between the first bonding wire and the second bonding wire.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the interfacing includes initiating a first trial communication via the first mode of operation and a second trial communication via the second mode of operation and selecting one of:

the first mode of operation, and the second mode of operation, based on first results of the first trial communication and second results of the second trial communication.

23. The method of claim 13 wherein the first circuit is further coupled to the substrate via a third bonding wire, wherein the second circuit is further coupled to the substrate via a fourth bonding wire, wherein the fourth bonding wire is electrically isolated from the third bonding wire;

and wherein interfacing further includes;

communicating via a second electromagnetic coupling between the third bonding wire and the fourth bonding wire.

24. The method of claim 13 wherein the first electromagnetic coupling is via one of:

an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and a millimeter wave RF coupling;

wherein the second electromagnetic coupling is via one of;

an inductive coupling, a capacitive coupling, and a millimeter wave RF coupling; and

wherein the first electromagnetic coupling differs from the second electromagnetic coupling.

25. A method comprising:

interfacing a first circuit of an integrated circuit to a second circuit of the integrated circuit via a first electromagnetic coupling between a first bonding wire that couples the first circuit to a substrate and a second bonding wire that couples the second circuit to the substrate;

wherein the first circuit is stacked onto the second circuit and the second bonding wire is electrically isolated from the first bonding wire; and

wherein at least one of the first circuit and the second circuit include components of a wireless interface device for communication with an external network.