Scalable high-bandwidth connectivity

• US 8,757,501 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Molex LLC (KOCH Industries Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Waveconnex Inc.
• Inventors: McCormack, Gary D., Kyles, Ian A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Habib, Asifa
• Application Number:
  US13/784,581
• Publication Number:
  US 20130183903A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 375/267, 257/25, 343/776, 343/876, 361/749, 235/492, 455/41.2, 455/41.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2223/6677 for antenna, e.g. antenna included within housing of semiconductor device antennas per se H01Q
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49111 the connectors connecting two common bonding areas, e.g. Litz or braid wires
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/495 Lead-frames or other flat leads H01L23/498 takes precedence; lead frame interconnections between components H01L23/52
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49541 Geometry of the lead-frame
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/645 Inductive arrangements H01L23/647, H01L23/66 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/16 the devices being of types provided for in two or more different main groups of groups H01L27/00 - H01L33/00, or in a single subclass of H10K, H10N, e.g. forming hybrid circuits
• 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 2924/00014 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 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/30111 matching
• 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 1/40 Radiating elements coated with or embedded in protective material
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/28 Combinations of substantially independent non-interacting antenna units or systems multiple beam H01Q25/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 : Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/26 : with folded element or elements, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of operating wavelength resonant loop antennas H01Q7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/40 : Circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 : Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10098 : Components for radio transmission, e.g. radio frequency identification [RFID] tag, printed or non-printed antennas

Abstract

A scalable, high-bandwidth connectivity architecture for portable storage devices and memory modules may utilize EHF communication link chip packages mounted in various two-dimensional and three-dimensional configurations on planar surfaces such as printed circuit boards. Multiple electromagnetic communication links between devices distributed on major faces of card-like devices may be provided with respectively aligned pairs of communication units on each device. Adjacent communication units on a printed circuit board may transmit or receive electromagnetic radiation having different polarization, such as linear or elliptical polarization. Power and communication between communication devices may both be provided wirelessly.

Claims

1. An extremely high frequency (“

EHF”

) communication device, comprising;

one or more dies that include a transmitter circuit and a receiver circuit;

a first antenna operatively connected to the transmitter circuit;

a second antenna operatively connected to the receiver circuit;

a dielectric structure; and

an EHF radiation-blocking structure;

wherein the one or more dies and first and second antennas are supported relative to the dielectric structure with the first and second antennas being disposed at spaced-apart positions, the dielectric structure extending between the first antenna and the second antenna defining a first path of radiation propagation; and

wherein the EHF radiation-blocking structure extends into the dielectric structure in an uninterrupted line across the first path adjacent one of the one or more dies, the EHF radiation-blocking structure being configured to impede propagation of radiation having an operating frequency of the first and second antennas, from the first and second antennas through the EHF radiation-blocking structure.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the one die has a length and a width and includes the transmitter circuit and the receiver circuit;

the first antenna is located at a first port disposed at a point along the length; and

the second antenna is located at a second port disposed at a point along the width.

3. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the one die has a plurality of corners;

the first antenna is located proximate to a first corner;

the second antenna is located proximate to a second corner; and

the EHF radiation-blocking structure extends from a third corner between the first and second corners.

4. The communication device of claim 2, wherein the length and width of the one die are each about 1.0 mm to about 2.0 mm.

5. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising a ground plane attached to the dielectric structure and wherein the EHF radiation-blocking structure includes a via fence extending across the first path between the first and second antennas and having a strip of conductive material on a surface of the dielectric structure and only a single row of spaced-apart vias formed along a length of the strip of conductive material, the vias electrically connecting the strip of conductive material to the ground plane.

6. The communication device of claim 5, wherein the plurality of vias are spaced apart at intervals less than a wavelength of the operating frequency.

7. A chip assembly having a first extremely high frequency (“

EHF”

) comm-link chip, a first antenna operatively coupled to the first EHF comm-link chip, a second EHF comm-link chip, a second antenna operatively coupled to the second EHF comm-link chip, a dielectric structure supporting the first antenna in a spaced relationship relative to the second antenna, and an EHF radiation-blocking structure, the first and second EHF comm-link chips and first and second antennas being mounted on the substrate with the first and second antennas being disposed at spaced-apart positions;

the dielectric structure extending between the first antenna and the second antenna defining a first path of radiation propagation; and

the EHF radiation-blocking structure extending in the dielectric structure in an uninterrupted line across the first path adjacent the first EHF comm-link chip, the EHF radiation-blocking structure being configured to impede radiation haying an operating frequency of the first antenna from propogating in the dielectric structure from the first and second antennas through the EHF radiation-blocking structure;

the first EHF comm-link chip and first antenna being configured as a transmitter that transmits electromagnetic radiation and the second EHF comm-link chip and the second antenna being configured as a receiver that receives electromagnetic radiation.

8. The chip assembly of claim 7, wherein each EHF comm-link chip further comprises a first end to which the associated antenna is connected and a second end opposite the first end;

wherein the respective second ends are spaced farther apart than the respective first ends, electromagnetic radiation transmitted from the first antenna extends at least partially through a common region separate from the first path, and electromagnetic radiation received by the second antenna also extends at least partially through the common region.

9. The chip assembly of claim 7, wherein the first antenna directs transmitted radiation along a second path that is transverse to a third path of radiation received by the second antenna.

10. The chip assembly of claim 9, wherein the second path of radiation intersects the third path of radiation.

11. The chip assembly of claim 9, wherein the second path of radiation does not intersect the third path of radiation.