Apparatus for reconfiguring an integrated waveguide

• US 9,318,785 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rofougaran, Ahmadreza, Behzad, Arya Reza, Zhao, Sam Ziqun, Castaneda, Jesus Alfonso, Boers, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodela, Eduardo A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Roland, Christopher M
• Application Number:
  US13/248,787
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082800A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,664 Days
• Field of Search: 257/664, 257/E29.324, 333/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2201/018 Switches not provided for in B81B2201/014 - B81B2201/016
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2203/0118 Cantilevers
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 2207/03 Electronic circuits for micromechanical devices which are not application specific, e.g. for controlling, power supplying, testing, protecting
• CPC Class Codes: B81B 7/008 MEMS characterised by an electronic circuit specially adapted for controlling or driving the same B81B7/0087 takes precedence; arrangements for starting, regulating, braking, or otherwise controlling an actuator H02N; control arrangements or circuits for visual indicators G09G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 59/0009 making use of micromechanics
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06517 Bump or bump-like direct electrical connections from device to substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06531 Non-galvanic coupling, e.g. capacitive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2225/06572 Auxiliary carrier between devices, the carrier having an electrical connection structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5222 Capacitive arrangements or effects of, or between wiring layers other capacitive arrangements H01L23/642
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/66 High-frequency adaptations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0652 the devices being arranged next and on each other, i.e. mixed assemblies
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0655 the devices being arranged next to each other
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/0657 Stacked arrangements of devices
• 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 2924/1461 MEMS
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/06 Movable joints, e.g. rotating joints
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/18 Phase-shifters H01P1/165 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 1/182 Waveguide phase-shifters H01P1/181, H01P1/185, H01P1/19 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/00 Waveguides; Transmission lines of the waveguide type
• CPC Class Codes: H01P 3/121 : integrated in a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 13/20 : Non-resonant leaky-waveguide or transmission-line antennas; Equivalent structures causing radiation along the transmission path of a guided wave
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 30/206 : using only longitudinal or thickness displacement, e.g. d33 or d31 type devices

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for wirelessly communicating among integrated circuits and/or functional modules within the integrated circuits. A semiconductor device fabrication operation uses a predetermined sequence of photographic and/or chemical processing steps to form one or more functional modules onto a semiconductor substrate. The functional modules are coupled to an integrated waveguide that is formed onto the semiconductor substrate and/or attached thereto to form an integrated circuit. The functional modules communicate with each other as well as to other integrated circuits using a multiple access transmission scheme via the integrated waveguide. One or more integrated circuits may be coupled to an integrated circuit carrier to form Multichip Module. The Multichip Module may be coupled to a semiconductor package to form a packaged integrated circuit.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit having a semiconductor substrate, comprising:

a functional module disposed onto the semiconductor substrate; and

an integrated waveguide communicatively coupled to the functional module, the integrated waveguide including a plurality of phase openings that are configurable to be opened or closed to dynamically configure operating characteristics of the integrated waveguide;

wherein the integrated waveguide is a planar structure disposed above the semiconductor substrate, physically isolated from the functional module by an insulation layer, and oriented horizontally with respect to the semiconductor substrate.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the functional module and the integrated waveguide are formed onto a first group and a second group, respectively, of useable fabrication layers from among a plurality of fabrication layers.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the functional module comprises:

a waveguide controller module configured to control whether each of the plurality of phase openings are to be opened or closed.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated waveguide comprises:

a first conductive element including the plurality of phase openings; and

a second conductive element, the first and second conductive elements being configured and arranged to guide a cavity wave through the integrated waveguide.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 4, wherein the plurality of phase openings are arranged in an array of rows and columns.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 1, wherein the integrated waveguide comprises:

a plurality of electro-mechanical devices coupled to the integrated waveguide, each electro-mechanical device from among the plurality of electro-mechanical devices being configurable to open or close a corresponding phase opening from among the plurality of phase openings.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein the plurality of electro-mechanical devices are configured to convert electrical signals into mechanical actuations to open or close the plurality of phase openings.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 6, wherein at least one of the plurality of electro-mechanical devices comprises:

a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator coupled to a corresponding phase opening from among the plurality of phase openings.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the MEMS actuator comprises:

an actuator control module configured to provide a displacement voltage in response to a command indicating whether the corresponding phase opening is to be opened or closed;

a piezoelectric element configured to expand or contract in response to the displacement voltage to provide a mechanical actuation; and

a conductive patch configured to be displaced from a first location to a second location in response to the mechanical actuation to open or close the corresponding phase opening.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 8, wherein the MEMS actuator is disposed on a first surface of a first conductive element that includes the plurality of phase openings.

11. An integrated waveguide formed above a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor substrate having a plurality of fabrication layers, comprising:

a first conductive element formed onto a first useable fabrication layer from among the plurality of fabrication layers; and

a second conductive element formed onto a second useable fabrication layer from among the plurality of fabrication layers, wherein the first conductive element includes a plurality of phase openings that are configurable to be opened or closed to dynamically configure operating characteristics of the integrated waveguide;

wherein the integrated waveguide is a planar structure disposed above the semiconductor substrate, physically isolated from the substrate by an insulation layer, and oriented horizontally with respect to the semiconductor substrate

wherein the semiconductor substrate is configured to include control circuitry.

12. The integrated waveguide of claim 11, wherein the first and the second conductive elements are configured and arranged to guide a cavity wave through the integrated waveguide.

13. The integrated waveguide of claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of electro-mechanical devices coupled to the integrated waveguide, each electro-mechanical device from among the plurality of electro-mechanical devices being configurable to open or close a corresponding phase opening from among the plurality of phase openings.

14. The integrated waveguide of claim 13, wherein the plurality of electro-mechanical devices are configured to convert electrical signals into mechanical actuations to open or close the plurality of phase openings.

15. The integrated waveguide of claim 14, wherein at least one of the plurality of electro-mechanical devices comprises:

a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) actuator coupled to a corresponding phase opening from among the plurality of phase openings.

16. The integrated waveguide of claim 15, wherein the MEMS actuator comprises:

an actuator control module configured to provide a displacement voltage in response to a command indicating whether the corresponding phase opening is to be opened or closed;

a piezoelectric element configured to expand or contract in response to the displacement voltage to provide a mechanical actuation; and

a conductive patch configured to be displaced from a first location to a second location in response to the mechanical actuation to open or close the corresponding phase opening.

17. The integrated waveguide of claim 15, wherein the MEMS actuator is disposed on a first surface of the first conductive element.

18. The integrated waveguide of claim 11, further comprising:

a waveguide controller module configured to control whether each of the plurality of phase openings are to be opened or closed.

19. The integrated waveguide of claim 11, wherein the first and the second conductive elements are characterized as being separated by a cavity region, the cavity region being a region between the first conductive element and the second conductive element that is free of conductive material.

20. The integrated waveguide of claim 11, wherein the plurality of phase openings are arranged in an array of rows and columns.