Transmitting electromagnetic signals over an interface transition region between integrated circuit device planes

A method comprising:

• forming a first interface comprising a first set of transmission lines distributed along a first axis that is contained within a first plane, the first set of transmission lines comprising a first conductor strip and a second conductor strip that are distributed along the first axis and are substantially coplanar with the first plane;
• forming a second interface comprising a second set of transmission lines distributed along a second axis that is contained within a second plane, wherein the second set of transmission lines comprises a third conductor strip, a fourth conductor strip, and a fifth conductor strip that are distributed along the second axis, and the second plane is substantially parallel to the first plane;
• and
• forming a transition region between the first interface and the second interface, the transition region comprising
• a first coupling location coplanar with the first plane,
• a second coupling location coplanar with the first plane and positioned at a different distance from the second interface than the first coupling location,
• a first transition structure comprising a first conductor, wherein at least a portion of the first conductor extends to a first distance from the first plane and the first conductor connects the first coupling location to the third conductor strip, and a second conductor, wherein at least a portion of the second conductor extends to a second distance from the first plane and the second conductor connects the second coupling location to the fourth conductor strip and the fifth conductor strip, and
• a second transition structure comprising a third conductor coplanar with the first plane and connecting the second coupling location to the second conductor strip, and a fourth conductor coplanar with the first plane and connecting the first coupling location to the first conductor strip;
• wherein at least a portion of the second conductor and at least a portion of the first conductor at least partially overlaps with a third plane that is perpendicular to the second axis.

An apparatus comprising:

• a first interface comprising
• one or more edge-coupled coplanar striplines distributed along a first axis, where each edge-coupled coplanar stripline comprises at least two conductor strips;
• a second interface comprising
• one or more edge-coupled striplines distributed along a second axis, where each edge-coupled stripline comprises at least three conductor strips;
• and
• a transition region between the first interface and the second interface, the transition region comprising
• a transition structure comprising different respective conductors connecting each conductor strip of an edge-coupled coplanar stripline of the first interface to one or more respective conductor strips of a corresponding edge-coupled stripline of the second interface, wherein at least a portion of the transition structure comprises broad-side coupled conductors.