Method and structure for coupling two microcircuits
AssigneeVirgin Islands Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJonathan Gorrell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system in a package (SIP) or multi-chip module (200, 300, 400) (MCM) uses an electron beam (235, 335, 435) for electrically coupling between microcircuits (230, 330, 430) and (232, 332, 432). In one embodiment, the micro-circuits (230, 430) and (232, 432) can be configured in a side-by-side configuration. In another embodiment, the micro-circuits (330) and (332) can be configured in a chip-on-chip configuration. In yet another embodiment, the electron beam (435) can include a plurality of electron beams (436) and appear as ribbon shaped between two micro-circuits (430, 432). Further, the fabrication to form the electron source (234, 334, 434) and the deflector (261, 356, 461) can be at the final metallization step of the process.
Claims41
A device for coupling a signal, comprising:
- a substrate having a surface;
- a first microcircuit disposed on the surface;
- an electron source for generating an electron beam;
- and
- a second microcircuit disposed adjacent to the first microcircuit, wherein the electron beam electrically couples the signal from the first microcircuit to the second microcircuit.
The device of claim6, wherein the electron source comprises a cathode.
The device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of electron beams are in a ribbon shape.
A method for electrically coupling a signal comprising:
- providing first and second microcircuits formed on at least one substrate and the first microcircuit disposed substantially in a line of sight with the second microcircuit;
- generating an electron beam;
- and
- electrically coupling the electron beam with the signal to carry the signal from the first microcircuit to the second microcircuit substantially on the line of sight.
A system to communicate a signal from a first circuit to a physically displaced second circuit, comprising:
- an electron beam source producing an electron beam passing near an encoding portion of the first circuit and a decoding portion of the second circuit;
- a modulator in the encoding portion, the modulator receiving the signal from the first circuit and altering the electron beam to encode the signal onto the electron beam as the electron beam passes near the encoding portion;
- the decoding portion effectively recovering the signal as the electron beam passes near the decoding portion, and delivering the recovered signal to the second circuit.
A multi-chip module, comprising:
- a transmission interface having as an input a signal from a first chip of the multi-chip module and interacting with an electron beam passing uninterrupted by a surface of the transmission interface to couple the signal with the electron beam;
- a receiver interface interacting with the electron beam to substantially decouple the signal from the electron beam and deliver the signal to a second chip of the multi-chip module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.