Integrated circuit chip transmission line

Abstract

The invention includes methods and apparatus for providing relatively long conductors on integrated chips with substantially reduced RC time constants. The preferred mode utilizes a substrate having a metallization pattern wherein etching or milling into the substrate creates a cavity with a metallization conductor disposed in the mouth of the cavity, said cavity being metallized to provide the second conductor. A similar structure may be formed by utilizing orientation dependent etchant which attacks the (111) surface much quicker than the (100) surface to provide an etched V-shaped cavity wherein the first conductor is still an elongated metallization segment in the mouth of the V, and the V is metallized to provide the second conductor. Also, a single conductor, such as the elongated metallization strip may be extended to a conductor on the reverse side of the substrate by providing a pyramid shaped hole from the first conductor through the substrate, which hole is metallized to extend the first conductor to the second conductor via the hole in the substrate.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.