Apparatus for non-conductively interconnecting integrated circuits using half capacitors
AssigneePolychip, Inc.
InventorsThomas F. Knight, David B. Salzman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for constructing, repairing and operating modular electronic systems utilizes peripheral half-capacitors (i.e., conductive plates on the outside of the modules) to communicate non-conductively between abutting modules. Such systems provide lower cost, improved testability/repairability and greater density than conventional modular packaging techniques, such as printed circuit boards and multi-chip modules. The non-conductive interconnection technique of the invention can be applied to all levels in the packaging hierarchy, from bare semiconductor dies to complete functional sub-units. Numerous exemplary systems and applications are described.
Claims11
An apparatus for interconnecting electronic circuits comprising:
- a lower substrate having substantially planar lower and upper surfaces, said upper surface having a plurality of half-capacitors and a plurality of lines connected to said half-capacitors;
- an upper substrate having a substantially planar lower surface, said lower surface having a plurality of half-capacitors and a plurality of lines connected to said half-capcitors;
- said lower and upper surface substrates being affixed such that:
- (i) said upper surface of said lower substrate is adjacent to said lower surface of said upper substrate and
- (ii) an extending portion of said lower surface of said upper substrate extends beyond and is not adjacent to said upper surface of said lower substrate;
- and
- a spacer having upper and lower half-capacitors;
- said spacer being positioned such that:
- (i) its upper half-capacitor communicates a signal to a half-capacitor on said extending portion of said lower surface of said upper substrate and
- (ii) its lower half-capacitor is substantially aligned with said lower surface of said lower substrate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.