Semiconductor through-wafer electrical signal-carrying virtual waveguide

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9002154-B2
Application number	US-84811910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 31, 2010
Priority date	Jul 31, 2010
Publication date	Apr 7, 2015
Grant date	Apr 7, 2015

Abstract

A through-wafer electrical signal communication apparatus and method utilize a semiconductor substrate having first and surfaces and a continuous peripheral edge. The first surface supports active integrated circuit components. An electromagnetic waveguide supports data communication through the semiconductor substrate. The waveguide has an electrically conductive waveguide boundary structure surrounding a waveguide interior region formed by a portion of the semiconductor substrate. The waveguide is sized and configured to propagate electromagnetic waves of selected wavelength and propagation mode from a first waveguide end to a second waveguide end. A signal launching structure radiates electromagnetic waves into the first waveguide end. A signal pickup structure receives electromagnetic waves from the second waveguide end. The apparatus and method may utilize one or more of the waveguides. The waveguides may include a real waveguide, one or more virtual waveguide formed using light energy, and/or a hybrid waveguide comprising real and virtual waveguide structures.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus supporting through-wafer electrical signal communication, comprising:
a semiconductor substrate having a first surface, a second surface and a continuous peripheral edge;
said first surface being an active device surface of said apparatus supporting active integrated circuit components and said second surface being a back surface of said apparatus;
an electromagnetic waveguide supporting sub-light frequency electrical signal communication th…

Assignees

• Kline Eric V
• IBM

Inventors

• Kline Eric V

Classifications

• G02B6/12002 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic