SIGNAL ISOLATION DEVICE

Abstract

A signal isolation device includes a transmitter chip including a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals. A receiver chip includes a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals, and a coupling region, wherein the transmitter chip is attached to an upper surface of the receiver chip. The coupling region includes a transmitter coil connected to the pair of transmitter output terminals, a receiver coil positioned proximate the transmitter coil and connected to the pair of output terminals, a receiver circuit, and a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil. Fig 1B

Description

Title of the invention: SIGNAL ISOLATION DEVICE REFERENCES TO OTHER REQUESTS

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 63 / 549,663, relating to “SIGNAL ISOLATOR WITH INTEGRATED ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELD” filed February 5, 2024, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety for all purposes. DOMAIN

[0002] The disclosed embodiments generally relate to electronic devices that isolate an input signal from an output signal. More particularly, the present embodiments relate to electronic devices that receive an input signal and responsively generate an isolated drive signal to a solid-state switch that transitions from an off state to an on state. CONTEXT

[0003] There are currently a wide variety of electronic devices that isolate input signals from output signals. Current electronic devices have limited operating voltages and relatively low coupling coefficients. In addition, many current electronic devices are relatively large and / or require the interconnection of separate discrete components.

[0004] There is a need for integrated, compact signal isolator devices operating at relatively high voltages with relatively high coupling coefficients. SUMMARY

[0005] In some embodiments, a signal isolation device includes a transmitting die including a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals. A receiver die includes a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals, and a coupling region, wherein the transmitting die is attached to a top surface of the receiver die. The coupling region includes a transmitting coil connected to the pair of transmitter output terminals, a receiver coil positioned proximate the transmitting coil and connected to the pair of output terminals, a receiver circuit, and a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil. In various embodiments, the signal isolation device includes a signal generator that generates a varying electrical voltage in time at the transmitter output terminal pair in response to receiving an input signal at the input terminal pair.

[0006] In some embodiments, the time-varying electrical voltage is coupled to the transmit coil and, in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmit coil induces the receiver coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal. In various embodiments, the receiver die includes a power converter circuit that receives the intermediate signal and, in response, the power converter circuit generates a DC voltage. In some embodiments, the receiver die includes a drive circuit that generates a switch drive signal in response to receiving the DC voltage. In various embodiments, the switch drive signal is coupled to a transistor that transitions from an off state to an on state in response to receiving the switch drive signal.

[0007] In some embodiments, the signal isolation device further comprises a power storage device coupled to a control circuit, the control circuit being arranged to receive the intermediate signal and, in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the control circuit causes the power storage device to generate a DC signal. In various embodiments, the receiver matrix comprises a power converter circuit arranged to receive the intermediate signal, and in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the power converter circuit generates a first DC signal at a first voltage and a second DC signal at a second voltage, the first voltage being greater than the second voltage. In some embodiments, the receiver circuit comprises a data communication circuit that demodulates a data signal from the intermediate signal.In various embodiments, the signal isolation device further comprises an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the transmitting matrix and the receiver matrix.

[0008] In some embodiments, a signal isolation device includes a transmit matrix including an input coupled to a transmitter output; and a receiver matrix including a receiver input, an output, and a coupling region, the receiver input being connected to the transmitter output and the coupling region including a transmit coil connected to the receiver input, a receiver coil connected to the output, a receiver circuit, and a shield positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil.

[0009] In various embodiments, the transmission matrix of the signal isolation device includes a signal generator that generates a time-varying electrical voltage at the transmitter output in response to receiving an input signal. at the input. In some embodiments, a time-varying electrical voltage of the signal isolation device is coupled to the transmit coil, and in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmit coil induces the receiver coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal.

[0010] In various embodiments, the receiver matrix of the signal isolation device includes a power converter circuit that is arranged to receive the intermediate signal, in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the power converter circuit generating a first DC signal at a first voltage and a second DC signal at a second voltage, the first voltage being greater than the second voltage. In some embodiments, the receiver circuit of the signal isolation device includes data communication circuitry that demodulates a data signal from the intermediate signal.

[0011] In various embodiments, the receiver die of the signal isolation device includes a drive circuit that receives the DC signal and, in response to receiving the DC signal, the drive circuit generates a switch drive signal. In some embodiments, the signal isolation device is configured to couple the switch drive signal to a transistor that transitions from an off state to an on state in response to receiving the switch drive signal. In various embodiments, the signal isolation device further includes an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the transmitting die and the receiver die. Brief description of the drawings

[0012] [Fig.lA] [Fig.lA] represents an illustrative rendering of a signal isolator, according to certain embodiments of the invention;

[0013] [Fig.lB] [Fig.lB] represents a simplified cross-sectional view of the signal isolator illustrated in [Fig.lA],

[0014] [Fig.lC] [Fig.lC] illustrates a simplified block diagram of the signal isolator shown in Figures 1A and 1B,

[0015] [Fig.2] [Fig.2] illustrates a simplified plan view of the shielding that can be used in the signal isolator shown in Figures 1A and 1B,

[0016] [Fig.3] [Fig.3] illustrates a simplified partial cross-sectional view of a part of a signal isolation device, according to certain embodiments of the invention;

[0017] [Fig.4A] [Fig.4A] illustrates a partial plan view of the second shielding layer, according to certain embodiments of the invention;

[0018] [Fig.4B] [Fig.4B] illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the second armor layer illustrated in [Fig.4A],

[0019] [Fig.5A] [Fig.5A] illustrates a partial plan view of a second shielding layer, according to certain embodiments of the invention;

[0020] [Fig.5B] [Fig.5B] illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of the second armor layer illustrated in [Fig.5A],

[0021] [Fig.6A] [Fig.6A] illustrates an isometric bottom view of an electronic housing of a signal isolation device, according to certain embodiments of the invention;

[0022] [Fig.6B] [Fig.6B] illustrates an isometric top view of the signal isolation device electronic housing illustrated in [Fig.6A],

[0023] [Fig.6C] [Fig.6C] illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view and [Fig.6D] illustrates a partially transparent isometric view.

[0024] [Fig.7] [Fig.7] illustrates a partially transparent simplified isometric view of another embodiment of a signal isolation device 700, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0025] [Fig.8] [Fig.8] illustrates a simplified cross-section of a relay device, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0026] [Fig.9] [Fig.9] illustrates a simplified diagram of a multi-channel relay device, according to embodiments of the invention.

[0027] [Fig. 10] [Fig. 10] illustrates a partially transparent simplified isometric view of another embodiment of a relay device 1000, according to embodiments of the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] In the following description, various embodiments will be described. For the purpose of explanation, specific configurations and details are presented in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be obvious to a person skilled in the art that the embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. In addition, well-known features may be omitted or simplified so as not to obscure the described embodiment.

[0029] Electronic devices often require that signals be communicated between two circuits while maintaining electrical isolation between the two circuits. The electrical isolation between the two circuits may be for safety, reliability, level translation and / or multiplexing, for example. The techniques described herein generally relate to signal isolators that provide isolation between two circuits while providing a high coupling coefficient in a compact package that can withstand relatively high voltages. Miscellaneous Inventive embodiments are described herein, including methods, processes, systems, devices, and the like.

[0030] In one example, a signal isolator forms part of a solid-state relay device that electrically isolates a control circuit from a circuit that is being controlled. In some examples, the isolation between the two circuits may be implemented for safety reasons (e.g., to isolate a control circuit at a human interface from a power circuit that may have a high voltage dangerous to a human) while in other examples, the isolation may be for level translation (e.g., the control signal is in one voltage domain (e.g., 3 volts) and the controlled signal is in another domain (e.g., 1000 volts)).In other examples, a plurality of signals may be coupled via a single common electrical connection (e.g., a multiplexed input / output connection in an automated test equipment apparatus) and a corresponding plurality of signal isolators may be used to select one signal at a time that is coupled to the common electrical connection. In other examples, a signal isolator may be used to make a remote connection between a power source and a load (e.g., to couple a car's starter to a battery using a cabin-mounted remote switch) without the current and / or voltage of the power source coupled to the switch. In some examples, the signal isolator may be used to filter out harmful or unwanted noise so that noise is not coupled from one circuit to another.The signal isolators described herein may utilize capacitive, inductive, radiative, optical, acoustic, mechanical, or other suitable coupling methods.

[0031] In one embodiment, a signal isolator includes a transmitting die attached to a receiver die. The transmitting die includes input terminals that communicate a signal to a transmitting coil formed on the receiver die. A receiver coil is formed adjacent the transmitting coil and is electrically isolated from and electromagnetically coupled to the transmitting coil such that signals within the transmitting coil are communicated to the receiver coil. The receiver die includes a rectification, voltage amplification, and drive circuit that uses the signal from the receiver coil to operate a solid-state switch. In some embodiments, an electronics package includes the transmitting die, the receiver die, and the solid-state switch.

[0032] Several illustrative embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part hereof. The description given below provides only one or more embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention. Rather, the description given below of the embodiment(s) will provide those skilled in the art with a description for implementing one or more embodiments. It is understood that various modifications may be made to the function and arrangement of the elements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of certain inventive embodiments. However, it will be apparent that various embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. The figures and description are not intended to be limiting. The term "example" or "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, case, or illustration." Any embodiment or design described herein as "exemplary" or "example" should not necessarily be construed as being preferred or advantageous over other embodiments or designs. Signal isolation device

[0033] [Fig. 1A] depicts an illustrative rendering of a signal isolator, according to certain embodiments of the invention. As shown in [Fig. 1A], the signal isolation device 100 includes a transmit matrix 120 attached to a receiver matrix 140. The transmit matrix 120 includes input terminals 105 that receive an input signal and couple it via the transmit matrix to the transmitter output terminals 125. The transmitter output terminals 125 transmit an output signal to the receiver input terminals 135 of the receiver matrix 140. The receiver matrix 140 generates a receiver output signal corresponding to the output terminals 110 while maintaining electrical isolation between the input terminals 105 and the output terminals 110, as described in more detail below.

[0034] One or more interconnections, e.g., wire bonds 130, may couple the transmitter output terminals 125 to the receiver input terminals 135 disposed on the receiver die 140. The receiver die 140 couples a signal from the receiver input terminals 135 to the coupler 115 that is formed on the receiver die. The coupler 115 may use inductive, capacitive, or other suitable structures to generate the output signal that corresponds to the input signal. In one example, the coupler 115 uses a transmit coil that is inductively coupled to a receive coil (not shown in [Fig. 1A]). More specifically, when a transmitter output signal is received by the transmit coil, a corresponding signal is generated in the receive coil and transmitted to the output terminals 110. The transmit coil may be electrically isolated from the receiving coil so that noise or other harmful or unwanted signals are not coupled from the input terminals 105 to the output terminals 110.

[0035] [Fig.lB] depicts a simplified cross-sectional view of the signal isolation device 100 illustrated in [Fig.lA]. As shown in [Fig.lB], the coupler 115 has been enlarged vertically to more clearly show examples of features of this particular embodiment. The transmitting matrix 120 may be any suitable type of semiconductor device, including, but not limited to, silicon, and may include a transmitting circuit 205 that may perform filtering, amplification, processing, conditioning, and / or another suitable function on the one or more input signals, explained in more detail below. The transmitting matrix 120 may be mechanically and thermally coupled to the receiver matrix 140 via a bonding layer 210 that may be electrically insulating, electrically conductive, and / or thermally conductive.

[0036] The receiving die 140 may be any suitable type of semiconductor device, including, but not limited to, silicon, gallium nitride, gallium arsenide, silicon carbide, silicon germanium, diamond, or any other suitable material and may include a receiving circuit 215 that may perform filtering, amplification, processing, conditioning, rectification, and / or other suitable function on the received signal, as explained in more detail below.

[0037] The coupler 115 is attached to the receiving die 140 and may include a plurality of electrically conductive layers that may be referred to as "redistribution layers" (RDLs), each separated by one or more dielectric layers 220 such as, for example, polyimide. A shielding layer 225 is positioned above the receiving circuit 215 and shields the receiving circuit from electromagnetic energy emitted from regions above the shielding layer. In some embodiments, the shielding layer 225 may be a continuous or semi-continuous metal layer electrically coupled to a ground potential while in other embodiments, it may include two, three, four or more metal layers, some examples of which are described in more detail below.

[0038] Above the shielding layer 225 is a receive coil layer 230. The receive coil layer 230 may include one or more spiral or other suitable geometry receive coils 235 that are arranged to receive an inductively coupled signal from one or more corresponding transmit coils 240 formed in the coil layer. transmission 245. The transmission coils 240 are one or more spiral coils or other coils of suitable geometry that receive signals from the transmission matrix 120 via transmitter output terminals 125, electrical conductors 130, and receiver input terminals 135. In some embodiments, a width of each conductor that forms the receiving coil 235 and the transmitting coil 240 is between 5 and 40 microns, between 10 and 25 microns, or between 12 and 20 microns. In some embodiments, a height of each conductor that forms the receiving coil 235 and the transmitting coil 240 is between 1 and 40 microns, between 5 and 20 microns, or between 5 and 10 microns.In various embodiments, the conductors that form the receive coil 235 and the transmit coil 240 are made of an electrically conductive metal such as, but not limited to, copper, gold, silver, palladium, aluminum, or nickel.

[0039] In some embodiments, a distance between the transmitting coil 240 and the receiving coil 235 may be between 0.1 and 400 microns, between 5 and 50 microns, or between 10 and 15 microns. The distance between the transmitting coil 240 and the receiving coil 235 may be varied for different applications that require a particular coupling coefficient and a particular electrical insulation rating, as the smaller the distance, the higher the coupling coefficient and the lower the electrical isolation.In some embodiments, a high dielectric strength material may be used such as, for example, parylene, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nanocomposite, polyimide, silicon nitride, calcium titanate CaTiO3, or another suitable polymeric and / or ceramic material to reduce the distance between the coils for applications that require an increased coupling coefficient with high electrical isolation. In some embodiments, the coupling coefficient for the transmit coil 240 and the receive coil 235 may be greater than 0.6, greater than 0.7, greater than 0.8, or greater than 0.9. In some embodiments, a distance between the receive coil 235 and the shield 225 is between 2 and 20 microns, between 3 and 10 microns, or about 4 microns.In some embodiments, a distance between the shield 225 and the receiving circuit 215 is between 0.1 and 20 microns, between 3 and 10 microns, or about 4 microns.

[0040] In some embodiments, one or more additional shielding layers (not shown in Figures 1A and 1B) may be formed on the receiver die 140 positioned above the transmit coil 240 and / or on a bottom surface of the transmit die 120. The one or more additional shielding layers may protect the circuitry above the transmit and receive coils, 240, 235, respectively, from energy electromagnetic and may each be formed from one or more metallic layers, such as those described in more detail below.

[0041] The vias 250 may electrically couple the one or more layers of the coupler 115 together and route the signals vertically through the receiver matrix 140. Corresponding openings 255 may be formed in the shielding layer 225 to allow the vias 250 to pass through the shielding layer while remaining electrically isolated from the one or more shielding layers. For example, the vias 250a, 250b may couple signals from the receiver input terminals 135 to an outer winding 255a of the transmit coil 240 and to an inner winding 255b of the transmit coil, respectively. Similarly, vias 250c, 250d may couple signals from an outer winding 260a of the receive coil 235 and an inner winding 260b of the receive coil, respectively, to the receiver circuit 215.A via 250e may couple signals from the receiver circuit 215 to an upper surface of the receiver die 140 for coupling to a separate electronic device via output terminals 110.

[0042] Although the signal isolation device 100 illustrates a particular arrangement of a transmit matrix, a transmit coil, a receive coil, a receiver matrix, vias, etc., a person skilled in the art will appreciate that this invention is not limited to this particular arrangement and that other arrangements are within the scope of this invention.

[0043] [Fig. 1C] illustrates a simplified block diagram of the signal isolation device 100, shown in Figs. 1A and 1B. As shown in [Fig. 1C], the transmit matrix 120 includes input terminals 105a, 105b which are arranged to receive an input signal which is coupled to the transmit coil 240 within the coupler 115 by transmitter output terminals 125, electrical conductors 130 and receiver input terminals 135. The receive coil 235, within the coupler 115, receives a signal corresponding to the input signal and transmits it to the receiver circuit 215 which generates an output signal corresponding to the output terminals 110a, 110b.In this particular embodiment, output terminals 110a, 110b are coupled to a switch 270 that is in a "conducting" state when an input signal is received at input terminals 105a, 105b and that is in a "non-conducting" deactivated state when no input signal is received. Other embodiments of signal isolation device 100 may have different features and functions, some of which are described in more detail below.

[0044] In some embodiments, the transmit matrix 120 may be arranged to receive any suitable input signal at the input terminals 105a, 105b such as, for example, a steady-state logic signal (e.g., 0 volts for an "off" signal and 5 volts for an "on" signal), or a variable input (e.g., a 10 kHz input for an on signal and 0 kHz for an off signal). Logic circuitry within the transmit matrix 120 may determine when an on signal has been received at the input terminals 105a, 105b and may cause a signal generator to generate a time-varying electrical voltage (e.g., a drive signal) that is coupled to the transmit coil 240.In this particular embodiment, the transmit matrix 120 includes a pulse generator and a rectifier that generates a drive signal that is coupled to the transmit coil 240 via transmitter output terminals 125, electrical conductors 130, and receiver input terminals 135. In some embodiments, the transmit coil 240 may be coupled to a capacitor 263 (e.g., forming an LC circuit) having a characteristic resonant frequency. The transmit matrix 120 may drive the LC circuit at its resonant frequency, while in other embodiments, it may drive it below or above the resonant frequency.In some embodiments, the transmission matrix 120 may drive the LC circuit at a variable frequency, e.g., it may drive the LC circuit below resonance for a first period of time, then at resonance for a second period of time.

[0045] Within the coupler 115, the time-varying electrical signal within the transmit coil 240 is electromagnetically coupled to the receive coil 235. In some embodiments, a ferrite or other material may be positioned between the transmit coil 240 and the receive coil 235 to increase the coupling coefficient between the two coils. The receive coil 235 may be coupled in series with a capacitor 237 (forming an LC resonant circuit) and may generate a signal corresponding to the drive signal in the transmit coil 240. In some embodiments, a resonant frequency of the transmit and receive coils may match while in another embodiment, they may be different.In some embodiments, the number of turns of the transmit coil 240 and the receive coil 235 may be equal, while in other embodiments, one may have a greater or lesser number of turns than the other. The signal generated by the receive coil 235 may be used by the receiver matrix 140 to actuate one or more switches, generate power, and / or communicate data, as described in more detail herein.

[0046] In the embodiment shown in [Fig. IC], the receiver circuit 215 includes a power converter 260 that can convert the power received from the receiver coil 235 to a higher or lower voltage. In one embodiment, the power converter 260 is a charge pump circuit that increases the voltage and may further include a rectifier that rectifies the time-varying electrical signal received from the receiver coil 235 to generate a DC voltage. In other embodiments, the power converter 260 may include a half-bridge, a full-bridge, or other suitable converter architecture that may include any suitable AC-to-DC converter and / or DC-to-DC converter.

[0047] In other embodiments, the power converter 260 may include more than one power output that can provide a different voltage to one or more auxiliary circuits. In some embodiments, the power converter 260 may include two or more DC-to-DC converters that generate any suitable voltage for one or more auxiliary outputs. In other embodiments, the power converter 260 may include a low-dropout (LDO) regulator, a voltage divider, or other circuitry to generate a different "auxiliary" voltage.

[0048] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. IC], the power converter 260 may rectify and boost a voltage of the signal received from the receiver coil 235 and transmit the rectified and boosted voltage signal to the drive circuit 265. The drive circuit 265 may provide a drive signal to the switch 270 when an "on" signal is detected by the transmission matrix 120. The drive circuit 265 may include one or more pull-down and / or pull-up transistors to latch the switch 270 in an on state or a off state and to provide the required voltage and current to the switch 270.

[0049] In the embodiment shown in [Fig. 1C], switch 270 is arranged as two switches connected back-to-back in a bi-directional configuration where both gates of both switches are actuated simultaneously by drive circuit 265. However, in other embodiments, the switch may be a single pair of integrated switches, or another suitable arrangement, e.g., a single MOSFET, HEMT, IGBT, or other type of switch. When switch 270 is in an on state, first relay terminal 275a is electrically coupled to second relay terminal 275b, and when switch 270 is in an off state, the first relay terminal is isolated from the second relay terminal. In some embodiments, a plurality of switches, e.g., two, three, four, or more (bi-directional or other) can be actuated by the drive circuit 265 and / or the switch 270.

[0050] In another embodiment, the receive circuit 215 may include a data communication circuit (not shown in [Fig. 1C]) that may be coupled to the receive coil 235 and may be configured to demodulate a data signal from the receive coil. For example, in one embodiment, the transmit matrix 120 may include a data modulation circuit that couples the data to the transmit coil 240 such that the transmit coil may couple both a power signal to the receive coil 235 (e.g., at 100 MHz) and a data signal (e.g., operating at 10 kHz) such that the power and data may be transferred simultaneously via the coupler 115.

[0051] In other embodiments, the signal isolation device 100 may operate bidirectionally as a power and / or data communication system. More specifically, in one embodiment, power and / or data may be transferred from the transmit coil 240 to the receive coil 235 and vice versa, where power and / or data are transferred from the receive coil 235 to the transmit coil 240. For example, data may be communicated from the receive coil 235 to the transmit coil 240 while power is transferred from the transmit coil 240 to the receive coil 235 by the receiver circuit 215 modifying an effective impedance of the receive coil 235 which may be detected by the circuit coupled to the transmit coil 240 and received as data at the transmit matrix 120.In some embodiments where the signal isolation device 100 is bidirectional, the power converter 260 may include a bidirectional DC-DC converter such that signals or power received from the output terminals 110a, 110b may have a voltage level changed and / or inverted into an AC signal to communicate data and / or power to the transmission matrix 120 and / or the input terminals 105a, 105b. Thus, in some embodiments, the power transfer may be unidirectional in both directions while the data transfer is bidirectional, in other embodiments, both power and data may be bidirectional, and in still other embodiments, the data transfer may be unidirectional in both directions while the power transfer is bidirectional.

[0052] In some embodiments, the signal isolation device 100 may comprise a power storage device (e.g., co-packaged) and / or may be arranged to control a power storage device (e.g., example, a separate electronic device). In various embodiments, the power storage device may be a capacitor that is co-packaged within a common electronics package with the circuitry of the signal isolation device and the signal isolation device includes a control circuit configured to charge the power storage device during a charge cycle. In some embodiments, the charge cycle may be performed at a relatively low drive frequency to reduce EMI generation. After the power storage device is charged, or during charging, a data signal may be transmitted by the transmit matrix 120 to the receive matrix 140 to activate the switch 270. The drive circuit 265 may use the power stored in the power storage device to activate the switch 270.The use of a power storage device may increase the speed at which the switch 270 is actuated, because the power required to actuate the switch is immediately available from the power storage device and does not need to be transmitted via the coupler 115. In other embodiments, power from both the coupler 115 and the power storage device may be used to activate the switch 270.

[0053] In some embodiments, the receiver circuit 215 may be formed on a monolithic receiver die 140 and may include a power converter 260 and a drive circuit 265 with a switch 270 formed on a separate die, however, in other embodiments, the switch 270 may be monolithically formed on the receiver die. In various embodiments, one or more receiver circuit components 215 may be co-packaged with the receiver die 140 and / or may be positioned on a printed circuit board adjacent to the signal isolation device 100. In some embodiments, the receiver die 140 may be made of silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, diamond, or any other suitable semiconductor material.In some embodiments, the transmission matrix 120 may be made of silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, diamond, or any other suitable semiconductor material. In some embodiments, the switch 270 may be made of silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, diamond, or any other suitable semiconductor material.

[0054] [Fig. 2] illustrates a simplified plan view of the shield 225 that may be used in the signal isolation device 100 illustrated in Figures 1A and 1B. As shown in [Fig. 2], the shield 225 includes what may be referred to as a chevrons of metal conductors that have relatively small gaps between each conductor. In some embodiments, a width of each conductor may be between 20 and 40 microns and a gap between each conductor may be between 2 and 10 microns. Such an arrangement may be beneficial in reducing and / or eliminating the formation of eddy currents to improve the efficiency of the shielding receiving circuit 215 (see [Fig.lB]) from electromagnetic noise generated by the transmitting and / or receiving coils 240, 235, respectively. The shield 225 may be formed from any suitable electrically conductive metal such as, but not limited to, copper, gold, silver, palladium, aluminum, titanium, or nickel.

[0055] The shield 225 may include one or more openings 255 that allow the passage of the vias 250 (see [Fig.lB]) through the layer. In some embodiments, the shield 225 may have a different configuration and / or may include more than one layer as described in more detail below.

[0056] [Fig. 3] illustrates a simplified partial cross-sectional view of a portion of a signal isolation device 300. As shown in [Fig. 3], the signal isolation device 300 may be similar to the signal isolation device 100 illustrated in Figures 1A and 1B, however, the signal isolation device 300 may utilize a second shielding layer 305 in addition to the first shielding layer 225 illustrated in Figures 1B and 2. The signal isolation device 300 includes a transmit coil 310 separated from a receive coil 315 by a dielectric layer 320. One or more vias 325 provide electrical interconnections between the one or more layers.In some embodiments, the second shielding layer 305 may be a continuous or semi-continuous metal layer made of an electrically conductive metal such as, but not limited to, copper, gold, silver, palladium, aluminum, or nickel. In some embodiments, the second shielding layer 305 may comprise one, two, three, four, or more layers, some of which are described in more detail below. In other embodiments, the vertical order of the first and second shielding layers 225, 305, respectively, may be reversed.

[0057] [Fig. 4A] illustrates a partial plan view of the second shielding layer 305 and [Fig. 4B] illustrates a partial cross-sectional view. As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the second shielding layer 305 may include a first layer 405 having a parallel series of first conductors 410 with spaces therebetween and a second layer 415 having a parallel series of second conductors 420 with spaces therebetween. The first conductors 410 may be arranged to be parallel to the second conductors 420, the first conductors being offset from the second conductors such that the first conductors span the gaps between the second conductors and the second conductors span the gaps between the first conductors. This arrangement may prevent electric fields extending through the first gaps from penetrating the second shielding layer by blocking the fields from the first gaps. One or more dielectric layers (not shown in Figures 4A, 4B) may be positioned between the first layer 405 and the second layer 415. In some embodiments, the shielding layer 305 may be used alone (e.g., as the first shielding layer) while in other embodiments, it may be used in combination with one or more other shielding layers.The second shielding layer 305 may be a continuous or semi-continuous metal layer made of an electrically conductive metal such as, but not limited to, copper, gold, silver, palladium, aluminum, or nickel. In some embodiments, a width of each conductor may be increased or decreased by an appropriate amount from the scale illustrated in Figures 4A and 4B.

[0058] [Fig. 5A] illustrates a partial plan view of another embodiment of the second shielding layer 305 and [Fig. 5B] illustrates a partial cross-sectional view. As shown in Figures 5A and 5B, the second shielding layer 305 may include a first layer 505 having a parallel series of first conductors 510 with spaces therebetween and a second layer 515 having a parallel series of second conductors 520 with spaces therebetween. The first conductors 510 may be arranged to be perpendicular to the second conductors 520. One or more dielectric layers (not shown in Figures 5A, 5B) may be positioned between the first layer 505 and the second layer 515.In some embodiments, the second shielding layer 305 may be used alone (e.g., as a first shielding layer) while in other embodiments, it may be used in combination with one or more other shielding layers. The second shielding layer 305 may be a continuous or semi-continuous metal layer made of an electrically conductive metal such as, but not limited to, copper, gold, silver, palladium, aluminum, or nickel. In some embodiments, a width of each conductor may be increased or decreased by an appropriate amount from the scale illustrated in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0059] The various shielding layer configurations described above with reference to Figures 1A to 5B may be used alone or in combination with each other so that the signal isolation device comprises one, two, three, four or more shielding layers. Furthermore, the shielding layers may be arranged in any suitable vertical order and the repetitive use of one or more several configurations of shielding layers are within the scope of the present invention.

[0060] [Fig. 6A] illustrates a bottom isometric view of a signal isolation device electronic package 600 that may enclose a signal isolation device as described above with reference to Figures 1A and 1B, according to embodiments of the invention. [Fig. 6B] illustrates a top isometric view of the electronic package 600, [Fig. 6C] illustrates a simplified cross-sectional view, and [Fig. 6D] illustrates a partially transparent isometric view. The electronic package 600 may be known as a dual flat leadless (DFN) package, but this invention is not limited to this interpretation and other suitable package types such as, for example, a quad flat leadless (QFN) package, a small outline (SO) package, multi-chip modules, chip-scale packages (CSPs), etc. are within the scope of the present invention.For example, a QFN package can be used to package two, three, four or more signal isolation devices in a single electronic package.

[0061] As shown in Figures 6A and 6B, the electronic housing 600 may comprise a body 605 formed from a dielectric molding material formed around the transmitting and receiving matrix (not shown in Figures 6A and 6B). An electronics package may include one or more external terminals 610 that may be coupled to a printed circuit board or other electronic structure and that couple the input and output signals to the transmitting and receiving matrix within the electronics package.

[0062] As shown in [Fig. 6C], the outer terminals 610 may be formed from a metal layer 615, which may be a lead frame or other structure. The receiver die 140 is attached to a center terminal 610e, the input terminals 105 on the transmitter die 120 are electrically coupled to the outer input terminals 610a-610d, and the output terminals 110 on the receiver die 140 are electrically coupled to the outer output terminals 610f-610i. Electrical coupling within the electronics package 600 may be accomplished via wire bonding, flip-chip interconnects, or other suitable interconnect structure.

[0063] As shown in [Fig. 6D], transmitting and receiving coils 240, 235, respectively, are arranged over a majority of the area of the receiver array 140 to maximize mutual inductance. In various embodiments, an area of the receiver array 140 is about 1 square millimeter and the coils are distributed over more than 60 percent of the area, more than 70 percent of the area, more than 80 percent of the area, or between 90 and 100 percent of the area. In some embodiments, one or more active and / or passive electronic components (e.g. e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, etc.) may be integrated within the package 600. For example, circuitry may be implemented to convert the received signal into a DC power supply for powering other circuitry on the receiver die and / or for powering external components outside the package. As another example, circuitry may be implemented to allow signals to be coupled from the receiver die to the transmitter die to facilitate bidirectional transfer of data and / or power. In another example, matching components (e.g., capacitors and / or resistors for improved insertion loss and / or return loss), filtering and / or decoupling capacitors may be coupled to input and / or output terminals to improve device and / or system performance.

[0064] In some embodiments, the electronics package 600 may include one or more integrated heat sinks made of a thermally conductive material and arranged to transfer thermal energy away from the receiving die 140 and / or the transmitting die 120. In some embodiments in which the package 600 transfers a relatively large amount of power from the input terminals to the receiving terminals, a heat sink may be used to remove heat from the dies and transfer it to a printed circuit board to which the package 600 is attached and / or to an external heat sink that may be attached to a top surface of the electronics package.

[0065] [Fig. 7] illustrates a partially transparent simplified isometric view of another embodiment of a signal isolation device 700, according to embodiments of the invention. The signal isolation device 700 may be or may include any of the components, features, or elements of any of the signal isolation devices described previously. As shown in [Fig. 7], the signal isolation device 700 may be a chip-scale package in which a transmit die 705 is attached to a receiver die 710. Input terminals 715a, 715b, which may be solder balls, couple the input signals to the transmit die 705. The input signals propagate via respective vias 717a, 717b (717b not shown in [Fig.7]) arranged in the receiver matrix 710, via respective chip-to-chip interconnects 720a, 720b (which are shown as wire bonds in [Fig. 7] but may be flip-chip interconnects or other suitable interconnects in other embodiments), and in the transmit matrix 705. .

[0066] The transmission matrix 705 may perform any of the operations described above on the input signal, including converting it into a signal intermediate having a time-varying electrical voltage. The intermediate signal may be coupled to the receiver die 710 via chip-to-chip interconnects 720c, 720d (which are shown as wire bonds in [Fig. 7] but may be flip-chip or other suitable interconnects in other embodiments). The receiver die 710 conducts the signals to the coupler 730 which may include one or more redistribution layers that couple the intermediate signal from a transmit coil to an isolated receive coil, such as those described in more detail above. The receiver die 710 conducts the signals from the receive coil to the output terminals 715c, 715d (715d not shown in [Fig. 7]) via respective vias 717c, 717d (717d not shown in [Fig. 7]).In some embodiments, the transmit matrix 705 may include one or more shielding layers and / or the receiver matrix 710 may include one or more additional shielding layers above or below the transmit and receive coils to shield the receiver circuitry from electromagnetic fields generated by the transmit and receive coils, some of which are described in more detail above.

[0067] Terminals 715 may be or may include solder balls, copper pillars, columns, or any other suitable type of interconnect. An encapsulant 725 that is electrically insulating may fully or partially encapsulate transmit die 705 and / or receiver die 710. The chip-scale packaging arrangement may allow signal isolation device 700 to be smaller than the electronics package illustrated in Figures 6A-6D and may allow for the integration of circuitry above and below the transmit coil / receive coil.In some embodiments, the active circuit of the receiver array 710 is formed on a lower surface 713 of the receiver array which provides increased electrical isolation between the transmit coil / receive coil and the active receiver circuit, however, in other embodiments, the active receiver circuit may be formed on a higher surface. In other embodiments, the active circuit of the transmit array 705 may be formed on a higher surface (as illustrated in [Fig. 7]) which may provide increased isolation between the active transmit circuit and the transmit coil / receive coil, however, in other embodiments, the active circuit may be formed on a lower surface. Solid-state relay device

[0068] [Fig. 8] illustrates a simplified cross-section of a relay device, according to embodiments of the invention. As shown in [Fig. 8], the relay device 800 may include a signal isolation device 803 which may be Similar to the signal isolation device 100 illustrated in Figures 1A-5B, however, the relay device also includes one or more switches 804 that are actuated in response to an input signal. The relay device 800 may be or may include any of the components, features, or elements of any of the signal isolation devices described previously, and the relay device may be included in any of the signal isolation devices as described previously. In one embodiment, the relay device 800 may include two back-to-back transistors (e.g., two transistors with the source terminals connected together), which operate as a bidirectional switch, 804. The transistors are turned on in response to an input signal and turned off in the absence of an input signal, thereby operating as a solid-state relay.In some embodiments, switch 804 consists of two back-to-back gallium nitride field effect transistors (GaN FETs) and signal isolation device 803 produces sufficient current (e.g., greater than 100 microamps) to operate the GaN FETs. In other embodiments, a single GaN FET may be used in place of bidirectional switch 804.

[0069] As shown in [Fig. 8], the relay device 800 includes one or more input terminals 805 that receive one or more input signals, one or more output terminals 810 that transmit one or more corresponding output signals to the switch 804, and a coupler 815 that couples the one or more input signals to the one or more output terminals, as described in more detail above. In this particular embodiment, the signal isolation device 803 includes a transmit matrix 820 that includes the one or more input terminals 805. The transmit matrix 820 couples the input signal to the transmitter output terminals 825 and may perform filtering, amplification, processing, conditioning, or any other suitable function on the one or more input signals.

[0070] One or more interconnections, e.g., wire bonds 830, may couple the first transmitter output terminals 825 to receiver input terminals 835 disposed on a receiver die 840. The receiver die 840 couples the signals from the receiver input terminals 835 to the coupler 815 that is formed on the receiver die. The coupler 815 may use inductive, capacitive, or other suitable structures to generate the one or more output signals that correspond to the one or more input signals. In one example, the coupler 815 uses a transmit coil that is inductively coupled to a receive coil (not shown in [Fig. 8]). Specifically, when an input signal is received by the transmit coil, a signal corresponding is generated in the receive coil and transmitted to the one or more output terminals 810. The transmit coil may be electrically isolated from the receive coil so that noise or other harmful or unwanted signals are not coupled from the one or more input terminals 805 to the one or more output terminals 810.

[0071] The one or more output terminals 810 may be coupled to the switch 804 via interconnections, e.g., wire links 830, which may be connected to a gate terminal 845 of switch 804. Thus, when a sufficient input signal is received by the input terminals 805, the output terminals 810 conduct current to the gate terminal 845 to transition the switch 804 from an off state to an on state. The corresponding relay terminals 850a, 850b are coupled together when the switch is in an on state and are decoupled when the transistor is in an off state. The relay terminals 850a, 850b may be connected to external relay terminals outside the housing 875.

[0072] In some embodiments, switch 804 may support relatively high voltages such as greater than 100 volts, greater than 150 volts, greater than 200 volts, greater than 500 volts, greater than 800 volts, or greater than 1000 volts. In various embodiments, switch 804 may be comprised of one or more transistors comprised of silicon, silicon carbide, gallium arsenide, gallium nitride, diamond, or any other suitable semiconductor material. In some embodiments, switch 804 may include a single transistor that operates as a unidirectional switch, two or more switches that operate as a bidirectional switch, or three or more switches that operate in a T-switch configuration.A T-switch configuration may be useful for minimizing leakage current at a test terminal and may include three solid-state relays or "switches" arranged in a "T" formation to minimize leakage current between the test apparatus output and the test signal input. In other embodiments, switch 804 may include one or more electrically isolated unidirectional, bidirectional, and / or T-switch circuits.

[0073] In the embodiment illustrated in [Fig. 8], the transmitting die 820, the receiving die 840 and the switching devices 804 are arranged within an electronic package which comprises a substrate 880 overmolded with a dielectric molding compound 885 and may be known as a multi-chip module. However, other suitable types of electronic packages may be used, such as for example a very thin lead-free low profile package (VSON), a dual flat lead-free (DFN) package, a quad flat lead-free (QFN) package, a small outline (SO) package, or chip-scale packages (CSP), etc., which are within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, multiple signal isolation devices / transistor devices may be included in a single electronic package, for example, a QFN package may be used to package two, three, four or more signal isolation devices / transistor devices in a single electronic package. In various embodiments, one or more active and / or passive electronic components (e.g., resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, etc.) may be integrated within the package 875.For example, matching components (e.g., capacitors and / or inductors and / or resistors for improved insertion loss and / or return loss), filtering and / or decoupling capacitors may be coupled to input and / or output terminals to improve the performance of the device and / or system. In another example, a transistor drive circuit may be integrated within the package 875 that provides a robust, noise-immune, and reliable drive signal to the switch 804.

[0074] [Fig. 9] illustrates a simplified diagram of a multi-channel relay device, according to embodiments of the invention. As shown in [Fig. 9], the multi-channel relay device 900 may be similar to the relay device 800 illustrated in [Fig. 8], however, the relay device 900 includes a first output channel 905 and a second output channel 910 which are driven by a common input 915, and are electrically isolated, as described in more detail below.

[0075] In some embodiments, the construction of the multi-channel relay device 900 may be similar to that of the relay device 800, except that the coupler that is disposed on the receiver die includes first and second receive coils, 920, 925, respectively, that are inductively coupled to a single transmit coil 930. Thus, when the transmit coil 930 is energized, it induces signals in the first and second receive coils, 920, 925, respectively, that are coupled to the first and second transistors 935, 940, respectively. In this embodiment, each of the first and second transistors 935, 940, respectively, are illustrated as two back-to-back transistors; however, in other embodiments, they may be a single transistor or other suitable device.In other embodiments, the coupling region in any of the embodiments described herein may be replaced with an optocoupler device, a capacitive coupled device, or other suitable coupler.

[0076] [Fig. 10] illustrates a partially transparent simplified isometric view of another embodiment of a relay device 1000, according to embodiments of the invention. The relay device 1000 may be or may comprise any of the components, features or elements of any of the signal isolation devices or relay devices described above. As shown in [Fig. 10], the relay device 1000 may be a chip-scale package in which a transmit die 1005 is attached to a receiver die 1010 and the receiver die is attached to a switch die 1012. Input terminals 1015a, 1015b, which may be solder balls, couple the input signals to the transmit die 1005. The input signals propagate via respective vias 1017a, 1017b (1017b not shown in [Fig. 10]) disposed in the switch die 1012, via respective chip-to-chip interconnects 1020a, 1020b (which are shown as wire bonds in [Fig.10] but may be flip-chip interconnects or other suitable interconnects in other embodiments), and in the transmission matrix 1005. .

[0077] The transmit matrix 1005 may perform any of the operations described above on the input signal, including converting it to an intermediate signal having a time-varying electrical voltage. The intermediate signal may be coupled to the receiver matrix 1010 via chip-to-chip interconnects 1020c, 1020d (which are shown as wire bonds in [Fig. 10] but may be flip-chip or other suitable interconnects in other embodiments). The receiver matrix 1010 conducts the signals to the coupler 1030 which may include one or more redistribution layers that couple the intermediate signal from a transmit coil to an isolated receive coil, such as those described in more detail above.The receiver die 1010 conducts the signals from the receiver coil to the switch die 1012 which includes one or more solid-state switches. In some embodiments, the one or more solid-state switches are located on a bottom surface 1013 of the switch die and thus vias 1017c, 1017d (1017d not shown in [Fig. 10]) conduct the signals to the one or more switches. The one or more switches may operate to create an electrical connection between the output terminals 1015c, 1015d (1015d not shown in [Fig. 10]) in response to the input terminals 1015a, 1015b receiving the input signal. In some embodiments, the switch fabric 1012 may include a redistribution and / or shielding layer 1035 that may provide signal routing and / or signal shielding capabilities.In other embodiments, one or more switch drive circuits for operating the one or more semiconductor switches may also be formed on the bottom surface 1013 while in other embodiments. embodiment, the switch drive circuits may be formed on the receiver die 1010. In some embodiments, the transmit die 1005 may include one or more shielding layers and / or the receiver die 1010 may include one or more additional shielding layers above or below the transmit and receive coils (in the coupler 1030) to shield the receiver circuits from electromagnetic fields generated by the transmit and receive coils, some of which are described in more detail above.

[0078] Terminals 1015 may be or may include solder balls, copper pillars, columns, or any other suitable type of interconnect. An encapsulating agent 1025 that is electrically insulating may fully or partially encapsulate transmitting die 1005, receiving die 1010, and / or switch die 1012. The chip-scale packaging arrangement may allow relay device 1000 to be smaller than the electronics package illustrated in [Fig. 8] and may allow for the integration of circuitry above and below the transmitting coil / receiving coil.In some embodiments, the active circuit of the receiver array 1010 is formed on a lower surface of the receiver array which provides increased electrical isolation between the transmit coil / receive coil and the active receiver circuit, however, in other embodiments, the active receiver circuit may be formed on a higher surface. In other embodiments, the active circuit of the transmit array 1005 may be formed on a higher surface (as illustrated in [Fig. 10]) which may provide increased isolation between the active transmit circuit and the transmit coil / receive coil, however, in other embodiments, the active circuit may be formed on a lower surface.

[0079] In the foregoing specification, embodiments of the invention have been described with reference to numerous specific details which may vary from implementation to implementation. The specification and drawings should therefore be considered in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The sole and exclusive indicator of the scope of the invention, and of what applicants intend to be the scope of the invention, is the literal and equivalent scope of all the claims arising from the present application, in the specific form in which those claims arise, including any subsequent emendations. The specific details of particular embodiments may be combined in any appropriate manner without departing from the spirit and scope of the embodiments of the invention.

[0080] Additionally, spatially relative terms, such as "low" or "high" and the like, may be used to describe the relationship of one element and / or feature to another element(s) and / or feature(s), as illustrated for example in the figures. It will be understood that the space terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use and / or operation in addition to the orientation shown in the figures. For example, if the device in the figures is turned upside down, then the elements described as a “bottom” surface may be oriented “above” other elements or features. The device may be oriented otherwise (e.g., rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations) and the space terms used herein may be interpreted accordingly.

[0081] The terms "and," "or," and "an / or," as used herein, may include a variety of meanings which should also depend at least in part on the context in which these terms are used. Generally, "or," if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, is intended to mean A, B, and C, used herein in the inclusive sense, as well as A, B, or C, used herein in the exclusive sense. Furthermore, the phrase "one or more" as used herein may be used to describe any singular feature, structure, or element or may be used to describe a combination of features, structures, or elements. It should be noted, however, that this is merely an illustrative example and the claimed subject matter is not limited to this example.Additionally, the term "at least one of" if used to associate a list, such as A, B, or C, may be interpreted to mean any combination of A, B, and / or C, such as A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, AA, AAB, ABC, AABBCCC, etc.

[0082] Any reference in this specification to "1 example", "an example", "some examples" or "an example implementation" means that a specific feature, structure or element described in connection with the feature and / or example may be included in at least one feature and / or example of the claimed subject matter. Thus, occurrences of the phrase "in an example", "an example", "in some examples", "in some implementations" or other similar expressions at various places in this specification do not necessarily all refer to the same feature, example and / or limitation. Furthermore, the specific features, structures or elements may be combined in one or more examples and / or features.

[0083] In some implementations, the operations or processing may involve physical manipulation of physical quantities. Typically, but not necessarily, these quantities may take the form of electrical or magnetic signals that can be stored, transferred, combined, compared, or otherwise manipulated. It has sometimes been convenient, primarily for common usage, to refer to these signals as bits, data, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, figures, or the like. It should be understood, however, that all of these or similar terms are to be associated with appropriate physical quantities and are convenient labels only. Unless otherwise specifically indicated, as is apparent from this discussion, it is understood that throughout this specification, discussions using terms such as "processing," "computation," "determination," or the like refer to actions or processes of a specific device, such as a special-purpose computer, a special-purpose computing appliance, or a similar special-purpose electronic computing device.In the context of this specification, therefore, a special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device is capable of manipulating or transforming signals, typically represented as electronic or magnetic physical quantities in memories, registers or other information storage devices, transmission devices or display devices of the special purpose computer or similar special purpose electronic computing device.

[0084] One or more of the embodiments described herein may have the following features:

[0085] 1. Method of operating a signal isolation device, the method including:

[0086] receiving an input signal at an input of a transmission matrix and, in response to receiving the input signal, generating a corresponding time-varying electrical voltage at a transmitter output of the transmission matrix;

[0087] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the transmitter output of the transmission matrix to a receiver input of a receiver matrix;

[0088] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the receiver input to a transmitting coil disposed within the receiver matrix;

[0089] inducing a receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal in response to coupling the time-varying electrical voltage to the transmitting coil, wherein the intermediate signal corresponds to the input signal, and wherein the receiving coil is disposed in the receiver matrix;

[0090] coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit disposed within the receiver matrix; and

[0091] shielding electromagnetic noise generated by the receiving coil from the receiver circuit via a shield positioned between the receiving coil and the receiver circuit.

[0092] 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising electrically isolating the transmitting coil of the receiving coil.

[0093] 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the signal intermediate into a continuous signal via a power conversion circuit.

[0094] 4. Method according to claim 3, in which the input signal corresponds to the continuous signal and is electrically isolated from the continuous signal.

[0095] 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the continuous signal is a first continuous signal and wherein the power conversion circuit generates a second continuous signal having a voltage greater than the first continuous signal.

[0096] 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a data modulation circuit that couples data to time-varying electrical voltage.

[0097] 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a data demodulation circuit that demodulates data from the intermediate signal.

[0098] 8. A method of forming a signal isolation device, the method comprising:

[0099] attaching a transmit matrix to a receiver matrix, wherein the transmit matrix comprises a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals, and wherein the receiver matrix comprises a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals and a coupling region, the coupling region comprising:

[0100] a transmission coil;

[0101] a receiver coil positioned proximate to the transmit coil and connected to the pair of output terminals;

[0102] a receiver circuit connected to the receiver coil; and

[0103] a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil;

[0104] forming one or more electrical connections between the transmit matrix and the receiver matrix such that the transmit coil is connected to the pair of transmitter output terminals; and

[0105] encapsulating at least partially the receiver matrix and the transmission matrix in an electrically insulating material.

[0106] 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a transmission circuit arranged to generate a time-varying electrical voltage in response to receipt of an input signal at the input terminals.

[0107] 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the electrical voltage varying in time is coupled to the transmitting coil, and in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmitting coil induces the receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal.

[0108] 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the isolation device of signal further comprises a power storage device coupled to the circuit receiver, and wherein the receiver circuit is configured to cause the power storage device to generate a continuous signal in response to generation of the intermediate signal.

[0109] 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiver circuit generates a DC voltage in response to the generation of the intermediate signal.

[0110] 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the DC voltage is a first DC voltage and wherein the receiver circuit generates a second DC voltage in response to generating the intermediate signal, wherein the second DC voltage is greater than the first DC voltage.

[0111] 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the DC voltage is coupled to a switch drive circuit that generates a switch drive signal.

[0112] 15. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission matrix includes a data modulation circuit that modulates data on the time-varying electrical voltage.

[0113] 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a data demodulation circuit that demodulates the data from the intermediate signal.

[0114] 17. Method of operating a signal isolation device, the method including:

[0115] receiving an input signal at an input of the signal isolation device;

[0116] coupling the input signal to a transmission circuit arranged on a transmission matrix and in response to receiving the input signal, the transmission circuit generates a corresponding time-varying electrical voltage;

[0117] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the transmission circuit to a transmission coil disposed within a separate receiver matrix;

[0118] inducing a receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal in response to coupling the time-varying electrical voltage to the transmitting coil, wherein the intermediate signal corresponds to the input signal, and wherein the receiving coil is disposed in the receiver matrix;

[0119] coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit disposed within the receiver matrix; and

[0120] generating an output signal at an output of the signal isolation device in response to coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit, wherein the output signal corresponds to the input signal and wherein the output signal is electrically isolated from the input signal.

[0121] 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising shielding the noise. electromagnetic generated by the receiving coil from the receiver circuit via a shield positioned between the receiving coil and the receiver circuit.

[0122] 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiver circuit comprises an AC-DC converter circuit that receives the intermediate signal and generates in response the output signal at a DC voltage.

[0123] 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the output signal is a first output signal and wherein the receiver circuit generates a second output signal.

[0124] One or more of the embodiments described herein may have the following features:

[0125] 1. A solid-state relay device comprising:

[0126] a transistor array comprising a transistor having a gate terminal, a source terminal and a drain terminal;

[0127] a transmitter matrix comprising a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals; and

[0128] a receiver die comprising a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals and a coupling region, wherein the transmitter die is attached to an upper surface of the receiver die, wherein at least one output terminal of the pair of output terminals is attached to the gate terminal and wherein the coupling region comprises:

[0129] a transmit coil connected to the pair of receiver input terminals;

[0130] a receiver coil positioned near the transmitting coil and connected to the output terminal pair;

[0131] a receiver circuit; and

[0132] a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil.

[0133] 2. A solid state relay device according to claim 1, wherein the transistor is a first transistor and the source terminal is a first source terminal, and wherein the electronic device further comprises a second transistor having a second source terminal, wherein the first source terminal is connected to the second source terminal.

[0134] 3. A solid state relay device according to claim 2, wherein the second transistor includes a second gate terminal connected to the at least one output terminal of the pair of output terminals.

[0135] 4. A solid state relay device according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter die is attached to an upper surface of the receiver die and wherein the receiver die is attached to an upper surface of the transistor die.

[0136] 5. A solid state relay device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver coil is a first receiver coil and the pair of output terminals is a pair of first output terminals, wherein the receiver array includes a second receiver coil positioned proximate the transmit coil and connected to a pair of second output terminals.

[0137] 6. A solid state relay device according to claim 5, wherein the transistor is a first transistor and the electronic device includes a second transistor having a second gate terminal coupled to at least one output terminal of the pair of second output terminals.

[0138] 7. A solid state relay device according to claim 6, wherein the first transistor comprises a first bidirectional switch and wherein the second transistor comprises a second bidirectional switch.

[0139] 8. A solid state relay device according to claim 5, wherein the first receiver coil is positioned adjacent to a first surface of the transmitting coil and wherein the second receiver coil is positioned adjacent to a second surface of the transmitting coil, and wherein the first surface is opposite the second surface.

[0140] 9. A solid state relay device according to claim 1, comprising in further an energy storage device coupled to the gate terminal and arranged to apply power to the gate terminal in response to an input signal at the input terminals.

[0141] 10. A solid state relay device according to claim 1, comprising in further an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the transistor die, the transmitter die and the receiver die.

[0142] 11. Relay device comprising:

[0143] a switch matrix comprising a semiconductor switch having a source, a drain and a gate;

[0144] a transmitter matrix comprising an input coupled to a transmitter output; and

[0145] a receiver matrix comprising a receiver input, an output and a coupling region, wherein the receiver input is connected to the transmitter output, wherein the output is coupled to the grid and wherein the coupling region comprises:

[0146] a transmitting coil connected to the receiver input;

[0147] a receiver coil connected to the output;

[0148] a receiver circuit; and

[0149] a shield positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil.

[0150] 12. Relay device according to claim 11, wherein the switch semiconductor is a first semiconductor switch and the source is a first source, and wherein the electronic device further comprises a second semiconductor switch having a second source, wherein the first source is connected to the second source.

[0151] 13. A relay device according to claim 12, wherein the second switch semiconductor includes a second gate coupled to the output.

[0152] 14. Relay device according to claim 11, wherein the matrix of transmitter is attached to an upper surface of the receiver die and wherein the receiver die is attached to an upper surface of the switch die.

[0153] 15. A relay device according to claim 11, wherein the receiver coil is a first receiver coil and the output is a first output, wherein the receiver array includes a second receiver coil positioned proximate the transmit coil and connected to a second output.

[0154] 16. Relay device according to claim 15, wherein the switch semiconductor is a first semiconductor switch and the electronic device includes a second semiconductor switch having a second gate coupled to the output.

[0155] 17. A relay device according to claim 16, wherein the first switch semiconductor device comprises a first bidirectional switch and wherein the second semiconductor device comprises a second bidirectional switch.

[0156] 18. Relay device according to claim 15, wherein the first coil of receiver is positioned adjacent to a first surface of the transmitting coil and wherein the second receiver coil is positioned adjacent to a second surface of the transmitting coil, and wherein the first surface is opposite the second surface.

[0157] 19. The relay device of claim 11, further comprising a device energy storage coupled to the grid and arranged to apply power to the grid in response to an input signal at the input.

[0158] 20. A solid state relay device according to claim 11, comprising further an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the switch die, the transmitter die and the receiver die.

[0159] One or more of the embodiments described herein may have the following features:

[0160] 1. Method of operating a solid-state relay device, the method including:

[0161] receiving an input signal at an input of a transmission matrix and, in response to receiving the input signal, generating a corresponding time-varying electrical voltage at a transmitter output of the transmission matrix;

[0162] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the transmitter output of the transmission matrix to a receiver input of a receiver matrix;

[0163] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the receiver input to a transmitting coil disposed within the receiver matrix;

[0164] inducing a receive coil to generate an intermediate signal in response to coupling the time-varying electrical voltage to the transmit coil, wherein the intermediate signal corresponds to the input signal, and wherein the receive coil is disposed in the receiver matrix;

[0165] coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit disposed within the receiver matrix;

[0166] converting the intermediate signal into a DC voltage using a power converter circuit arranged in the receiver matrix;

[0167] generating a switch drive signal from the DC voltage using a drive circuit disposed in the receiver matrix;

[0168] transitioning a solid-state switch from an off state to an on state in response to the solid-state switch receiving the switch drive signal; and

[0169] shielding electromagnetic noise generated by the receiving coil from the receiver circuit via a shield positioned between the receiving coil and the receiver circuit.

[0170] 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor switch comprises a first transistor having a first gate, a first source and a first drain, wherein the semiconductor switch further comprises a second transistor having a second gate, a second source and a second drain, wherein the first source is connected to the second source forming a bidirectional switch and wherein the first gate and the second gate are arranged to receive the switch drive signal.

[0171] 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission matrix is fixed to the receiver matrix.

[0172] 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the receiver matrix is attached to a switch matrix that includes the semiconductor switch.

[0173] 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving coil is a first receiving coil and the intermediate signal is a first intermediate signal and wherein the solid state relay device comprises in furthermore a second receiving coil which generates a second intermediate signal in response to coupling the time-varying electrical voltage to the transmitting coil.

[0174] 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the drive signal of switch is a first switch drive signal and the solid-state switch is a first solid-state switch, and wherein the method further comprises generating a second switch drive signal from the DC voltage, wherein the second switch drive signal causes a second solid-state switch to transition from an off state to an on state in response to the second solid-state switch receiving the second switch drive signal.

[0175] 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input signal corresponds to the DC voltage and in which the DC voltage is electrically isolated from the input signal.

[0176] 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the solid-state relay device conductors further comprises a power storage device, and wherein the power converter circuit uses the energy stored in the power storage device to generate the DC voltage.

[0177] 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a data modulation circuit that couples data to time-varying electrical voltage.

[0178] 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a data demodulation circuit that demodulates data from the intermediate signal.

[0179] 11. A method of forming a solid-state relay, the method comprising:

[0180] attaching a receiver matrix to a switch matrix, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals and a coupling region, wherein the coupling region comprises:

[0181] a transmit coil;

[0182] a receiver coil positioned proximate to the transmit coil and connected to the pair of output terminals;

[0183] a receiver circuit connected to the receiver coil; and

[0184] a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil; and

[0185] attaching a transmit matrix to the receiver matrix, wherein the transmit matrix comprises a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals;

[0186] forming one or more electrical connections between the transmit matrix and the receiver matrix such that the transmit coil is connected to the pair of transmitter output terminals;

[0187] forming one or more electrical connections between the switch die and the receiver die such that the receiver circuit is coupled to a solid-state switch disposed on the switch die; and

[0188] encapsulating at least partially the receiver matrix, the switch matrix and the transmission matrix in an electrically insulating material.

[0189] 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a transmission circuit arranged to generate a time-varying electrical voltage in response to receipt of an input signal at the input terminals.

[0190] 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the electrical voltage varying in time is coupled to the transmitting coil, and in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmitting coil induces the receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal.

[0191] 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the solid-state relay further comprises a power storage device coupled to the receiver circuit, and wherein the receiver circuit is configured to cause the power storage device to generate a continuous signal in response to the generation of the intermediate signal.

[0192] 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiver circuit generates a DC voltage in response to the generation of the intermediate signal.

[0193] 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the DC voltage is a first DC voltage and wherein the receiver circuit generates a second DC voltage in response to generating the intermediate signal, wherein the second DC voltage is greater than the first DC voltage.

[0194] 17. Method of operating a solid-state relay device, the method comprising:

[0195] receiving an input signal at an input of the solid-state relay device;

[0196] coupling the input signal to a transmission circuit arranged on a transmission matrix and in response to receiving the input signal, the transmission circuit generates a corresponding time-varying electrical voltage;

[0197] coupling the time-varying electrical voltage of the transmission circuit to a transmission coil disposed within a separate receiver matrix;

[0198] inducing a receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal in response to coupling the time-varying electrical voltage to the receiving coil transmission, wherein the intermediate signal corresponds to the input signal, and wherein the receiving coil is arranged in the receiver matrix;

[0199] coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit disposed within the receiver matrix;

[0200] generating a switch drive signal in response to coupling the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit; and

[0201] transitioning a solid-state switch from an off state to an on state in response to the solid-state switch receiving the switch drive signal;

[0202] wherein the switch drive signal corresponds to the input signal and wherein the drive signal is electrically isolated from the input signal.

[0203] 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising shielding the noise. electromagnetic generated by the receiving coil from the receiver circuit via a shield positioned between the receiving coil and the receiver circuit.

[0204] 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the semiconductor switch drivers is a bidirectional switch having first and second gates that receive the drive signal.

[0205] 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises the generation of an auxiliary DC voltage in response to the coupling of the intermediate signal to the receiver circuit.

[0206] In the foregoing detailed description, numerous specific details have been set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the claimed subject matter. However, those skilled in the art will understand that the claimed subject matter may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods and apparatus that would be known to a person skilled in the art have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the claimed subject matter. Accordingly, it is intended that the claimed subject matter not be limited to the particular examples disclosed, but that such claimed subject matter may also include all aspects falling within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

Claims

1. A signal isolation device comprising: - a transmitting die comprising a pair of input terminals coupled to a pair of transmitter output terminals; and, - a receiver die comprising a pair of receiver input terminals, a pair of output terminals and a coupling area, wherein the transmitting die is attached to an upper surface of the receiver die and wherein the coupling area comprises: a transmitting coil connected to the pair of transmitter output terminals; a receiver coil positioned proximate the transmitting coil and connected to the pair of output terminals; a receiver circuit; and, a shielding layer positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil.

2. The signal isolation device of claim 1, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a signal generator that generates a time-varying electrical voltage at the pair of transmitter output terminals in response to receiving an input signal at the pair of input terminals.

3. The signal isolation device of claim 2, wherein the time-varying electrical voltage is coupled to the transmitting coil, and wherein, in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmitting coil induces the receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal.

4. The signal isolation device of claim 3, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a power converter circuit that receives the intermediate signal, and in response, the power converter circuit generates a DC voltage.

5. The signal isolation device of claim 4, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a drive circuit that generates a switch drive signal in response to receiving the DC voltage.

6. The signal isolation device of claim 5, wherein the switch drive signal is coupled to a transistor that transitions from an off state to an on state in response to receiving the switch drive signal.

7. The signal isolation device of claim 3, further comprising a power storage device coupled to a control circuit, wherein the control circuit is arranged to receive the intermediate signal and in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the control circuit causes the power storage device to generate a continuous signal

8. The signal isolation device of claim 3, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a power converter circuit arranged to receive the intermediate signal, and in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the power converter circuit generates a first DC signal at a first voltage and a second DC signal at a second voltage, wherein the first voltage is greater than the second voltage.

9. A signal isolation device according to claim 3, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a data communication circuit which demodulates a data signal from the intermediate signal.

10. The signal isolation device of claim 1, further comprising an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the transmitting matrix and the receiver matrix.

11. A signal isolation device comprising: • a transmit matrix comprising an input coupled to a transmitter output; and • a receiver matrix comprising a receiver input, an output and a coupling region, wherein the receiver input is connected to the transmitter output and wherein the coupling region comprises: a transmit coil connected to the receiver input; a receiver coil connected to the output; a receiver circuit; and a shield positioned between the receiver circuit and the receiver coil.

12. The signal isolation device of claim 11, wherein the transmission matrix comprises a signal generator that generates a time-varying electrical voltage at the transmitter output in response to receiving an input signal at the input.

13. The signal isolation device of claim 12, wherein the time-varying electrical voltage is coupled to the transmitting coil, and wherein, in response to receiving the time-varying electrical voltage, the transmitting coil induces the receiving coil to generate an intermediate signal corresponding to the input signal.

14. A signal isolation device according to claim 13, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a power converter circuit arranged to receive the intermediate signal and in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the power converter circuit generates a continuous signal.

15. The signal isolation device of claim 14, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a drive circuit that receives the continuous signal and in response to receiving the continuous signal, the drive circuit generates a switch drive signal.

16. The signal isolation device of claim 15, configured to couple the switch drive signal to a transistor that transitions from an off state to an on state in response to receiving the switch drive signal.

17. The signal isolation device of claim 13, further comprising a power storage device coupled to a control circuit, wherein the control circuit receives the intermediate signal and responsively causes the power storage device to generate a continuous signal.

18. A signal isolation device according to claim 13, wherein the receiver matrix comprises a power converter circuit which is arranged to receive the intermediate signal, wherein, in response to receiving the intermediate signal, the power converter circuit generates a first DC signal at a first voltage and a second DC signal at a second voltage, wherein the first voltage is greater than the second voltage.

19. A signal isolation device according to claim 13, wherein the receiver circuit comprises a communication circuit

20. data signal that demodulates a data signal from the intermediate signal. The signal isolation device of claim 11, further comprising an encapsulating agent that at least partially encapsulates the transmitting matrix and the receiver matrix.

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