Dielectric Waveguide Interconnect for High-Speed Chip-to-Chip Interfaces

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional copper wire line interconnects experience drastic attenuation at high frequencies due to the skin effect, leading to performance limitations, increased power consumption, and cost in chip-to-chip interfaces, which worsen with increasing data rates or transmission distances.

Innovation Solution

A dielectric waveguide with metal cladding is used for board-to-board interconnects, featuring tapered ends for impedance matching and a microstrip-to-waveguide transition to minimize reflection and radiation loss, enabling efficient high-speed, low-power data transfer.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If conventional copper wire line interconnects are used for chip-to-chip interfaces, then signal transmission can be achieved, but drastic attenuation occurs at high frequencies due to skin effect

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal transmission speedVSAvoidsignal attenuation

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces conventional copper wire line interconnects (mechanical/electrical system) with dielectric waveguide interconnects that guide electromagnetic signals. This substitution eliminates the skin effect attenuation mechanism by transitioning from conductor-based to dielectric-based signal transmission, enabling high-speed operation without drastic signal loss.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention uses composite structures combining dielectric materials (for waveguide core) with metal cladding (for shielding and impedance control). This composite approach leverages the low-loss properties of dielectrics while maintaining signal confinement and reducing radiation losses through metallic boundaries.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

2Reliability

If copper wire line interconnects are used to maintain signal transmission, then system operation is possible, but receiver power consumption increases to compensate for interconnection loss

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal transmission reliabilityVSAvoidreceiver power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

By replacing copper wire interconnects with dielectric waveguide interconnects, the system achieves inherent signal transmission reliability through the waveguide structure's ability to confine and guide electromagnetic energy with minimal attenuation, eliminating the need for high-power receiver compensation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The invention converts the inherent properties of dielectric materials (which naturally exhibit low loss at high frequencies) into a beneficial interconnection solution. The dielectric waveguide structure transforms what would be radiation losses in conventional systems into guided mode transmission, turning potential harm into reliable signal delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

3Adaptability or versatility

If copper wire line interconnects are used for chip-to-chip interfaces, then existing infrastructure can be utilized, but system performance is limited by skin effect attenuation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with existing infrastructureVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent substitutes conventional copper interconnect infrastructure with dielectric waveguide infrastructure, enabling the system to operate in the electromagnetic waveguide regime rather than the conductor regime. This substitution removes the fundamental performance limitations of copper at high frequencies while maintaining the function of signal interconnection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This solution achieves high-speed data transfer with minimal channel loss and power consumption, supporting wide bandwidths without additional compensation, and is suitable for replacing copper wire lines in high-speed interfaces like the 100 Gbps backplane interface.

Implementation Method 1

a dielectric waveguide to propagate a signal from a transmitter side board to a receiver side board

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDielectric waveguide propagation: Waveguide

Implementation Method 2

At least one of both ends of the dielectric waveguide may be tapered for impedance matching between the dielectric waveguide and microstrip circuits

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectImpedance matching:

Data Source

PatentUS9093732B2Low power, high speed multi-channel chip-to-chip interface using dielectric waveguide

Publication Date: 2015.07.28 POINT2 TECH INC

AI summary

An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an improved dielectric waveguide named electrical fiber. The electrical fiber with a metal cladding may isolate the interference of the signals in other wireless channels and adjacent electrical fibers, which typically causes band-limitation problem, for a smaller radiation loss and better signal guiding to lower the total transceiver power consumption as the transmit distance increases. Also, the electrical fiber may have frequency independent attenuation characteristics to enable high data rate transfer with little or even without any additional receiver-side compensation due to vertical coupling of the electrical fiber and an interconnection device.