MicroLED Inverse Multiplexing for Low-Loss Chip Interconnects
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Solution Overview
Problem
Transmission of electrical signals across circuit boards in semiconductor devices results in signal loss, delay, and increased power consumption due to resistances and capacitances in metal signal traces, limiting the operational speed and efficiency of integrated circuits.
Innovation Solution
Implementing inverse-multiplexed optical data transmission using microLEDs and photodetectors, where electrical data signals are demultiplexed into parallel signals, transmitted through a multicore fiber, and recombined into serial output signals via photodetectors, with error correction and redundancy mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical signals are transmitted across circuit boards through metal signal traces, then data transmission is achieved, but signal loss and signal delay increase due to resistances and capacitances in the traces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal transmission through metal traces with optical signal transmission through optical fibers. This substitution eliminates the resistive and capacitive effects that cause signal loss and delay in electrical transmission, thereby improving signal quality and reducing signal delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical fibers as an intermediary medium for signal transmission between circuit boards. The optical fibers serve as a mediator that carries optical signals instead of electrical signals, avoiding the harmful resistive and capacitive effects of metal traces while maintaining data transmission functionality.
2Reliability
If electrical signals are transmitted across circuit boards, then data transmission is achieved, but power consumption increases due to signal loss compensation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission to eliminate the need for high power consumption associated with compensating for signal loss in electrical traces. Optical transmission in fibers has significantly lower attenuation, reducing the power required for signal regeneration and transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber intermediary enables low-loss signal transmission, reducing the power consumption required to maintain signal integrity across circuit boards compared to electrical trace transmission.
3Productivity
If electrical signals are transmitted between circuit boards, then device operation is enabled, but operational speed is limited due to signal delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical transmission with optical transmission to achieve higher operational speeds. Optical signals travel faster and experience less delay than electrical signals in metal traces, thereby improving the operational speed of devices with multiple circuit boards.
4Adaptability or versatility
If multiple semiconductor chips are integrated in a multi-chip module, then functionality is increased, but signal transmission problems are exacerbated due to longer trace lengths
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission in multi-chip modules. This substitution eliminates the signal quality degradation that occurs over longer electrical trace lengths, enabling reliable transmission even as device functionality and chip count increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical fiber intermediary provides a transmission medium that is not subject to the same resistive and capacitive limitations as electrical traces, enabling reliable signal transmission across longer distances required for expanded multi-chip module functionality.
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
Enhances signal transmission speed and reduces power consumption by minimizing signal loss and delay, while maintaining data integrity and reliability across circuit boards.
Implementation Method 1
driving microLEDs of an array of microLEDs to emit light based on the parallel input electrical data signals
Implementation Method 2
forming parallel output electrical data signals by an array of photodetectors receiving the light passed through the cores of the multicore fiber
Data Source
AI summary
An optical communication system may include microLEDs for use in communicating data between chips or multi-chip modules. The number of microLEDs may be greater than a number of electrical data lines for carrying data to be communicated. Signals on the electrical data lines may be inverse multiplexed, for example to allow for operation of the microLEDs at a rate slower than operation of electrical circuitry generating signals on the electrical data lines.