Optical Signal Transfer Assembly for IC Stacking
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Solution Overview
Problem
As integrated circuit devices become smaller and more complex, signal loss increases with metal conductive routes, making communication between stacked devices challenging due to complexity and distance, and existing advancements in silicon-based electrical and optical bridges are insufficient to meet growing communication demands.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an optical signal transfer assembly using lenses or micro-lens arrays and photonic bridges between waveguides in integrated circuit assemblies to facilitate efficient photonic signal transmission across gaps, allowing for alignment and coupling of waveguides between stacked integrated circuit devices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If metal conductive routes are used for electrical interconnects, then electrical communication between integrated circuit devices is achieved, but signal loss significantly increases with signaling frequency and distance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical signal transmission through metal conductors with optical signal transmission through waveguides. This substitution eliminates the fundamental limitation of electrical interconnects where signal loss increases with frequency and distance, as optical signals in waveguides experience significantly lower attenuation over the same distances.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the transmission medium from electrical conductors to optical waveguides, fundamentally altering the physical parameters of signal transmission. This includes changing from electrical fields to optical fields, and from metal-based conduction to dielectric waveguide propagation, thereby achieving lower signal loss.
2Productivity
If more integrated circuit devices are added to an integrated circuit package, then communication bandwidth and connectivity are improved, but routing complexity becomes increasingly complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces vertical stacking of integrated circuit devices with waveguides extending through multiple layers, utilizing the third dimension (vertical axis) for signal routing. This dimensional transition from planar to three-dimensional routing enables direct vertical connections between stacked devices, dramatically reducing routing complexity compared to traditional lateral routing in two-dimensional layouts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the integrated circuit package into multiple stacked layers, each containing integrated circuit devices with waveguides. This segmentation allows independent routing within each layer and simplifies the overall routing architecture by breaking down complex long-distance lateral connections into shorter vertical and lateral segments.
3Volume of moving object
If integrated circuit devices are made smaller to achieve scaling, then device density is improved, but communication distance and signal loss issues are exacerbated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical interconnects with optical waveguides, which have fundamentally different signal propagation characteristics. Optical signals in waveguides maintain lower attenuation levels even over longer distances, enabling smaller device dimensions without proportionally increasing signal loss, thereby decoupling the scaling relationship between device size and signal integrity.
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 reduces signal loss and enhances communication efficiency between integrated circuit devices, addressing the limitations of traditional metal conductive routes and existing optical bridge technologies by enabling effective photonic signal transfer across larger distances and complexities.
Implementation Method 1
optical signal transfer assembly extending between the at least one side of the first integrated circuit assembly and the at least one side of the second integrated circuit assembly, wherein the optical signal transfer assembly is optically coupled with the at least one waveguide of the first integrated circuit assembly and the at least one waveguide of the second integrated circuit assembly
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit package may be formed comprising a first integrated circuit assembly, a second integrated circuit assembly, and a means to transfer optical signals therebetween. This optical signal transfer may be facilitated with a first lens or a first micro-lens array adjacent at least one waveguide of the first integrated circuit assembly and a second lens or second micro-lens array adjacent at least one waveguide of the second integrated circuit assembly, wherein the optical signals are transmitted across a gap between the first lens/micro-lens array and the second lens/micro-lens array. In further embodiments, the optical signal transfer assembly may comprise at least one photonic bridge between at least one waveguide of the first integrated circuit assembly and at least one waveguide of the second integrated circuit assembly.