Glass Interposer Integrated Antennas with Reduced Cross Talk and Time Delay

Provides for Better Signal Isolation, Lower Dielectric Loss and Lower Manufacturing Cost in 3D Integrated Circuits

These two types of glass interposer integrated antennas for in-plane/out-of-plane and point-to-point directional communications achieve high-speed intra-/inter-chip and board communications in 3D-IC. Three dimensional integrated circuits are becoming more complex. Many emerging 3D-IC have tens to hundreds of integrated components on a single chip, and these various components need to communicate with each other quickly and efficiently. Recent wireless interconnect technologies for data transmission in 3D-IC minimize cross talks and delay caused by mechanical contacts such as wire bonding and Through Silicon Vias. However, these technologies are expensive and can pose reliability issues, and antennas designed on silicon interposers have shown lower antenna gain and efficiency in the high frequency range. Researchers at the University of Florida have developed glass interposer integrated antennas that achieve high antenna gain and efficiency and enable far-field communications for long distance intra-/inter-chip and board data transmission. These glass interposer integrated antennas show strong potential for their use in wireless interconnects, leading to high-speed wireless data transmission and clock synchronization in 3D-IC.

Application

Glass interposer integrated antennas for compact, high-speed wireless interconnects

Advantages

• Eliminates cross talk and time delay caused by extra wire bonding and Through Silicon Via (TSV), reducing the integrated circuit footprint, decreasing power consumption, and increasing high-speed data transmissions
• Uses dual mode antenna as both the monopole and patch antenna, achieving both lateral in-plane and vertical out-of-plane communication at different frequencies
• Uses a reflector antenna with a pillar array, enabling point-to-point communications in a lateral direction
• Replaces silicon interposer with glass interposer, providing lower substrate loss, higher signal isolation, and lower manufacturing cost

Technology

To achieve wireless interconnects that will lead to high-speed wireless data transmission, University of Florida researchers propose two types of antennas – a dual-mode Through Glass Via antenna for in-plane/out-of-plane communications and a reflector antenna with a pillar array for point-to-point directional communications. A 3D integrated circuit comprises the package substrate, the glass interposer with Through Glass Vias interspersed, and multiple chips and components. For the dual-mode, Through Glass Via (TGV) antenna, in-plane communication is achieved by using the TGV as a monopole antenna, a class of radio antenna consisting of a straight rod-shaped conductor. A circular-shaped disc connected to the TGV produces in-plane communications. The reflector antenna is made up of a TGV and disc much like the dual-mode antenna, but it also contains a pillar array on one side of the TGV connected to the ground plane. This pillar array acts as a reflector of electromagnetic waves produced by the monopole antenna, resulting in a directional radiation pattern enabling point-to-point directional communications.