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US5119451A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical waveguides as interconnects from integrated circuit to integrated circuit and packaging method using same

Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
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Filing: 1990-12-31
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Granted: 1992-06-02
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Expires: 2010-12-31
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Abstract

Abstract Optical waveguides are used to bridge between integrated circuits on different die. The waveguide is suspended on polyamid or some other material. An optional waveguide is built which can have both active components or passive components and beam dumps. The optical waveguides allow the signal from one integrated circuit to another to travel at the speed of light. Such waveguides can be direct deposited to better than 0.2 micron accuracy to connect submicron waveguides on the integrated circuit. The use of conductive waveguides or conductive coatings to encapsulate the waveguide allows electrical signals to be passed along with the optical signal.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kendall S. Wills
  • 👤 Paul A. Rodriguez

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 18:01
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/43; Y; Y10; Y10T; Y10T156/00; Y10T156/10

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim 66 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, said semiconductor die having at least one photo emitting or reception site; a filler material between said die and said edges of said support surface; and an optical waveguide, said optical waveguide extending from said photo emitting or reception site, across said filler material and beyond said support surface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 66 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, said semiconductor die having at least one photo emitting or reception site; a filler material between said die and said edges of said support surface; and an optical waveguide, said optical waveguide extending from said photo emitting or reception site, across said filler material and beyond said support surface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device according to claim 1 including additional optical waveguides and additional photo emitting or reception sites, each additional optical waveguide extending from an additional photo emitting or reception site, across said filler material and beyond said support surface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 52 words
A device according to claim 2 including a second semiconductor die positioned above said die, said second die having at least one photo emitting or reception site and an optical waveguide interconnecting said photo emitting or reception site of said die to said photo emitting or reception site of said second die.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 20 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said optical waveguide is fabricated from oxides, nitrites or other light transmitting materials.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 25 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said optical waveguide is deposited material, examples of which include indium oxide, tin oxide and indium tin oxide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 15 words
A device according to claim 5 including materials deposited under, over and around the waveguide.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
A device according to claim 6 wherein said materials include aluminum, titanium, tungsten, chrome and nickel.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 25 words
A device according to claim 4 including cutting a notch in said waveguide and depositing a second material with different optical properties in said notch.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 28 words
A device according to claim 4 including cutting a notch in said waveguide and depositing electro optical material which can change properties due to an applied electrical field.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 12 words
A device according to claim 4 including beam dumps in said waveguide.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 81 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, each semiconductor die having at least one photo emitting or reception site; a filler material between said first die and said second die; and an optical waveguide, said optical waveguide extending from said photo emitting or reception site on said first die, across said filler material and to said photo emitting or reception site on said second die.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 81 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, each semiconductor die having at least one photo emitting or reception site; a filler material between said first die and said second die; and an optical waveguide, said optical waveguide extending from said photo emitting or reception site on said first die, across said filler material and to said photo emitting or reception site on said second die.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 47 words
A device according to claim 11 including additional optical waveguides and additional photo emitting or reception sites, each additional optical waveguide extending from an additional photo emitting or reception site, across said filler material and to an additional photo emitting or reception site on said second die.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device according to claim 11 including at least one additional semiconductor die above said first and second semiconductor dies and additional optical waveguides interconnecting said at least one additional semiconductor die with said first and second semiconductor dies.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 127 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a first semiconductor die and ,a second semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, each semiconductor die having at least two photo emitting or reception sites; a filler material between said first die and said second die and between said first and second die and said edges of said support surface; a first optical waveguide extending from one of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said first die, across said filler material and beyond said support surface; a second optical waveguide extending from the other of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said first die, across said filler material and to one of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said second die.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 127 words
A packaged device, comprising: a support surface having edges; a first semiconductor die and ,a second semiconductor die positioned on said support surface, each semiconductor die having at least two photo emitting or reception sites; a filler material between said first die and said second die and between said first and second die and said edges of said support surface; a first optical waveguide extending from one of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said first die, across said filler material and beyond said support surface; a second optical waveguide extending from the other of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said first die, across said filler material and to one of said two photo emitting or reception sites on said second die.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 58 words
A device according to claim 14 including additional optical waveguides and additional photo emitting or reception sites on said first and second semiconductor dies, each additional optical waveguide extending from an additional photo emitting or reception site on said first die, across said filler material and to an additional photo emitting or reception site on said second die.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 48 words
A device according to claim 15 including additional optical waveguides and additional photo emitting or reception sites on said first semiconductor die, each additional optical waveguide extending from said additional photo emitting or reception site on said first die, across said filler material and beyond said support surface.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 48 words
A device according to claim 16 including additional optical waveguides and additional photo emitting or reception sites on said second semiconductor die, each additional optical waveguide extending from said additional photo emitting or reception site on said second die, across said filler material and beyond said support surface.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 38 words
A device according to claim 15 including at least one additional semiconductor die above said first and second semiconductor dies and additional optical waveguides interconnecting said at least one additional semiconductor die with said first and second dies.
Claim 22
Independent Claim 60 words
A method of packaging a device, comprising the steps of: placing a die on a support surface; inserting a filler material between said die and edges of said support surface; and connecting an optical waveguide on said die from a photo emitting or reception site on said die, across said filler material and beyond said edge of said support surface.
Claim 23
Independent Claim 60 words
A method of packaging a device, comprising the steps of: placing a die on a support surface; inserting a filler material between said die and edges of said support surface; and connecting an optical waveguide on said die from a photo emitting or reception site on said die, across said filler material and beyond said edge of said support surface.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 41 words
A method according to claim 19 including the steps of: placing a second die on said support surface; inserting a filler material between said die and said second die; and connecting an optical waveguide between said die and said second die.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 56 words
A method according to claim 19 including the steps of: placing at least one additional die above said die; inserting a filler material between said die and said additional die; and interconnecting said photo emitting or reception site of said die with said photo emitting or reception site of said additional die with an optical waveguide.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 25 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said optical waveguide includes electrically conductive materials which allow the conduction of electrical signals to the semiconductor die.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim 26 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein said optical waveguide includes an electrically conductive cladding to allow the conduction of electrical signals to the semiconductor die.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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US3879606A Cited
US4065203A Cited
US4130343A Cited
US4627687A Cited
US5009476A Cited
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1995-06-02 1995-12-02 1996-06-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1999-06-02 1999-12-02 2000-06-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2003-06-02 2003-12-02 2004-06-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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