Abstract: An electromagnetic shielding structure that includes a conductive structure surrounding and accommodating a circuit or a circuit device arranged on a substrate. At least one feed through device is associated with the conductive structure and provides signals to the circuit or circuit device. The method includes forming a shielding structure so that the shielding structure at least one of is at least partially arranged within the substrate and surrounds the circuit or circuit device and associating at least one feed through device with the shielding structure.

Abstract: A method includes phase-shifting an output signal of a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit by applying an injection current to an output of a charge pump of a the PLL circuit. A circuit includes: a first phase lock loop (PLL) circuit and a second PLL circuit referenced to a same clock; a phase detector circuit that detects a phase difference between an output signal of the first PLL circuit and an output signal of the second PLL circuit; and an adjustable current source that applies an injection current to at least one of the first PLL circuit and the second PLL circuit based on an output of the phase detector circuit.

Abstract: A design structure is embodied in a machine readable medium for designing, manufacturing, or testing an integrated circuit. The design structure comprises: a conductive structure surrounding and accommodating a circuit or a circuit device arranged on a substrate and at least one feed through capacitor and one transmission line associated with the conductive structure and providing the power supply and signals to the circuit or circuit device respectively. The design structure also comprises a shielding structure surrounding a circuit or a circuit device arranged on a substrate and at least one feed through capacitor or a transmission line arranged on a side of the shielding structure.

Abstract: A semiconductor chip integrating a transceiver, an antenna, and a receiver is provided. The transceiver is located on a front side of a semiconductor substrate. A through substrate via provides electrical connection between the transceiver and the receiver located on a backside of the semiconductor substrate. The antenna connected to the transceiver is located in a dielectric layer located on the front side of the substrate. The separation between the reflector plate and the antenna is about the quarter wavelength of millimeter waves, which enhances radiation efficiency of the antenna. An array of through substrate dielectric vias may be employed to reduce the effective dielectric constant of the material between the antenna and the reflector plate, thereby reducing the wavelength of the millimeter wave and enhance the radiation efficiency. A design structure for designing, manufacturing, or testing a design for such a semiconductor chip is also provided.

Abstract: A method of forming and structure for through wafer vias and signal transmission lines formed of through wafer vias. The method of forming through wafer vias includes forming an array of through wafer vias comprising at least one electrically conductive through wafer via and at least one electrically non-conductive through wafer via through a semiconductor substrate having a top surface and an opposite bottom surface, each through wafer via of the array of through wafer vias extending from the top surface of the substrate to the bottom surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), IC and CMOS IC including the VCO. The VCO includes an LC tank circuit, a pair of cross-coupled devices connected to the tank circuit and driving a pair of buffers. Each of the pair of cross-coupled devices includes a field effect transistor (FET) with an independently controllable body, e.g., the surface layer of a Silicon on Insulator (SOI) chip or the surface well of a multi-well chip. Diodes in the multi-well structure are biased off in each device. The tank circuit is coupled to the buffers solely through the FET drain to body capacitance.

Abstract: A design structure, structure, and method for providing an on-chip variable delay transmission line with a fixed characteristic impedance. A method of manufacturing a transmission line structure includes forming a signal line of the transmission line structure, forming a first ground return structure that causes a first delay and a first characteristic impedance in the transmission line structure, and forming a second ground return structure that causes a second delay and a second characteristic impedance in the transmission line structure. The first delay is different from the second delay, and the first characteristic impedance is substantially the same as the second characteristic impedance.

Abstract: Back-end-of-line (BEOL) wiring structures and inductors, methods for fabricating BEOL wiring structures and inductors, and design structures for a BEOL wiring structure or an inductor. A feature, which may be a trench or a wire, is formed that includes a sidewall intersecting a top surface of a dielectric layer. A surface layer is formed on the sidewall of the feature. The surface layer is comprised of a conductor and has a thickness selected to provide a low resistance path for the conduction of a high frequency signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chip with a power divider/combiner, a module incorporating the chip and associated methods. The divider/combiner comprises first and second metal layers on opposite sides of a substrate. Interconnects extend through the substrate and comprise: a first interconnect, second interconnects annularly arranged about the first interconnect and third interconnects annularly arranged about the second interconnects. Each interconnect comprises one or more through silicon vias lined/filled with a conductor. For a power divider, an opening in the first metal layer at the first interconnect comprises an input port for receiving power and openings in the first or second metal layer at the second interconnects comprise output ports for applying power to other devices. For a power combiner, openings in the first or second metal layer at the second interconnects comprise the input ports and an opening in the first metal layer at the first interconnect comprises an output port.

Abstract: A micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS), methods of forming the MEMS and design structures are provided. The method comprises forming a coplanar waveguide (CPW) comprising a signal electrode and a pair of electrodes on a substrate. The method comprises forming a first sacrificial material over the CPW, and a wiring layer over the first sacrificial material and above the CPW. The method comprises forming a second sacrificial material layer over the wiring layer, and forming insulator material about the first sacrificial material and the second sacrificial material. The method comprises forming at least one vent hole in the insulator material to expose portions of the second sacrificial material, and removing the first and second sacrificial material through the vent hole to form a cavity structure about the wiring layer and which exposes the signal line and pair of electrodes below the wiring layer. The vent hole is sealed with sealing material.

Abstract: A design structure, structure, and method for providing an on-chip variable delay transmission line with a fixed characteristic impedance. A method of manufacturing a transmission line structure includes forming a signal line of the transmission line structure, forming a first ground return structure that causes a first delay and a first characteristic impedance in the transmission line structure, and forming a second ground return structure that causes a second delay and a second characteristic impedance in the transmission line structure. The first delay is different from the second delay, and the first characteristic impedance is substantially the same as the second characteristic impedance.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) interconnect structure that includes a first via positioned in a dielectric and coupled to a high current device at one end, and a buffer metal segment positioned in a dielectric and coupled to the first via at an opposite end thereof. The buffer metal segment includes a plurality of electrically insulating inter-dielectric (ILD) pads forming an ILD cheesing pattern thereon, to direct current. The IC interconnect structure further includes a second via positioned in a dielectric formed over the buffer metal segment and coupled to the buffer metal segment at one end and a metal power line formed in a dielectric and coupled to the second via at an opposite end thereof. The use of the ILD pads on the buffer metal segment enables a more even distribution of current along the metal power line.

Abstract: A reconfigurable Wilkinson power divider, methods of manufacture and design structures are provided. The structure includes a first port, and a first arm and a second arm connected to the first port. The first arm and the second arm each include one or more tunable t-line circuits. The structure also includes a second port and a third port connected to the first port via the first arm and second arm, respectively.

Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) interconnect structure that includes a first via positioned in a dielectric and coupled to a high current device at one end, and a buffer metal segment positioned in a dielectric and coupled to the first via at an opposite end thereof. The buffer metal segment includes a plurality of electrically insulating inter-dielectric (ILD) pads forming an ILD cheesing pattern thereon, to direct current. The IC interconnect structure further includes a second via positioned in a dielectric formed over the buffer metal segment and coupled to the buffer metal segment at one end and a metal power line formed in a dielectric and coupled to the second via at an opposite end thereof. The use of the ILD pads on the buffer metal segment enables a more even distribution of current along the metal power line.

Abstract: A method, structure, and design structure for a through-silicon-via Wilkinson power divider. A method includes: forming an input on a first side of a substrate; forming a first leg comprising a first through-silicon-via formed in the substrate, wherein the first leg electrically connects the input and a first output; forming a second leg comprising a second through-silicon-via formed in the substrate, wherein the second leg electrically connects the input and a second output, and forming a resistor electrically connected between the first output and the second output.

Abstract: A structure includes a substrate comprising a region having a circuit or device which is sensitive to electrical noise. Additionally, the structure includes a first isolation structure extending through an entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region and a second isolation structure extending through the entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region.

Abstract: A low phase variation attenuator uses a combined attenuation path and a phase network to significantly reduce a phase error between a reference signal and an attenuated signal without degrading the insertion loss. A grounded parallel connection of a resistor and a capacitor is employed in series with an attenuation transistor, which is connected to a middle of a two resistor voltage divider. The two resistor voltage divider includes two resistors of equal resistance that are connected in a series connection. The two resistor voltage divider is connected in a parallel connection with a reference transistor, which functions as a main switch for the transmission or attenuation of a radio frequency (RF) signal.

Abstract: A method includes phase-shifting an output signal of a phase lock loop (PLL) circuit by applying an injection current to an output of a charge pump of a the PLL circuit. A circuit includes: a first phase lock loop (PLL) circuit and a second PLL circuit referenced to a same clock; a phase detector circuit that detects a phase difference between an output signal of the first PLL circuit and an output signal of the second PLL circuit; and an adjustable current source that applies an injection current to at least one of the first PLL circuit and the second PLL circuit based on an output of the phase detector circuit.

Abstract: T-connections, methodology for designing T-connections, and compact modeling of T-connections. The T-connections include an electrically conductive T-junction comprising a body and first, second and third integral arms projecting from mutually perpendicular sides of the body, each arm of the three integral arms having a same first width abutting the body and a same length extending away from the body; an electrically conductive step-junction comprising a first section having the first width and an integral and abutting second section having a second width, the second width different from the first width, the first section smoothly abutting and integral with the first arm of the T-junction; and wherein top surfaces of the T-junction and the step-junction are coplanar.

Abstract: A semiconductor switching device includes a field effect transistor and an inductor structure that provides a frequency dependent inductance in a parallel connection. During the off-state of the semiconductor switching device, the frequency dependent impedance component due to the off-state parasitic capacitance of the switching device is cancelled by the frequency dependent inductance component of the inductor structure, which provides a non-linear impedance as a function of frequency. The inductor structure provides less inductance at a higher operating frequency than at a lower operating frequency to provide more effective cancellation of two impedance components of the parasitic capacitance and the inductance. Thus, the semiconductor switching device can provide low parasitic coupling at multiple operating frequencies. The operating frequencies of the semiconductor switching device can be at gigahertz ranges for millimeter wave applications.