Abstract: A system that facilitates high-speed signaling between integrated circuit chips comprising a cable, wherein the cable includes a first and second active connector that facilitate communication between integrated circuit chips. The first active connector includes a capacitive receiver which receives a signal from a corresponding capacitive transmitter located on a first integrated circuit chip through capacitive coupling, and a transmitter which transmits a signal received by the capacitive receiver, through the interconnect medium within the cable, to the second active connector. The second active connector includes a receiver which receives a signal transmitted through the interconnect medium of the cable, and a capacitive transmitter which transmits the signal to a corresponding capacitive receiver located on a second integrated circuit chip through capacitive coupling.

Abstract: A system that fabricates a semiconductor chip. The system places patterns for components which require fine line-widths within a high resolution region of a reticle, wherein the high resolution region provides sharp focus for a given wavelength of light used by the lithography system. At the same time, the system places patterns for components which do not require fine line-widths outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle, thereby utilizing the region outside of the high-resolution region of the reticle instead of avoiding the region. Note that the coarseness for components placed outside of the high resolution region of the reticle is increased to compensate for the loss of optical focus outside of the high resolution region.

Abstract: A system that dynamically refreshes the inputs of a differential receiver. During operation, while a differential transmitter is not transmitting data, the system applies substantially equal voltages to the outputs of the differential transmitter so that the differential voltage on the outputs of the differential transmitter is substantially zero. The system then refreshes the inputs of an associated differential receiver by applying substantially equal voltages to the inputs of the differential receiver so that the differential voltage on the inputs of the differential receiver is substantially zero. The differential transmitter is coupled to the differential receiver through a DC blocking mechanism, which prevents a DC voltage on the differential transmitter from reaching the differential receiver.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates high-bandwidth communication using a flexible bridge. This system includes a chip with an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a second component with a surface upon which active circuitry and/or signal pads reside. A flexible bridge provides high-bandwidth communication between the active face of the chip and the surface of the second component. By matching the wire line size in the flexible bridge to the size of circuits and/or signal pads on the chip and on the second component, the system allows signals to be sent between the circuits on the chip and the second component without having to change the scale of the interconnect, thereby alleviating wireability and bandwidth limitations of conventional chip packaging technologies.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates high-bandwidth communication using a flexible bridge. This system includes a chip with an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a second component with a surface upon which active circuitry and/or signal pads reside. A flexible bridge provides high-bandwidth communication between the active face of the chip and the surface of the second component. This flexible bridge provides a flexible connection that allows the chip to be moved with six degrees of freedom relative to the second component without affecting communication between the chip and the second component. Hence, the flexible bridge allows the chip and the second component to communicate without requiring precise alignment between the chip and the second component.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that electronically aligns mini-bars on different semiconductor chips which are situated face-to-face to facilitate communication between the semiconductor chips through capacitive coupling. During operation, the system measures an alignment between a first chip and a second chip. The system then selects a group of transmitter mini-bars on the first chip to form a transmitter bit position based on the measured alignment. In this way, the system allows a data signal to be distributed to and transmitted by the mini-bars that form the transmitter bit position. The system also selects a group of receiver mini-bars on the second chip to form a receiver bit position based on the measured alignment. Next, the system associates transmitter bit positions on the first chip with proximate receiver bit positions on the second chip based on the measured alignment.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that improves communications between capacitively coupled integrated circuit chips. The system operates by situating an interposer over capacitive communication pads on a first integrated circuit chip, wherein the interposer is made up of material that is anisotropic with respect to transmitting capacitive signals. A second integrated circuit chip is situated so that communication pads on the second integrated circuit chip are aligned to capacitively couple signals between the integrated circuit chips through the interposer. The increased dielectric permittivity caused by the interposer can improve capacitive coupling between opposing communication pads on the integrated circuit chips. The interposer can also reduce cross talk between communication pads on the first integrated circuit chip and pads adjacent to the opposing communication pads on the second integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system which drives on-chip wires using capacitive coupling. During operation, the system drives a signal onto a driven wire. This signal feeds from the driven wire through a coupling capacitor onto a coupled wire, which is an on-chip wire that routes the signal to its destination. Feeding the signal through the coupling capacitor reduces the voltage swing of the corresponding coupled signal on the coupled wire, thereby lessening the power required to drive the coupled signal on the coupled wire.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a technique for assembling semiconductor chips. First, multiple semiconductor chips are permanently laminated together into a plurality of laminated chip assemblies, wherein the semiconductor chips within the laminated chip assembly communicate with each other through electrically conductive connections. Next, laminated chip assemblies are stacked together to form a stack of semiconductor chips without permanently bonding the laminated chip assemblies together, wherein the laminated chip assemblies communicate with each other using capacitive coupling.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an integrated circuit chip, including an active face upon which active circuitry and signal pads reside, and a back face opposite the active face. The integrated circuit chip additionally comprises an electromagnetic via that facilitates communication between signal pads on the integrated circuit chip and signal pads on a second integrated circuit chip. The electromagnetic via couples a signal pad on the active face of the integrated circuit chip to the back face of the integrated circuit chip so that the integrated circuit chip can communicate with the second integrated circuit chip while the back face of the integrated circuit chip is adjacent to the active face of the second integrated circuit chip. Moreover, the electromagnetic via operates by facilitating non-conductive signaling through the integrated circuit chip.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a capacitively-coupled receiver amplifier that has an input with no DC coupling. A DC voltage is programmed on the input. During programming, a transmitter is held at a voltage at a midpoint between a voltage that represents a logical “1” and a voltage that represents a logical “0” and the input voltage of the receiver amplifier is programmed to be substantially the switching-threshold voltage for the receiver amplifier. Then, during normal data communication, the transmitter drives high and low electrical signals that are coupled to the receiver amplifier. Since the input of the receiver amplifier has been substantially set to the DC voltage, the receiver amplifier need not control the DC voltage of the input for each transition in the electrical signals.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for detecting light which is incident to a first semiconductor die. During operation, the system receives light at a photo-detector on the first semiconductor die, wherein associated circuitry converts the received light into a current. In doing so, the associated circuitry biases a gate voltage of an integrating transistor to be close to a threshold voltage of the integrating transistor, and applies the current from the photo-detector to the gate of the integrating transistor so that the current causes a charge to collect at the gate of the integrating transistor. This charge builds up and causes the integrating transistor to switch, thereby indicating that light has been received by the photo-detector.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides an arrangement of differential pairs of wires that carry differential signals across a semiconductor chip. In this arrangement, differential pairs of wires are organized within a set of parallel tracks on the semiconductor chip. Furthermore, differential pairs of wires are organized to be non-adjacent within the tracks. This means that each true wire is separated from its corresponding complement wire by at least one intervening wire in the set of parallel tracks, thereby reducing coupling capacitance between corresponding true and complement wires. Moreover, this arrangement may include one or more twisting structures, wherein a twisting structure twists a differential pair of wires so that the corresponding true and complement wires are interchanged within the set of parallel tracks.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that asynchronously controls the sending of data items from a sender to a receiver. The system includes a data path between the sender and the receiver, a first control path between the sender and the receiver, and a second control path between the sender and the receiver. The first control path and the second control path alternately control the asynchronous transmission of consecutive data items on the data path between the sender and the receiver.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates capacitive inter-chip communication. During operation, the system first determines an alignment between a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. Next, electrical signals are selectively routed to at least one interconnect pad in a plurality of interconnect pads based on the alignment thereby facilitating communication between the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die. The plurality of interconnect pads can include transmitting pads, receiving pads, and transmitting and receiving pads. The alignment may be determined continuously or at times separated by an interval, where the interval is fixed or variable. Several variations on this embodiment are provided.

Abstract: The present invention is a frequency controlled bias generator for stabilizing clock generation circuits. The invention includes a Bias VCO and a clock feedback circuit along with a Phase Frequency Detector for tracking and correcting variations in the frequencies of a High Speed VCO. According to the invention, variations in the frequency of the High Speed VCO are tracked and adjusted across process, temperature, and voltage variations. The invention compares the frequencies of an internal clock generated by Bias VCO with an external clock. When the internal clock frequency is undesirably high or low (based on undesirable variations in process, temperature, and voltage parameters), bias currents provided to the High Speed VCO and the Bias VCO are adjusted such that the frequencies of the Bias VCO and the High Speed VCO are adjusted to offset the variations in process, temperature, and voltage parameters. The bias currents provided to the Bias VCO and the High Speed VCO are matched.