Integration of electromagnetic detector on integrated chip

1. A method of making a device comprising:

obtaining an integrated circuit (IC);

forming one or more ultra-small resonant structures on an external surface of the IC, wherein the ultra-small resonant structures are constructed and adapted to respond to data encoded in an electromagnetic radiation (EMR) beam;

forming a detection mechanism on said IC; and

vacuum packaging at least said ultra-small resonant structure and said detection mechanism.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the one or more ultra-small resonant structures comprise a transmission line; and

wherein the detection mechanism comprises:

a generator mechanism constructed and adapted to generate a beam of charged particles along a path adjacent to the transmission line; and

a detector microcircuit disposed along said path, at a location after said beam has gone past said line,

wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent the transmission line and wherein a beam of charged particles from the generator mechanism to the detector microcircuit electrically couples a plasmon wave traveling along the metal transmission line to the detector microcircuit.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said step of vacuum packaging comprises:

hermetically sealing at least said ultra-small resonant structure and said detection mechanism.

4. A method as in any one of claims 1 - 3 wherein said one or more ultra-small resonant structures are constructed and adapted to detect electromagnetic radiation (EMR).

5. A method as in any one of claims 1 - 3 wherein said detection mechanism includes a source of charged particles.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein said source of charged particles is selected from the group comprising:

an ion gun, a thermionic filament, tungsten filament, a cathode, a vacuum triode, a field emission cathode, a planar vacuum triode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer.

7. A method as in claim 5 wherein the charged particles are selected from the group comprising: positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and protons.

8. A method as in claim 1 further comprising:

electrically connecting said detection mechanism to said IC.

9. A device comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC);

at least one ultra-small resonant structure formed on an external surface of said IC; and

a detection mechanism, wherein the at least one ultra-small resonant structure and said detection mechanism are constructed and adapted to detect plasmons.

10. A device as in claim 9 wherein said at least one ultra-small resonant structure is vacuum packaged.

11. A device as in claim 9 wherein at least one of said detection mechanism is electrically connected to said IC.

12. A device as in claim 9 wherein said detection mechanism comprises a source of charged particles.

13. A device as in claim 12 wherein said source of charged particles is selected from the group comprising:

an ion gun, a thermionic filament, a cathode, vacuum triode, a planar vacuum triode, a field emission cathode, an electron-impact ionizer, a laser ionizer, a chemical ionizer, a thermal ionizer, an ion-impact ionizer.

14. A device as in claim 12 wherein the charged particles are selected from the group comprising: positive ions, negative ions, electrons, and protons.

15. A device as in claim 9 wherein the at least one ultra-small resonant structure comprises a transmission line;

and wherein the detection mechanism comprises:

a generator mechanism constructed and adapted to generate a beam of charged particles along a path adjacent to the transmission line; and

a detector microcircuit disposed along said path, at a location after said beam has gone past said line,

wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent transmission line and wherein a beam of charged particles from the generator mechanism to the detector microcircuit electrically couples the a plasmon wave traveling along the metal transmission line to the microcircuit.

16. A device comprising:

an integrated circuit (IC);

one or more structures formed on a surface of the IC and electrically connected to at least one electronic circuit in the IC, said structures including a plasmon detection device constructed and adapted to detect plasmons incident on the surface of the IC and to provide a signal indicative of the presence of said plasmons to said at least one electronic circuit.

17. A device as in claim 16 wherein said plasmon detection device comprises:

a transmission line;

a generator mechanism constructed and adapted to generate a beam of charged particles along a path adjacent to the transmission line; and

a detector microcircuit disposed along said path, at a location after said beam has gone past said line,

wherein the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are disposed adjacent transmission line and wherein a beam of charged particles from the generator mechanism to the detector microcircuit electrically couples the a plasmon wave traveling along the metal transmission line to the microcircuit.

18. A device as in claim 16 wherein at least some of said one or more of the transmission line, the generator mechanism and the detector microcircuit are vacuum packaged.

19. A method of communicating data to circuitry within an integrated circuit (IC), said data being encoded in an electromagnetic wave, the method comprising:

using a plasmon detector on a surface of said IC to detect the electromagnetic wave; and

providing a signal indicative of said wave to said circuitry.