Microcircuit using electromagnetic wave routing
View Patent ↗A device includes a transparent conductor formed on a substrate. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) (such as may be received from an on-chip, ultra-small resonant structure or from an off-chip light source) is directed into the transparent conductive layer. One or more circuits are formed on the transparent conductive layer and are operatively connected thereto to receive at least a portion of the EMR traveling in the transparent conductor. The EMR may be light and may encode a data signal such as a clock signal.
1. A device comprising:
an insulating layer acting as a waveguide; and
at least one circuit optically connected to the insulating layer to receive electromagnetic radiation received from the insulating layer acting as a waveguide, wherein the insulating layer comprises:
a first dielectric material having a first index of refraction; and
a second dielectric material surrounding the first dielectric material and having a second index of refraction greater than the first index of refraction.
2. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an inter-metal dielectric layer.
3. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising an ultrasmall resonant structure constructed and adapted to transmit electromagnetic radiation into the insulating layer acting as a waveguide.
4. The device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer to receive electromagnetic radiation from the insulating layer acting as a waveguide.
5. The device as claimed in claim 3 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer to receive electromagnetic radiatiom from the insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer abuts the transparent conductive layer.
6. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation carries a clock signal.
7. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the insulating layer comprises an inter-metal dielectric layer.
8. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the device comprises an integrated circuit.
9. The device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation received from the insulating layer acting as a waveguide is received by the integrated circuit from outside the integrated circuit.
10. The device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the insulating layer is used as the insulator of a silicon on insulated integrated circuit.
11. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the device comprises an integrated circuit.
12. The device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation received from the insulating layer acting as a waveguide is received by the integrated circuit from outside the integrated circuit.
13. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the insulating layer is used as the insulator of a silicon on insulator integrated circuit.
14. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer to receive electromagnetic radiation from the insulating layer acting as a waveguide.
15. The device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a transparent conductive layer to receive electromagnetic radiation from the insulating layer, wherein the insulating layer abuts the transparent conductive layer.
16. The device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic radiation carries a clock signal.