Semiconductor device

1. An electronic component comprising:

a high resistivity substrate; and

a plurality of metallization levels layered above the high resistivity substrate, said plurality of metallization levels divided into a first portion defining a first ribbon and a second portion defining a second ribbon next to the first ribbon,

wherein at least one of the metallization levels other than a last metallization level furthest away from the high resistivity substrate is an active layer of a coplanar waveguide formed by the first and second ribbons and used for signal propagation; and

wherein the at least one of the metallization levels other than the last metallization level comprises a first plurality of metallization levels, and wherein the last metallization level furthest away from the high resistivity substrate comprises a second plurality of metallization levels, further comprising:

at least one via for each ribbon electrically connecting the metallization levels of the first plurality of metallization levels to each other and to a reference, the via extending through the metallization levels of second plurality of metallization levels without making electrical contact thereto.

2. The component of claim 1 wherein the first plurality of metallization levels are active layers of the coplanar waveguide formed by the first and second ribbons and used for signal propagation.

3. The component of claim 1 wherein said plurality of metallization levels are further divided into a third portion defining a third ribbon next to the first ribbon on a side opposite the second ribbon.

4. The component of claim 1 wherein the via for the first ribbon is coupled to a power supply reference and the via for the second ribbon is coupled to a ground reference.

5. The component of claim 1 wherein the reference is one of a supply voltage and a ground voltage.

6. An electronic component comprising

a high resistivity substrate; and

a plurality of metallization levels layered above the high resistivity substrate, said plurality of metallization levels divided into a first portion defining a first ribbon and a second portion defining a second ribbon next to the first ribbon,

wherein at least one of the metallization levels other than a last metallization level furthest away from the high resistivity substrate is an active layer of a coplanar waveguide formed by the first and second ribbons and used for signal propagation;

wherein a plurality of metallization levels other than a last metallization level furthest away from the high resistivity substrate are active layers which are interconnected with each other through vias, the via being connected to a reference voltage and the via passing through the last metallization level furthest away from the high resistivity substrate without making electrical connection thereto.

7. The component of claim 6 wherein the reference voltage is one of a supply voltage and a ground voltage.

8. An electronic component comprising:

a high resistivity substrate;

a first number of metallization layers overlying the high resistivity substrate, the first number of metallization layers divided into a first set of layers overlying the high resistivity substrate associated with a ground ribbon and a second set of layers overlying the high resistivity substrate associated with a power ribbon;

a second number of metallization layers overlying the first number of metallization layers, the second number of metallization layers divided into a third set of layers overlying the first set of layers and a fourth set of layers overlying the second set of layers;

a top metallization layer overlying the second number of metallization layers, the top metallization layer divided into a ground layer and a power layer;

a first via passing through the first and second number of metallization layers to electrically interconnect the ground layer with the first set of layers associated with the ground ribbon, but not electrically interconnecting to the third set of layers overlying the first set of layers; and

a second via passing through the first and second number of metallization layers to electrically interconnect the power layer with the second set of layers associated with the power ribbon, but not electrically interconnecting to the fourth set of layers overlying the first set of layers.

9. The component as in claim 8 wherein the first number of metallization layers consists of at least two metallization layers and the second number of metallization layers consists of one or more metallization layers.

10. The component as in claim 8 further comprising:

the first number of metallization layers further divided into a fifth set of layers overlying the high resistivity substrate associated with a second ground ribbon;

the second number of metallization layers further divided into a sixth set of layers overlying the fifth set of layers;

a third via passing through the first and second number of metallization layers to electrically interconnect the ground layer with the fifth set of layers associated with the second ground ribbon, but not electrically interconnecting to the sixth set of layers overlying the fifth set of layers.

11. The component as in claim 10 wherein the ground ribbon, power ribbon and second ground ribbon form a coplanar microwave wave guide.

12. The component as in claim 10 wherein the ground ribbon, power ribbon and second ground ribbon form a microwave coupler.

13. The component as in claim 8 wherein each of the first and second vias comprises a vertically aligned vias structure passing through the first and second number of metallization layers.