Multiband QAM interface for slab waveguide

1. An integrated chip, comprising:

a dielectric waveguide disposed within an inter-level dielectric (ILD) structure over a substrate;

a multiband transmission element having a plurality of phase modulation elements configured to generate a plurality of modulated signals in different frequency bands; and

a plurality of transmission electrodes located along a first side of the dielectric waveguide and respectively configured to couple one of the plurality of modulated signals into the dielectric waveguide.

2. The integrated chip of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of local oscillators configured to generate a plurality of oscillator signals having different frequencies and to respectively provide different ones of the plurality of oscillator signals to different ones of the plurality of phase modulation elements.

3. The integrated chip of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of amplification elements; and

a control unit configured to operate the plurality of amplification elements to respectively adjust an amplitude of one of the plurality of modulated signals by an amount that depends upon a frequency band of the modulated signal.

4. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transmission electrodes are electrically isolated from one another.

5. The integrated chip of claim 1 ,

wherein the dielectric waveguide has a tapered end with a width that continually decreases from a first width to a second narrower width; and

wherein the plurality of transmission electrodes straddle the tapered end.

6. The integrated chip of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of receiver electrodes located along the first side of the dielectric waveguide and respectively configured to couple one of the plurality of modulated signals out of the dielectric waveguide; and

a multiband reception element having a plurality of phase demodulation elements configured to receive the modulated signals from the plurality of receiver electrodes.

7. The integrated chip of claim 6 ,

wherein the multiband transmission element comprises a first phase modulation element coupled to a first set of transmission electrodes, a second phase modulation element coupled to a second set of transmission electrodes, and a third phase modulation element coupled to a third set of transmission electrodes; and

wherein the multiband reception element comprises a first phase demodulation element coupled to a first set of reception electrodes, a second phase demodulation element coupled to a second set of reception electrodes, and a third phase demodulation element coupled to a third set of reception electrodes.

8. The integrated chip of claim 7 , wherein the first, second, and third sets of transmission electrodes are arranged along the dielectric waveguide in a mirror image of the first, second, and third sets of reception electrodes.

9. The integrated chip of claim 7 , wherein one or more of the first set of transmission electrodes, the second set of transmission electrodes, or the third set of transmission electrodes includes multiple transmission electrodes located along the first side of the dielectric waveguide.

10. The integrated chip of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of phase modulation elements are configured to generate a first modulated signal and a second modulated signal, wherein the first modulated signal is transmitted by the dielectric waveguide at a first frequency range and the second modulated signal is transmitted by the dielectric waveguide at a second frequency range that is separate from the first frequency range.

11. The integrated chip of claim 1 , further comprising:

a plurality of differential driver circuits respectively configured to receive first and second input signals from one of the plurality of phase modulation elements and to generate a plurality of differential signals; and

wherein the plurality of differential driver circuits are each configured to provide one of the plurality of differential signals to one of the plurality of transmission electrodes and one of a second plurality of transmission electrodes arranged along a second side of the dielectric waveguide.

12. An integrated chip, comprising:

a dielectric waveguide surrounded by an inter-level dielectric (ILD) structure that is disposed directly over a semiconductor substrate and that surrounds a plurality of stacked metal interconnect layers;

a plurality of phase modulation elements configured to generate a plurality of modulated signals having different frequency bands; and

a transmission electrode located along a first surface of the dielectric waveguide and coupled to one or more of the plurality of phase modulation elements by way of one or more of the plurality of stacked metal interconnect layers.

13. The integrated chip of claim 12 , further comprising:

a receiver electrode located along the first surface of the dielectric waveguide and coupled to a plurality of phase demodulation elements by way of one or more of the plurality of stacked metal interconnect layers; and

wherein the transmission electrode is laterally separated from the receiver electrode by the ILD structure.

14. The integrated chip of claim 12 , further comprising:

a second transmission electrode located along the first surface of the dielectric waveguide and separated from the transmission electrode by the ILD structure;

a first amplifier coupled between a first one of the plurality of phase modulation elements and the transmission electrode; and

a second amplifier coupled between a second one of the plurality of phase modulation elements and the second transmission electrode.

15. The integrated chip of claim 12 , wherein the transmission electrode is coupled to two or more of the plurality of phase modulation elements.

16. The integrated chip of claim 12 , further comprising:

a second transmission electrode located along the first surface of the dielectric waveguide and separated from the transmission electrode by the ILD structure; and

wherein the transmission electrode is coupled to a first one of the plurality of phase modulation elements and the second transmission electrode is coupled to a second one of the plurality of phase modulation elements.

17. The integrated chip of claim 12 ,

wherein a first one of the plurality of phase modulation elements is coupled the transmission electrode and to a second transmission electrode arranged along the first surface of the dielectric waveguide; and

wherein a second one of the plurality of phase modulation elements is coupled to a third transmission electrode arranged along the first surface of the dielectric waveguide laterally between the transmission electrode and the second transmission electrode.

18. An integrated chip, comprising:

a dielectric waveguide surrounded by an inter-level dielectric (ILD) structure over a substrate;

a plurality of phase modulation elements configured to generate a plurality of modulated signals having different frequency bands; and

a first transmission electrode located along a top surface of the dielectric waveguide and a second transmission electrode located along a bottom surface of the dielectric waveguide, wherein the first transmission electrode and the second transmission electrode are electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of phase modulation elements.

19. The integrated chip of claim 18 , further comprising:

a third transmission electrode located along the top surface of the dielectric waveguide and a fourth transmission electrode located along the bottom surface of the dielectric waveguide; and

wherein the first transmission electrode extends over an edge of the dielectric waveguide along a first direction and is separated from the third transmission electrode along a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction.

20. The integrated chip of claim 18 , wherein the first transmission electrode and the second transmission electrode are coupled to two or more of the plurality of phase modulation elements by way of one or more of a plurality of stacked metal interconnect layers surrounded by the ILD structure.