Granted Patent B2

US 12,301,290 · App. 18/412,283 · Granted May 13, 2025

Inventors: Vaidehi Oruganti (Kirkland, WA); Bharath Ramakrishnan (Bellevue, WA); Husam Atallah Alissa (Redmond, WA); Christian L. Belady (Mercer Island, WA)

Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

H04B10/501

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A device comprising:

a substrate;

one or more of a photonic transmitter supported by the substrate or a photonic receiver supported by the substrate;

a microfluidic volume positioned in the substrate; and

a waveguide positioned to direct photonic signal one or more of from the photonic transmitter or to the photonic receiver, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide is positioned in the substrate and relative to at least a portion of the microfluidic volume.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide contacts the microfluidic volume.

3. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a working fluid.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the photonic transmitter and the photonic receiver are part of a single die.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is embedded in the substrate with substrate material between the waveguide and a first surface and a opposite second surface of the substrate.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide is a silica glass.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein a wall between the waveguide and the microfluidic volume is no more than 250 micrometers.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide provides photonic communication to a lateral surface of the substrate.

9. A device comprising:

a substrate;

an electrical load supported by the substrate;

a microfluidic volume positioned in the substrate;

a first electrode positioned in the microfluidic volume;

a second electrode positioned in the microfluidic volume;

a first through silicon via (TSV) connecting the first electrode to the electrical load;

a second TSV connecting the second electrode to the electrical load; and

an electrochemical fluid positioned in the microfluidic volume to provide electrical power to the electrical load and receive heat from the electrical load.

10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the electrical load is a photonic transmitter.

11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the electrical load is a photonic receiver.

12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the electrical load is a processor.

13. The device of claim 9 , further comprising:

an ion-transfer membrane in the microfluidic volume and the ion-transfer membrane separates part of the microfluidic volume into a first portion and a second portion,

wherein the electrochemical fluid is a first electrochemical fluid in the first portion of the microfluidic volume and the device further comprises a second electrochemical fluid in the second portion.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first electrochemical fluid is an anolyte.

15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the second electrochemical fluid is a catholyte.

16. A method of powering and cooling a photonics in an electronic device, the method comprising:

flowing a working fluid through a microfluidic volume of a substrate proximate a waveguide;

receiving heat generated by a photonic signal in the waveguide with a working fluid to create hot working fluid;

exhausting the heat from the working fluid to create cold working fluid; and

recirculating the cold working fluid into the substrate.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the working fluid is an electrochemical fluid, and further comprising:

discharging the electrochemical fluid in an electrochemical chamber of the substrate.

18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

recharging the electrochemical fluid before recirculating the cold working fluid into the substrate.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein discharging the electrochemical fluid powers a photonic transmitter.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the photonic signal is received through a photonic connector of the substrate.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (11)