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US5394490A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Semiconductor device having an optical waveguide interposed in the space between electrode members

Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1993-08-11
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Granted: 1995-02-28
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Expires: 2013-08-11
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Abstract

Abstract A clock signal supply system is disclosed for a semiconductor device with a semiconductor chip and a wiring substrate connected in flip-chip fashion and an optical waveguide interposed in the space between electrode members, in which the mutual arrangement of the electrical interconnection and the optical waveguide interconnection on the wiring substrate is not affected and can be used separately from each other for different applications, thereby improving the throughput of the interconnections as a whole. In order to distribute a very fast clock signal beyond a 1 GHz in particular without any phase deviation in the clock signal supply system, a clock distributor includes a clock oscillator, a phase adjuster for adjusting the phase at each destination of the clock signal, an optical interconnection for supplying the clock signal to the phase adjuster, a reference signal generator for generating a phase reference signal from the clock signal, and an electrical interconnection for supplying the reference signal to the phase adjuster. The clock signal is supplied by an optical interconnection having a broad frequency bandwidth, and the phase reference signal by an electrical interconnection by which the skew is controlled easily. A clock signal adjusted to high phase accuracy can thus be distributed to following destinations by the phase adjuster.

Inventors

  • 👤 Takeshi Kato
  • 👤 Yuuji Fujita
  • 👤 Kenichi Mizuishi
  • 👤 Atumi Kawata
  • 👤 Hiroyuki Itoh

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 17:52
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/43; G02B6/10; G02B6/12; G02B6/13; G02B6/26; G02B6/30; G06; G06F; G06F1/00; G06F1/04; G06F1/10; G06F1/105; G02B2006/12083; G02B2006/12104; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4219; G02B6/4228; G02B6/4232; H; H10; H10W; H10W72/00; H10W72/851; H10W72/874; H10W72/877; H10W90/00; H10W90/701; H10W90/721; H10W90/724

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 26
Claim 1
Independent Claim 44 words
A semiconductor device with a semiconductor chip connected to a wiring substrate in flip-chip fashion, comprising: a plurality of electrode members arranged two-dimensionally for connecting said semiconductor chip and said wiring substrate; and an optical waveguide formed in a space between said electrode members.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 44 words
A semiconductor device with a semiconductor chip connected to a wiring substrate in flip-chip fashion, comprising: a plurality of electrode members arranged two-dimensionally for connecting said semiconductor chip and said wiring substrate; and an optical waveguide formed in a space between said electrode members.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 39 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said semiconductor chip and said wiring substrate are connected in flip-chip fashion by said electrode members disposed in at least a through-hole perpendicular to the principal surface of said optical waveguide.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 33 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said semiconductor chip has a signal wiring connected to said optical waveguide and said wiring substrate, and a power wiring connected to said wiring substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 29 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a clock signal is distributed by an optical waveguide to a semiconductor chip having a photodetector and a clock receiving circuit.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 27 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein a semiconductor chip having a photodetector and a receiving circuit is connected by an optical waveguide as a bus.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 19 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein each of said electrode members is made of a metal bump.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 131 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein said wiring substrate comprises optical interconnecting means for receiving an optical clock signal and leading said optical clock signal to said optical waveguide, and a wiring for receiving an electrical reference signal frequency-divided from said clock signal and applying said electrical reference signal to one of said electrode members, said semiconductor chip includes electrical interconnecting means for transmitting the frequency-divided electrical signal to a predetermined destination, and phase adjusting means for adjusting a selected one of the lead and lag of the clock signal outputted from said optical interconnecting means on the basis of the reference signal transmitted by said electrical interconnecting means, thus putting the clock signal in phase, and outputting a phase-adjusted clock signal having a predetermined frequency to following destinations.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 66 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said optical interconnecting means includes optical transmitting means for converting an electrical clock signal produced from a clock oscillator into said optical clock signal, optical receiving means for converting the optical clock signal into an electrical clock signal, and said optical waveguide for supplying said optical clock signal from said optical transmitting means to said optical receiving means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 38 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 7, wherein said reference signal generating means frequency-divides a clock signal having said first frequency and generates a reference signal of not more than the frequency bandwidth of said electrical interconnecting means.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 43 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes a laser diode for oscillating said optical clock signal and laser diode-driving means having the function of converting said electrical clock signal into a drive current for said laser diode.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 22 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes optical amplifier means for amplifying said optical clock signal.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 37 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein said optical amplifier means is a selected one of a rare atom-doped optical fiber amplifier based on optical pumping and a semiconductor optical amplifier based on current injection pumping.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 34 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes optical output control means having the function of holding the signal amplitude of said optical clock signal at a predetermined value.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim 19 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 13, wherein said optical output control means is an auto power control circuit.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim 42 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical receiving means includes a photo-detector for detecting said optical clock signal and photodetector driving means having the function of converting the photocurrent signal flowing in the photo-detector into said electrical clock signal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 13 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 15, wherein said photodetector is a photodiode.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 23 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical receiving means includes bandpass means for the frequency of said electrical clock signal.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 16 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 17, wherein said bandpass means is a bandpass filter circuit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 24 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes a selected one of an optical fiber and an optical waveguide.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 28 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes at least a selected one of a lens, a mirror, a grating and a prism.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 22 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes optical branching means for splitting the optical clock signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim 34 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 21, wherein said optical branching means includes at least a selected one of an optical fiber star coupler, an optical waveguide star coupler and a prism beam splitter.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim 34 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein said optical transmitting means includes at least a selected one of an optical path converter, an optical collimator, an optical focusing means and optical shield means.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim 65 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 23, wherein said optical path converter includes at least a selected one of a mirror, a prism and a grating, said optical collimator and said optical focusing means include at least a selected one of a lens and a grating, and said optical shield means includes at least a selected one of a partition, a cover and a mask.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim 42 words
A semiconductor device according to claim 8, wherein the optical clock signal radiated on said optical receiving means by said optical transmitting means and said optical waveguide has at least the minimum receivable power at the frequency of said optical clock signal.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1998-02-27 1998-08-29 1999-02-28 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 2002-02-27 2002-08-29 2003-02-28 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2006-02-27 2006-08-29 2007-02-28 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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