Description:
Reference #: 01444
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Method and Design of High-Performance Interconnects with Improved Signal Integrity
Background:
Over the last few decades, there has been a progressively expanded tendency of increasing trace density on printed circuit boards (PCBs) and silicon dies in the semiconductor industry toward higher levels of integration and multi-core architecture generates chips with densities of hundreds of billions of transistors, driven by the requirement of low-cost and highly compact designs, such as miniaturized multiple input multiple-output systems. As a consequence, the signal switching frequency across a broad range of technologies is far beyond the gigahertz range. When the bandwidth requirement increases, the electrical properties of the interconnect affect and limit the integrity of the traveling digital signals.
Invention Description:
To reduce crosstalk of high-density signal traces in integrated circuits and systems, one of the dominant limiting factors for achieving higher data transfer rate, this patent application provides a design method and new interconnect structures with incorporated interdigital trapezoidal tabs structures enabled with materials with either larger permittivity or permeability for improved signal integrity. Three effective methods and structures are proposed in this invention to reduce the interaction between the adjacent signal traces.
Potential Applications:
Within a limited space in integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, signal traces supporting a high data transfer rate are vulnerably subject to electric and magnetic coupling, leading to the far-end crosstalk (FEXT). The performance of this tabbed routing structure can be further improved by the three new effective methods and structures proposed in this invention. More compact integrated circuits with higher data transfer rate and improved signal integrity can be achieved, resulting in much more competitive products.
Advantages and Benefits:
The proposed methods in this invention will further increase the signal integrity of ICs and systems at high frequency by reducing the FEXT compared to the currently tabbed routing structures invented by Intel which are widely used in the market.