A Feasibility Study for Wireless Data Communication Between Silicon Integrated Circuits Using Integrated Antennas

[0424335]本研究的目标是了解基本挑战并发现实现集成电路（IC）之间无线互连的解决方案，这有可能提供从根本上减少IC中输入/输出（I/O）引脚计数的方法。更小的引脚数降低了成本和封装IC和外部电线连接的面积，从而减少了使用IC的系统的占地面积。由于印刷电路（PC）板上除了电源和接地连接之外没有物理电线，因此使用无线互连修改和升级IC将具有更大的灵活性，同时保持与现有PC板的兼容性。这也将降低开发成本，增加电子系统的使用寿命。这项研究将集中在两个基本挑战：发现芯片间无线互连的低损耗传播路径和制造必要的无线电电路。由于数字互补金属氧化物硅（CMOS）集成电路技术应用最广泛，成本最低，因此可行性研究将采用数字CMOS技术。知识优势：芯片内无线互连已经被证明，使用它们的时钟分布即将完成。本研究旨在探讨无线互连技术在集成电路间数据通信中的优点。这项工作与时钟分布的芯片内无线互连的工作不同，因为信号传播环境的系统设计和预期路径以及高数据速率通信的电路类型及其要求完全不同。芯片间无线数据通信的问题也不同于传统的无线通信。除了极高的数据速率外，用于芯片间无线互连的通信终端位置很近（通常为几厘米或更少），并且要求它们作为片上无线电（ROC）完全集成。芯片间无线互连的主要挑战预计是发现与所需误码率（小于10 -20）兼容的信号传播路径，实现高数据速率的高带宽效率，以及制造具有集成天线的低功耗高频电路。克服这些挑战，除了有助于解决封装问题外，还将大大提高集成天线的知识，以实现ROC、高数据速率无线通信和电子系统的可重构性。更广泛的影响：电子系统的成本降低和寿命延长使它们更容易负担得起。这些将有助于使通信和集成电路技术的好处由更大的人口享有。寿命的延长也降低了电子设备被丢弃的速度，有助于更有效地利用自然资源，更好地保护环境。在5年内，主流硅技术有望足以实现50ghz及更高频率的电路。具备必要专业知识的工程师和研究人员数量不足，无法利用新出现的机会。该项目将通过研究和课堂教学，增加研究人员的数量，使他们能够跨越通信系统和理论、集成电路和器件、射频/微波电子学和电磁学的传统界限，从而有助于缓解这一问题。拥有最多非裔美国学生的当地高中与佛罗里达大学的硅微波集成电路小组之间将建立联系。利用这一联系，非裔美国学生将与从事拟议研究的研究生配对，以帮助定义和完成与拟议研究相关的科学展览项目。将积极寻求来自代表性不足群体的本科生参与拟议的研究。这些学生在毕业后成为榜样，将有助于在全国范围内增加女性和未被充分代表的科学和工程群体的成员的参与。将天线集成到芯片上的概念受到了大众媒体的极大关注。这似乎是一个可以抓住公众想象力的话题，可以有效地增加公众对科学和工程的兴趣，并吸引更多的学生进入该领域。

0424335OThe goals of this proposed research are to understand fundamental challenges and discover solutions for realizing wireless interconnection between integrated circuits (IC's), which has the potential of providing the means for radically reducing input/output (I/O) pin counts in IC's. Smaller pin counts reduce cost and the areas for packaged IC's and external wire connections, thus reducing footprints of systems using IC's. Since no physical wires besides those for power and ground connections are present on a printed circuit (PC) board, there will be greater flexibility to modify and upgrade IC's using wireless interconnects while maintaining compatibility to existing PC boards. This will also lower development cost and increase longevity of electronic systems. This research will focus on two fundamental challenges: discovering low loss propagation paths for inter-chip wireless interconnections and fabricating necessary radio circuits. Since the digital complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) integrated circuit technology is the most widely utilized and the lowest cost, the feasibility study will utilize digital CMOS technologies.Intellectual Merit: Intra-chip wireless interconnection has been demonstrated and a clock distribution using them is near completion. This proposed research seeks to take the wireless interconnects and study their merits for data communication among integrated circuits. This proposed work is distinct from the effort on intra-chip wireless interconnects for clock distribution in that the system design and expected paths for signal propagation environment as well as the types of circuits and their requirements for high data rate communication are completely different. The issues for inter-chip wireless data communication are also distinct from the traditional wireless communication. Besides the extremely high data rate, the communication terminals for inter-chip wireless interconnects are located in close proximity (typically a few centimeters or less), and they are required to be fully integrated as radios on chip (ROC). Major challenges for inter-chip wireless interconnects are expected to be discovering signal propagation paths that are compatible with the required bit error rate (less than 10 -20 ), high bandwidth efficiency to achieve the high data rate, and fabrication of low power and high frequency circuits with integrated antennas. Overcoming these challenges, besides helping to solve the packaging problem will significantly advance knowledge for integrating antennas to realize an ROC, high data rate wireless communication, and re-configurability of electronic systems.Broader Impact: The cost reduction and increase of longevity of electronic systems make them more affordable. These will help to make the benefits of the communication and integrated circuits technology enjoyed by the larger cross section of the population. The increase of longevity also reduces the rate at which electronic devices are discarded and help to more efficiently utilize the natural resources and better preserve environments. Within 5 years, the mainstream silicon technologies are expected to be sufficient for implementing circuits operating at 50 GHz and higher. There will be insufficient numbers of engineers and researchers with the necessary expertise to exploit the emerging opportunities. This project will help to alleviate this problem by increasing the pool of researchers who can work across the traditional boundaries of communication systems and theory, integrated circuits and devices, RF/microwave electronics, and electromagnetics through research and classroom teaching. A link between the local high school with the largest number of African American students and the Silicon Microwave Integrated Circuits Group at UF will be established. Utilizing this link, African-American students will be paired with graduate students working on the proposed research to help define and complete science fair projects related to the proposed research. Participation of undergraduate students from the underrepresented groups in the proposed research will be actively sought. These students after graduation serving as role models will help to increase participation of women and members of the underrepresented groups in science and engineering throughout the nation. The concept of integrating antennas on chip has received a great deal of attention of the popular press. It appears to be a topic that could capture the imagination of general public and that could be effective for increasing interests in science and engineering by the public as well as for attracting more students into the field.