Integrated electrical silicon interconnects for short-range high-speed millimeter-wave and terahertz communications

Abstract

—Millimeter-wave and terahertz interconnects implemented in advanced complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies have emerged as promising solutions to fix the issues encountered by baseband interconnects and optical interconnects across specific communication ranges. Over the last decade, significant attempts to advance millimeter-wave and terahertz electronics and platforms have been made. Notably, there have been ground-breaking advancements in active components, including modulation techniques, low-noise receivers, efficient and high-output-power signal generators, and high-frequency clock synthesizers. Nevertheless, since energy efficiency is of paramount importance for interconnect applications, it is necessary to prioritize efficiency enhancements over improvements in signal power, signal integrity and noise related performance. Strategies to improve system output power and phase noise as well as strategies to reduce channel loss and channel electromagnetic crosstalk should leverage alternative approaches, such as architectural optimizations and array configurations, rather than prioritizing energy efficiency. As such, the progression of passive channel technology is equally vital. While reducing channel insertion loss is essential for extending communication reach, channel dispersion and crosstalk limitations at the interface level present critical challenges to achieving optimal bandwidth over distances of up to a few meters. This underscores the need for a balanced focus on both active and passive component innovations to fully harness the potential of millimeter-wave and terahertz interconnects in overcoming the limitations of current CMOS technologies.