In-package wireless communication with TSV-based antenna

Network-on-Chip (NoC) has been shown to be the most viable alternative to an interconnect bus for the scalability of the system [1]. On-chip antennas, implementing wireless interconnects, are introduced for improved scalability of NoCs in [2]. On-chip wireless links offer improved network performance due to long distance communication, additional bandwidth, and broadcasting capabilities of antennas. The most prominent on-chip antenna designs are the planar logperiodic and meander which have a surface-propagation of the EM waves of the antenna. The main detriment of these antennas, and surface-propagation in general, is the poor signal attenuation (i.e. path loss) even at small distances of 5mm. This work challenges the on-chip antenna design conventions, and pushes toward a Through-Silicon Via (TSV)- based antenna design called TSV_A that establishes wireless communication through the silicon substrate medium with only a 3 dB loss over a 30mm on-chip distance.