Integrated segmented and interdigitated broadside- and edge-coupled transmission lines

摘要

A combination edge- and broadside-coupled transmission line element formed in an integrated circuit chip, using semiconductor processes, in a stack of metal layers separated by dielectric layers. Each of the metal layers includes a number of transmission lines. Interconnects between the transmission lines are formed at predetermined locations, each interconnect electrically connecting together a group of the transmission lines to form a conductor. The efficiency of the coupling between the lines in the different conductor is increased by positioning the lines such that both edge and broadside-coupling is realized. For example, at least one of the transmission lines in one of the conductors is positioned either above or below a transmission line in the other conductor to achieve broadside-coupling and laterally adjacent to another transmission line in the other conductor to achieve edge-coupling. In a preferred embodiment each of the lines in one of the conductors is edge- and broadside-coupled to lines in the other conductor. The transmission line element may contain two, three or more conductors, and each conductor may contain two, three or more transmission lines. The transmission line element can be used, for example, to fabricate various types of balanced and unbalanced transformers.