Proximity IOs using inductive coupling

This paper presents an proximity IOs using inductive coupling, namely ThruChip Interface (TCI). TCI employs near field inductive coupling that is suitable for high-density parallel channel arrangement with small cross talk. It is less expensive than TSV by over 20¢/chip, since it is implemented by digital circuits in a standard CMOS. It bears comparison with TSV in terms of data rate (10Gb/s/ch), reliability (BER<10-14), and energy dissipation (0.1pJ/b). ESD protection devices can be eliminated to lower delay, power, and area. It provides with an AC coupling link to make interface design easy under multiple/variable VDD's. The cost/performance will further be improved exponentially by thinning chip thickness. This paper will cover basics, applications, and future perspectives of the TCI.