Patent ID: 6815828
Filing Date: 2004-11-09
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
An integrated circuit device comprising:a plurality of wafers arranged in a stack, said plurality of wafers including an initial wafer located at one end of said stack of wafers and a final wafer located at an opposite end of said stack of wafers, each said WAFER having a first surface, a second surface opposite said first surface and an optical transmission interface extending from said first surface through to said second surface of the wafer and a semiconductor layer disposed on said first surface; a plurality of integrated circuits formed on said semiconductor layer; an optical data bus extending in a straight line through said optical transmission interface of each of said wafers in said stack of wafers normal to said first wafer surface, said optical data bus having first and second ends and being greater in length than the length of said stack with said first and second ends being positioned spaced respectively from said semiconductor layer of said initial wafer and from said second surface of said final wafer; at least one device optically coupled to said optical data bus, said at least one device being external to and spaced from said stack of wafers; and a node formed on said semiconductor layer in each wafer of said plurality of wafers, said node being adjacent to said optical transmission interface and a side of said optical data bus, said node having means for optically coupling said plurality of integrated circuits of a respective wafer with said optical data bus through said side of said optical data bus without being physically attached thereto to provide optical data communication between said wafers and said at least one device and permit, when desired, axial withdrawal of said optical data bus from said optical transmission interface in each wafer of said stack of wafers to permit detachment of selected wafers from said stack of wafers.