Patent ID: 7440449

Claim:
A compact multi-stage switching network configured to simultaneously route a plurality of data packets from a first plurality of input ports to selected ones of a second plurality of output ports comprising: a first stack of IC layers including a plurality of IC switching layers that are stacked in physical contact with one another; each IC switching layer containing at least one switching element circuit wherein at least one of said switching element circuits in at least one of said IC switching layers of said first stack of IC layers is in electrical connection with at least one other of said switching element circuits in at least one other of said IC switching layers of said first stack of IC layers by means of a metalized T-connect; a second stack of IC layers including a plurality of IC switching layers that are stacked in physical contact with one another, each IC switching layer containing at least one switching element circuit; wherein at least one of said switching element circuits in at least one of said IC switching layers of said second stack of IC layers is in electrical connection with at least one other of said switching element circuits in at least one other of said IC switching layers of said second stack of IC layers by means of a metalized T-connect structure; and means for interconnecting the first stack of IC layers to the second stack of IC layers to form the compact multi-stage switching network.