Patent ID: 7786592

Claim:
A method of creating a semiconductor chip, wherein the semiconductor chip comprises a substrate, a doped semiconductor material abutting the substrate, and a device pad at an outer surface of the doped semiconductor material, the method comprising: creating a via through at least a portion of the substrate, wherein the via extends from an outer surface of the substrate into the substrate, wherein the via has a periphery, wherein at least a portion of the periphery is bounded by the substrate, and wherein the via has a bottom and a depth sufficient to bring the via into proximity with, but physically spaced apart from, the device pad; introducing an electrically conductive material into the via; and connecting the electrically conductive material to a signal source in a configuration such that when a signal is applied by the signal source to the electrically conductive material, the signal will be propagated from the electrically conductive material to the device pad without any direct electrical connection between the electrically conductive material and the device pad.