Patent ID: 8131250

Claim:
An apparatus for data communications, comprising: a Self-Synchronized Radio Frequency (RF) Interconnect (SSRFI) for vertically interconnecting components in a three-dimensional (3D) integrated circuit (IC), wherein the 3D IC includes a first layer with a receiver, a second layer with a transmitter, and one or more coupling capacitors provide an alternating current (AC) coupling method that interconnects the receiver and transmitter on the first and second layers, wherein the transmitter includes an input buffer that latches a baseband signal, and an Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) modulator and local oscillator (LO) that together generate an ASK modulated signal from the latched baseband signal in order to charge the coupling capacitors, and wherein the receiver includes a self-synchronized peak detector that works as one or more diodes in order to detect one or more peaks of the ASK modulated signal discharged from the coupling capacitors, and to convert the detected peaks of the ASK modulated signal back to the baseband signal.