Patent ID: 7170361

Claim:
An electronic system, comprising: a processor; a memory device; at least one input device; at least one output device; and at least one data storage device; wherein at least one of the processor, the memory device, the at least one input device, the at least one output device and the at least one data storage device includes an electronic device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and an electrically conductive layer disposed on at least one side of the semiconductor substrate, comprising; a voltage reference plane substantially covering the at least one side of the semiconductor substrate and configured for operable coupling to a voltage reference signal; a plurality of signal trace slots disposed in the voltage reference plane; and a plurality of signal traces disposed in the plurality of signal trace slots; wherein the plurality of signal traces are electrically isolated from the voltage reference plane by a gap in the electrically conductive layer with a gap distance sufficient to avoid an electrical short between the plurality of signal traces and the voltage reference plane; and wherein the voltage reference plane provides a continuous electrical connection around each of the plurality of signal trace slots such that at least a portion of the voltage reference plane is disposed between any two of the plurality of signal traces to reduce cross talk between signals carried by the any two of the plurality of signal traces; and a plurality of solder balls disposed on the at least one side of the semiconductor substrate, wherein at least one of the plurality of solder balls is operably coupled to at least one of the plurality of signal traces and at least one of the plurality of solder balls is operably coupled to the voltage reference signal; wherein at least one of the plurality of signal traces includes at least one direction change in the length thereof over the semiconductor substrate.