Passive probing of various locations in a wireless enabled integrated circuit (ic)

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for wirelessly communicating among integrated circuits and/or functional modules within the integrated circuits. A semiconductor device fabrication operation uses a predetermined sequence of photographic and/or chemical processing steps to form one or more functional modules onto a semiconductor substrate. The functional modules are coupled to an integrated waveguide that is formed onto the semiconductor substrate and/or attached thereto to form an integrated circuit. The functional modules communicate with each other as well as to other integrated circuits using a multiple access transmission scheme via the integrated waveguide. One or more integrated circuits may be coupled to an integrated circuit carrier to form Multichip Module. The Multichip Module may be coupled to a semiconductor package to form a packaged integrated circuit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A plurality of integrated circuits formed onto semiconductor wafer, the plurality of integrated circuits comprising:
 a plurality of electronic circuits configured to generate a plurality of signals in response to execution of a self-contained testing operation; and   a plurality of coupling elements, each of the plurality of coupling elements being coupled to a corresponding electronic circuit from among the plurality of electronic circuits, the plurality of coupling elements being configured to:
 pass the plurality of signals, and 
 passively couple to a plurality of second coupling elements to provide the plurality of signals to the plurality of second coupling elements, 
   wherein the plurality of second coupling elements are configured and arranged to provide diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements when coupling to the plurality of coupling elements.   
     
     
         2 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of coupling elements are coupled to a plurality of locations within the plurality of electronic circuits,
 wherein the plurality of signals pass through the plurality of locations to be passively coupled to the plurality of second coupling elements.   
     
     
         3 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein a first coupling element from among the plurality of coupling elements and a second coupling element from among the plurality of second coupling elements are separated by a distance to allow for passively coupling of a corresponding one of the plurality of signals to the second coupling element. 
     
     
         4 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein a first group of plurality of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits is configured to be selectively activated to pass their corresponding signals from among the plurality of signals, and
 wherein a second group of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits is configured to be selectively deactivated to prevent passing of their corresponding signals from among a second plurality of signals.   
     
     
         5 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of second coupling elements is configured to passively observe a plurality of locations within a first group of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits to determine whether an electronic circuit from among the first group of electronic circuits operates unexpectedly. 
     
     
         6 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein at least two second coupling elements from among the plurality of second coupling elements are configured to:
 be physically separated from each other to provide spatial diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements;   have different radiation patterns to provide pattern diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements; or   have different polarizations to provide polarization diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements.   
     
     
         7 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 1 , wherein the self-contained testing operation is configured to execute a first set of instructions stored in the plurality of electronic circuits or to execute a second set of instructions provided by an initiate testing operation signal. 
     
     
         8 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 7 , wherein the self-contained testing operation is configured to execute the first set of instructions in accordance with a first set of parameters provided by the initiate testing operation or to execute the second set of instructions in accordance with the first set of parameters. 
     
     
         9 . A plurality of integrated circuits formed onto semiconductor wafer, the plurality of integrated circuits comprising:
 a plurality of electronic circuits configured to generate a plurality of signals in response to execution of a self-contained testing operation; and   a plurality of coupling elements, each of the plurality of coupling elements being coupled to a corresponding electronic circuit from among the plurality of electronic circuits, the plurality of coupling elements being configured to:
 execute a self-contained testing operation upon receipt of an initiate testing operation signal, the self-contained testing operation being configured to execute a first set of instructions stored in the plurality of electronic circuits or to execute a second set of instructions provided by the initiate testing operation signal. 
   
     
     
         10 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 9 , wherein the self-contained testing operation is configured to execute the first set of instructions in accordance with a first set of parameters provided by the initiate testing operation or to execute the second set of instructions in accordance with the first set of parameters. 
     
     
         11 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 9 , the plurality of electronic circuits is further configured to wirelessly transmit a plurality of testing operation outcomes to a wireless automatic test equipment via a common communication channel formed between the plurality of coupling elements and a plurality of second coupling elements, the plurality of second coupling elements being implemented as part of a wireless automatic test equipment. 
     
     
         12 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of electronic circuits simultaneously transmit the plurality of testing operation outcomes via the common communication channel. 
     
     
         13 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of electronic circuits is configured communicate the plurality of testing operation outcomes over the common communication channel using a multiple access transmission scheme. 
     
     
         14 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of testing operation outcomes indicates whether a corresponding one or more of the plurality of electronic circuits operate as expected. 
     
     
         15 . A plurality of integrated circuits formed onto semiconductor wafer, the plurality of integrated circuits comprising:
 a plurality of electronic circuits configured to generate a plurality of signals in response to execution of a self-contained testing operation; and   a plurality of coupling elements, each of the plurality of coupling elements being coupled to a corresponding electronic circuit from among the plurality of electronic circuits, the plurality of coupling elements being configured to:
 pass the plurality of signals before, during, or after the self-contained testing operation, and 
 execute the self-contained testing operation to verify operation of the plurality of electronic circuits. 
   
     
     
         16 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 15 , wherein a first group of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits is configured to be selectively activated to pass their respective signals from among the plurality of signals, and
 wherein a second group of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits is configured to be selectively deactivated to prevent passing of their corresponding signals from among a second plurality of signals.   
     
     
         17 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a plurality of second coupling elements configured to passively observe a plurality of locations within a first group of electronic circuits from among the plurality of electronic circuits to determine whether an electronic circuit from among the first group of electronic circuits operates unexpectedly.   
     
     
         18 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 17 , wherein at least two second coupling elements from among the plurality of second coupling elements are configured to:
 be physically separated from each other to provide spatial diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements;   have different radiation patterns to provide pattern diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements; or   have different polarizations to provide polarization diversity to the plurality of second coupling elements.   
     
     
         19 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 13 , wherein the self-contained testing operation is configured to execute a first set of instructions stored in the plurality of electronic circuits or to execute a second set of instructions provided by an initiate testing operation signal. 
     
     
         20 . The plurality of integrated circuits of  claim 19 , wherein the self-contained testing operation is configured to execute the first set of instructions in accordance with a first set of parameters provided by the initiate testing operation or to execute the second set of instructions in accordance with the first set of parameters.