Optical interconnect system, method and device
An optical-electrical integrated circuit system, method and device for optically coupling together a plurality of integrated circuits. Specifically, the system, method and device includes a waveguide network within an optical interface layer of a package, wherein the network optically interfaces with surface emitting light sources and photodetectors. Electrical signals received from the integrated circuits by the light sources are converted to optical signals and transmitted through the network to the photodetectors which convert the optical signals back into electrical signals that are forwarded to the receiving integrated circuit.
1 . An integrated circuit system, the system comprising:
a package substrate providing structural support to the system;
a plurality of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs);
a plurality of surface emitting light sources (SELS);
a plurality of photodetectors, wherein each of the ASICs is electrically coupled with at least one of the SELS and at least one of the photodetectors for transmitting and receiving electrical signals to the at least one of the SELS and from the at least one of the photodetectors; and
a waveguide network including a plurality of waveguide paths that each optically guide light between a first end of the path a second end of the path, wherein each of the first ends is optically coupled with a different one of the SELS for receiving an optical signal from the different one of the SELS and each of the second ends is optically coupled with a different one of the photodetectors for transmitting the optical signal to the different one of the photodetectors.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the SELS convert the electrical signals received from the ASICs to the optical signals transmitted to the first ends and the photodetectors convert the optical signals received from the second ends to the electrical signals transmitted to the ASICs.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the SELS comprise one or more of micro light emitting diodes and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the photodetectors are normal incident photodetectors.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide network is formed by one of silicon nitride and a polymer.
6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide network comprises a plurality of horizontal layers that each include a plurality of the waveguide paths extending from one location in the layer proximate one of the ASICs to another location within the layer proximate another of the ASICs.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first ends and the second ends of the waveguide paths each comprise one of a group consisting of a grating coupler and a 45 degree mirror for receiving the optical signal into and transmitting the optical signal out of the waveguide path.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal, further comprising one or more polarization filters positioned between each of the first ends and the different one of the SELS optically coupled with the first end for filtering the optical signals output by the SELS before the optical signals are received by the first ends.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal and the waveguide network is multimodal for transporting each mode of the optical signals.
10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein an additional substrate is formed on the package substrate, the waveguide network is formed on top of the additional substrate and the ASICs, photodetectors and SELS are coupled to a top of the waveguide network via a flip chip type coupling.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide network is formed on top of the package substrate, the photodetectors and SELS are positioned within the waveguide network adjacent to the package substrate and the ASICs are coupled to a top of the waveguide network opposite the package substrate.
12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the waveguide network is formed on top of the package substrate, the ASICs are positioned within the waveguide network adjacent to the package substrate and the photodetectors and the SELS are coupled to a top of the waveguide network opposite the package substrate.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the ASICs are positioned on top of the package substrate, the photodetectors and the SELS are positioned on top of the ASICs and the waveguide network is positioned proximate the photodetectors and the SELS opposite the top of the ASICs, and further wherein there is a gap between the waveguide network and the photodetectors and the SELS.
14 . An optical interconnect comprising:
a plurality of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs);
a plurality of surface emitting light sources (SELS);
a plurality of photodetectors, wherein each of the ASICs is electrically coupled with at least one of the SELS and at least one of the photodetectors for transmitting and receiving electrical signals to the at least one of the SELS and from the at least one of the photodetectors; and
a waveguide network including a plurality of waveguide paths that each optically guide light between a first end of the path a second end of the path, wherein each of the first ends is optically coupled with a different one of the SELS for receiving an optical signal from the different one of the SELS and each of the second ends is optically coupled with a different one of the photodetectors for transmitting the optical signal to the different one of the photodetectors.
15 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the SELS convert the electrical signals received from the ASICs to the optical signals transmitted to the first ends and the photodetectors convert the optical signals received from the second ends to the electrical signals transmitted to the ASICs.
16 . The optical interconnect of claim 1 , wherein the SELS comprise one or more of micro light emitting diodes and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers.
17 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the photodetectors are normal incident photodetectors.
18 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the waveguide network is formed by one of silicon nitride and a polymer.
19 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the waveguide network comprises a plurality of horizontal layers that each include a plurality of the waveguide paths extending from one location in the layer proximate one of the ASICs to another location within the layer proximate another of the ASICs.
20 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the first ends and the second ends of the waveguide paths each comprise one of a group consisting of a grating coupler and a 45 degree mirror for receiving the optical signal into and transmitting the optical signal out of the waveguide path.
21 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal, further comprising one or more polarization filters positioned between each of the first ends and the different one of the SELS optically coupled with the first end for filtering the optical signals output by the SELS before the optical signals are received by the first ends.
22 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal and the waveguide network is multimodal for transporting each mode of the optical signals.
23 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the ASICs, photodetectors and SELS are coupled to a top of the waveguide network via a flip chip type coupling.
24 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the photodetectors and SELS are positioned within the waveguide network abutting a bottom of the waveguide network and the ASICs are coupled to a top of the waveguide network opposite the bottom.
25 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the ASICs are positioned within the waveguide network abutting a bottom of the waveguide network and the photodetectors and the SELS are coupled to a top of the waveguide network opposite the bottom.
26 . The optical interconnect of claim 14 , wherein the photodetectors and the SELS are positioned on top of the ASICs, the waveguide network is positioned proximate the photodetectors and the SELS opposite the top of the ASICs, and there is a gap between the waveguide network and the photodetectors and the SELS.
27 . A method of implementing an integrated circuit system, the method comprising:
providing a package substrate;
electrically coupling each of a plurality of application specific integrated circuits (ASICs) with at least one of a plurality of surface emitting light sources (SELS) for transmitting electrical signals to the at least one of the SELS;
electrically coupling each of the plurality of ASICs with at least one of a plurality of photodetectors for receiving the electrical signals from the at least one of the photodetectors;
providing a waveguide network including a plurality of waveguide paths that each optically guide light between a first end of the path a second end of the path;
optically coupling each of the first ends with a different one of the SELS for receiving an optical signal from the different one of the SELS; and
optically coupling each of the second ends with a different one of the photodetectors for transmitting the optical signal to the different one of the photodetectors.
28 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
converting the electrical signals received from the ASICs to the optical signals transmitted to the first ends with the SELS; and
converting the optical signals received from the second ends to the electrical signals transmitted to the ASICs with the photodetectors.
29 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the SELS comprise one or more of micro light emitting diodes and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers.
30 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the photodetectors are normal incident photodetectors.
31 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the waveguide network is formed by one of silicon nitride and a polymer.
32 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the waveguide network comprises a plurality of horizontal layers that each include a plurality of the waveguide paths extending from one location in the layer proximate one of the ASICs to another location within the layer proximate another of the ASICs.
33 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the first ends and the second ends of the waveguide paths each comprise one of a group consisting of a grating coupler and a 45 degree mirror for receiving the optical signal into and transmitting the optical signal out of the waveguide path.
34 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal, further comprising filtering the optical signals output by the SELS before the optical signals are received by the first ends by positioning one or more polarization filters between each of the first ends and the different one of the SELS optically coupled with the first end.
35 . The method of claim 27 , wherein the optical signal is multimodal and the waveguide network is multimodal for transporting each mode of the optical signals.
36 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
forming an additional substrate on the package substrate;
forming the waveguide network on top of the additional substrate; and
coupling the ASICs, photodetectors and SELS to a top of the waveguide network via a flip chip type coupling.
37 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
forming the waveguide network on top of the package substrate;
positioning the photodetectors and SELS within the waveguide network adjacent to the package substrate; and
coupling the ASICs to a top of the waveguide network opposite the package substrate.
38 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
forming the waveguide network on top of the package substrate;
positioning the ASICs within the waveguide network adjacent to the package substrate; and
coupling the photodetectors and the SELS to a top of the waveguide network opposite the package substrate.
39 . The method of claim 27 , further comprising:
positioning the ASICs on top of the package substrate;
positioning the photodetectors and the SELS on top of the ASICs; and
positioning the waveguide network proximate the photodetectors and the SELS opposite the top of the ASICs such that there is a gap between the waveguide network and the photodetectors and the SELS.