Semiconductor devices with photonic interconnect platforms
A device is disclosed that features a hybrid electro-photonic integrated circuit devices that include an electronic circuit layer mounted on a photonic circuit layer. In one aspect, a device includes a photonic circuit layer including a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and photonic circuit portions tiled together to provide the photonic circuit layer. The photonic circuit layer includes electro-optical transceivers, one or more optical couplers, and waveguides. The waveguides include boundary-crossing waveguides that each extend across a boundary between adjacent photonic circuit portions. Each boundary-crossing waveguide includes an optical connection at the boundary. The optical connection has a width larger than a width of the waveguide away from the boundary. A first photonic circuit layer portion includes first and second electro-optical transceivers and first and second waveguides.
1 . A device comprising:
a photonic circuit layer comprising a top surface, a bottom surface opposite the top surface, and a plurality of photonic circuit portions tiled together to provide the photonic circuit layer, the photonic circuit layer comprising optical portions of a plurality of electro-optical transceivers, one or more optical couplers, and a plurality of waveguides, wherein the waveguides comprise boundary-crossing waveguides that each extend across a boundary between adjacent photonic circuit portions, wherein each boundary-crossing waveguide comprises an optical connection at the boundary, and the optical connection has a width larger than a width of the waveguide away from the boundary, wherein a first photonic circuit layer portion comprises first and second electro-optical transceivers and first and second waveguides, and wherein the first waveguide connects the first electro-optical transceiver to an optical coupler of the one or more optical couplers and the second waveguide is a boundary-crossing waveguide that connects the second electro-optical transceiver to a corresponding electro-optical transceiver of a second photonic circuit layer portion different from the first photonic circuit layer portion, wherein each photonic circuit layer portion is a photonic integrated circuit (PIC); and
an electronic circuit layer coupled to the top surface of the photonic circuit layer and comprising electrical integrated circuits (EICs), each EIC comprising an electrical portion of at least one of the electro-optical transceivers such that, when the EIC is coupled to the top surface of the photonic circuit layer, the electrical portion and a corresponding optical portion of the at least one electro-optical transceiver of the photonic circuit layer are interconnected by electrical connections.
2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein each photonic circuit portion has a width and length that does not exceed a width and length of a reticle used to manufacture each photonic circuit portion, and wherein the photonic circuit layer has at least one of (i) a length that is greater than a length of the reticle or a (ii) width that is greater than a width of the reticle.
3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein each EIC has a width and length that does not exceed a width and length of the reticle used to manufacture each photonic circuit portion.
4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical connections comprise optical stiches created during manufacturing of the photonic circuit layer.
5 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical connections are created by aligning adjacent photonic circuit portions.
6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one waveguide optically couples a first electro-optical transceiver of a first photonic circuit portion of the adjacent photonic circuit portions with a second electro-optical transceiver of a second photonic circuit portion of the adjacent photonic circuit portion such that light can travel between the first and second electro-optical transceivers.
7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the at least one waveguide optically couples a transmitter portion of the first electro-optical transceiver to a receiver portion of the second electro-optical transceiver.
8 . The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the transmitter portion of the first electro-optical transceiver comprises analog mixed signal (AMS) block comprising an optical driver and a transimpedance amplifier; and
the receiver portion of the second electro-optical transceiver comprises an optical modulator and a photodetector.
9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein:
the optical driver is electrically connected to the optical modulator via an electrical interconnect having a length that is 200 micrometers or less; and
the transimpedance amplifier is electrically connected to the photodetector via an electrical interconnect having a length that is 200 micrometers or less.
10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the optical connection comprises:
first tapers in a first portion of at least one waveguide in a first photonic circuit portion of the adjacent photonic circuit portions, wherein the first tapers extend at an angle from a portion of the at least one waveguide located away from the boundary in the first photonic circuit portion towards the boundary; and
second tapers in a second portion of the at least one waveguide in a first photonic circuit portion of the adjacent photonic circuit portions and second tapers, wherein the second tapers extend at an angle from a portion of the at least one waveguide located away from the boundary in the second photonic circuit portion towards the boundary.
11 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the optical connection is created using reticle masks comprising:
a first mask comprising a first waveguide portion, a first optical stitch portion, and first tapers that extend from the first waveguide portion to first stitch segments of the first optical stitch portion at respective first angles such that the first optical stitch portion is wider than the first waveguide portion; and
a second mask comprising a second waveguide portion, a second optical stitch portion, and second tapers that extend from the second waveguide portion to second stitch segments of t at respective second angles such that the second optical stitch portion is wider than the second waveguide portion.
12 . The device of claim 10 , wherein the optical connection is created using reticle masks comprising:
a first mask comprising a first waveguide portion and first tapers that extend from the first waveguide portion at respective first angles; and
a second mask comprising a second waveguide portion and second tapers that extend from the first waveguide portion at respective second angles,
wherein the first tapers extend past a reticle boundary between the first and second masks and the second tapers extend past the reticle boundary between the first and second masks.
13 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a first photonic circuit portion of the plurality of photonic circuit portions comprises a first optical coupler configured to connect to an optical interface that can move light into a fiber when exiting the first photonic circuit portion or into a waveguide when entering the first photonic circuit portion.
14 . The device of claim 13 , wherein one or more waveguides of the plurality of waveguides optically couple the optical coupler to at least one electro-optical transceiver located in the first photonic circuit portion.
15 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the optical coupler is attached to the top surface of the photonic circuit layer.
16 . The device of claim 13 , wherein the optical coupler is attached to the bottom surface of the photonic circuit layer.
17 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the device implements a network switch.
18 . The device of claim 17 , wherein at least one EIC of the one or more EICs comprises at least one of (i) memory, (ii) memory controllers, (iii) electrical interfaces, (iv) physical layers, or (v) a copper-based connection device.
19 . The device of claim 17 , wherein at least one EIC of the one or more EICs comprises or more processing elements.
20 . The device of claim 1 , comprising a switching device that selectively electrically couples a first EIC of the EICs to a second EIC of the EICs.
21 . The device of claim 20 , wherein the switching device comprises a crossbar switch.
22 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a first photonic circuit layer portion comprises a third second waveguide is a boundary-crossing waveguide that connects the optical coupler of the one or more optical couplers to the second electro-optical transceiver.
23 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the photonic circuit layer comprises one or more memory nodes.
24 . The device of claim 23 , wherein the one or more memory nodes comprises a plurality of memory nodes arranged along an outer perimeter of the photonic circuit layer that is not covered by the electronic circuit layer.
25 . The device of claim 23 , wherein the electronic circuit layer comprises at least one memory physical layer (PHY) that interfaces with the one or more memory nodes.