Electro-optical interconnect platform
An electro-optical interconnection platform is provided. The platform includes an interface medium; a plurality of optical pads; a plurality of electrical pads; and at least one beam coupler adapted to optically couple at least one pair of optical pads of the plurality of optical pads, wherein the at least one pair of optical pads are placed on opposite sides of the interface medium.
1 . An electro-optical interconnection platform, comprising:
an interface medium;
a plurality of optical pads;
a plurality of electrical pads; and
at least one beam coupler adapted to optically couple at least one pair of optical pads of the plurality of optical pads, wherein the at least one pair of optical pads includes a first optical pad and a second optical pad that are placed substantially on opposite edges of the interface medium,
wherein the beam coupler optically couples a light optical source, adjacently placed and connected to the first optical pad and a light optical drain adjacently placed and connected to the second optical pad,
wherein the first optical pad diverges a light beam from a the light optical source into substantially parallel light beams, and
wherein the second optical pad is designed to reflect a focused light beam to a light drain, and wherein the substantially parallel light beams travel through the interface medium.
2 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein an electrical pad of the plurality of electrical pads is connected to an electrical component.
3 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 2 , wherein the electrical component includes any one of: an analog circuit, a digital circuit, and an analog-digital circuit.
4 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 2 , wherein two or more electrical pads of the plurality of electrical pads are connected to each other through vias.
5 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein an optical pad of the plurality of optical pads is connected to an optical component.
6 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 5 , wherein the optical component includes any one of: a passive optical component, an active optical component, and a passive-active optical component.
7 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein optical components and electrical components are connected to the platform using a die stacking process.
8 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of optical pads is structured as any one of: a curved mirror, a titled flat mirror, and a combination of curved and titled flat mirror.
9 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of optical pads is formed and positioned on the interface medium using at least any one of: a photolithography process and a nanoimprint lithography process.
10 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein the interface medium is made of transparent and non-conductive material.
11 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein the interface medium is structured as an upper substrate layer, a lower substrate layer, and glass or air in-between the layers.
12 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 11 , wherein the plurality of optical pads are fabricated over the upper substrate layer and the lower substrate layer.
13 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein the beam coupler forms an optical path between each pair of the at least one pair of optical pads.
14 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 1 , wherein a first optical pad is connected to a light optical fiber, wherein the first optical pad directs a light beam from a light optical fiber to a second optical pad; and wherein the first optical pad is structured as a tilted flat mirror and the second optical pad is structured as a curved mirror.
15 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 14 , wherein the light optical fiber is disposed in a fiber trench.
16 . The electro-optical interconnection platform of claim 15 , further comprising:
a first substrate layer and a second substrate layer and wherein the fiber trench is etched in the second substrate layer.
17. An apparatus comprising:
a first mirror configured: 1) to be proximate to an optical source and 2) to focus light associated with the optical source and an optical drain;
a second mirror positioned distal to the first mirror and configured to reflect and substantially collimate the light associated with the optical source and the optical drain; and
an interface medium, a portion of which being disposed between the first mirror and the second mirror, and through which the light travels,
wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are vertically and horizontally spaced in relation to each other.
18. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
an electrical pad configured to interact with an electrical component associated with the light.
19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the first mirror and the second mirror are disposed on opposite sides of the interface medium.
20. An apparatus comprising:
an optical pad configured: 1) to be proximate to an optical fiber and 2) to focus light associated with the optical fiber and a photonic integrated circuit (PIC);
a distal optical pad positioned distal to the optical pad, the distal optical pad configured to reflect and substantially collimate the light associated with the optical fiber and the PIC; and
an interface medium substrate, a portion of which being disposed between the optical pad and the distal optical pad,
wherein the optical pad is vertically and horizontally spaced from the distal optical pad.
21. The apparatus of claim 20 , further comprising:
an electrical pad configured to interact with an electrical component associated with the light,
wherein the interface medium substrate facilitates connection between the electrical pad and the electrical component associated with the light.
22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the optical pad and the distal optical pad are disposed on opposing sides of the interface medium substrate.
23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the optical pad and the distal optical pad are further configured to optically couple the optical fiber and the PIC.
24. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the light associated with the optical fiber travel through the interface medium substrate.
25. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein each of the optical pad and distal optical pad comprise optical focusing elements.
26. The apparatus of claim 25 , wherein the distal optical pad comprises a curved mirror.
27. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the interface medium is non-conductive.
28. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the interface medium comprises a material comprising one or more of:
glass; or
polydimethylsiloxane.
29. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein the interface medium comprises an interposer.
30. The apparatus of claim 28 , wherein the interface medium comprises a passive interposer.