Through-Wafer Optical Communication Using Monolithic InGaAs-on-Si LED's andMonolithic PtSi-Si Schottky-Barrier Detectors

摘要

The use of wired interconnects between high-speed and wafer-scale integratedcircuits is becoming increasingly costly in terms of signal dispersion as well as space and power consumption. In addition, the utilization of such interconnects in massively parallel architectures such as neuro-morphic systems presents difficult implementation problems (both chip-to-chip and board-to-board). The potential advantages of optical interconnects over weird interconnects for these applications have been discussed previously. Several hybrid approaches have been demonstrated for implementing free-space or fiber-based optical interconnects. Discrete light sources and photodetectors, together with associated circuitry, have been mounted on an insulating substrate or a Si substrate. Another approach is the optoelectronic integrated circuit, which employs III-V sources, detectors, and circuits that are fabricated on a III-V substrate.