We demonstrate low energy optical interconnects (0.6pJ/bit at 1E-4 error rate and 1.3pJ at 1E-12) using a custom 32-channel microLED-based optical link with monolithically integrated drivers, photodetectors, and TIAs. Each channel is modulated at 2Gb/s and the signal is carried either via multicore fiber or through free space.
A direct optical interface on ICs has the potential to ease the bandwidth bottlenecks in transferring data between advanced ICs. We demonstrate high speed microLEDs transferred onto silicon CMOS circuitry together with the integrated drivers for the LEDs to send data from the IC. On the receive side of the same IC, we demonstrate integrated CMOS detectors with trans-impedance and limiting amplifiers. These chips are shown to operate at Gb/s speeds and can be interfaced with multicore fibers to make simple low-cost data-paths between standard silicon ASICs. Compared to SERDES based interfaces where only a few lanes are run at very high speeds, these wide parallel optical interfaces can be considerably lower power and offer much higher overall bandwidth and bandwidth density. We demonstrate these links using 130nm CMOS process on SOI substrates, with <2pJ per bit and show their superior performance compared to FP lasers in terms of BER and mode partition noise.
Visible wavelength data communication is of interest for short distance chip-to-chip interconnects and free-space links such as Li-Fi, where modulated sources are incorporated in lighting systems. For the former, both high modulation bandwidth and low power consumption are critical. At Avicena, we have developed efficient high-speed light-emitting structures capable of multi-Gb/s NRZ modulation, which operate down to a few microamps of drive current. We have demonstrated a high speed and low energy optical communication links using these novel devices.
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