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US 2006/0067708 A1Published application
Emitter follower driver for silicon optical modulator
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsUlrich Keil, Steen Christensen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
According to embodiments of the present invention, an emitter follower-based or source follower-based driver is coupled to drive a silicon-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer optical modulator. In one embodiment, the emitter/source follower includes a pair of transistors that drive a differential electrical data signal to a pair of phase shifters in the optical modulator. In other embodiments, a pair of current source transistors provides an extra current for the differential electrical data signal.
Claims30
An apparatus, comprising:
- a Mach-Zehnder interferometer optical modulator;
- and
- an integrated circuit coupled to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer optical modulator, the integrated circuit having:
- a transmission line to carry an electrical data signal, the transmission line having a characteristic impedance;
- and
- a driver coupled to the transmission line, the driver having a high input impedance and a low output impedance, the driver to receive the electrical data signal and to drive the electrical data signal to the Mach-Zehnder interferometer optical modulator.
3 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a silicon optical modulator;
- and
- an integrated circuit coupled to the silicon optical modulator, the integrated circuit having:
- a first emitter follower to drive a first data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the first data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- a second emitter follower to drive a second data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the second data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- a first current source coupled to the second emitter follower, the first current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the second data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the second data signal;
- and
- a second current source coupled to the first emitter follower, the second current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the first data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the first data signal.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a silicon optical modulator;
- and
- an integrated circuit coupled to the silicon optical modulator, the integrated circuit having:
- a first source follower to drive a first data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the first data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- a second source follower to drive a second data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the second data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- a first current source coupled to the second source follower, the first current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the second data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the second data signal;
- and
- a second current source coupled to the first source follower, the second current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the first data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the first data signal.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a semiconductor optical modulator;
- an emitter follower pair coupled to the semiconductor optical modulator, the emitter follower pair to receive a data signal and to couple the data signal to the semiconductor optical modulator;
- a current source pair coupled to the emitter follower pair, the current source pair to provide a current to the data signal;
- and
- a cascode stage coupled between the emitter follower pair and the current source pair.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a Mach-Zehnder optical modulator;
- a source follower pair coupled to the Mach-Zehnder optical modulator, the source follower pair to receive a data signal and to couple the data signal to the Mach-Zehnder optical modulator;
- a current source pair coupled to the source follower pair, the current source pair to provide a current to the data signal;
- and
- a cascode stage coupled between the source follower pair and the current source pair.
2 more elements
A system, comprising:
- a semiconductor optical modulator;
- an integrated circuit coupled to the semiconductor optical modulator, the integrated circuit having:
- a first emitter follower to drive a first data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the first data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge, a second emitter follower to drive a second data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the second data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge, a first current source coupled to the second emitter follower, the first current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the second data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the second data signal, and a second current source coupled to the first emitter follower, the second current source to turn on in response to the rising edge of the first data signal and to turn off during the falling edge of the first data signal;
- and
- a 300-pin multi-source agreement connector coupled to the integrated circuit to couple the data signal to the integrated circuit.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- driving a first electrical data signal to a silicon optical modulator, the first electrical data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- driving a second electrical data signal to the silicon optical modulator, the second electrical data signal including a rising edge and a falling edge;
- turning on a first current source in response to the rising edge of the second electrical data signal and turning off the first current source during the falling edge of the second electrical data signal;
- and
- turning on a second current source in response to the rising edge of the first electrical data signal and turning off the second current source during the falling edge of the first electrical data signal.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.