US 2009/0022500 A1 · METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTOELECTRONICS TRANSCEIVERS INTEGRATED ON A CMOS CHIP

Abstract

Methods and systems for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a CMOS chip are disclosed and may include receiving optical signals from optical fibers via grating couplers on a top surface of a CMOS chip, which may include a guard ring. Photodetectors may be integrated in the CMOS chip. A CW optical signal may be received from a laser source via grating couplers, and may be modulated using optical modulators, which may be Mach-Zehnder and/or ring modulators. Circuitry in the CMOS chip may drive the optical modulators. The modulated optical signal may be communicated out of the top surface of the CMOS chip into optical fibers via grating couplers. The received optical signals may be communicated between devices via waveguides. The photodetectors may include germanium waveguide photodiodes, avalanche photodiodes, and/or heterojunction diodes. The CW optical signal may be generated using an edge-emitting and/or a vertical-cavity surface emitting semiconductor laser.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A method for processing signals, the method comprising:

in a CMOS chip,
receiving optical signals from one or more optical fibers via grating couplers on a top surface of said CMOS chip;
converting said optical signals to electrical signals via one or more photodetectors integrated in said CMOS chip;
processing said electrical signals using circuitry in said CMOS chip;
receiving a continuous-wave (CW) optical signal from a laser source via grating couplers on said top surface of said CMOS chip;
modulating said received CW optical signal using one or more optical modulators integrated in said CMOS chip;
receiving electrical signals from circuitry in said CMOS chip;
driving said one or more optical modulators using said received electrical signals;
and
communicating said modulated optical signal out of said top surface of said CMOS chip into one or more optical fibers via one or more grating couplers integrated in said CMOS chip.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip

Life of this patent

Method and system for optoelectronics transceivers integrated on a cmos chip

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22