Tapers In Optical Chip-to-Chip Interconnects
AssigneeTectus Corporation
InventorBrian Elliot Lemoff
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Data channels may be served by bundles of optical fibers which carry optical signals from transmitters to receivers. The emitters and detectors may or may not be aligned to the cores of the optical fibers. In either case, light from emitters is coupled into optical fibers, and light exiting fibers is coupled onto detectors. Tapers, rather than microlenses, may perform this task. An array of tapers provides a flat surface to which fibers or fiber bundles may be glued without leaving air gaps. Tapers may be manufactured with standard semiconductor processing techniques.
Claims17
An integrated optical data module comprising:
- a first layer containing an array of electronic circuits;
- a second layer containing an array of optoelectronic devices electrically connected to the electronic circuits;
- and,
- a third layer containing an array of optical tapers, the third layer formed on the second layer with the array of tapers positioned to couple light between the array of optoelectronic devices and a fiber core array.
A high-speed data transmission system comprising:
- a first integrated circuit chip comprising an optical data transmitter comprising:
- a first layer containing an array of CMOS drivers;
- a second layer containing an array of micro-LEDS electrically connected to the CMOS drivers, the second layer bonded to the first layer;
- and
- a third layer containing a first array of optical tapers, the third layer formed on the second layer with the first array of tapers positioned to receive light from the array of micro-LEDS;
- a second integrated circuit chip comprising an optical data receiver comprising:
- a fourth layer containing an array of transimpedance amplifiers;
- a fifth layer containing an array of optical detectors electrically connected to the transimpedance amplifiers;
- and
- a sixth layer containing a second array of optical tapers, the sixth layer formed on the fifth layer with the second array of tapers positioned to funnel light to the array of optical detectors;
- and
- a fiber core array having two ends, a first end coupled to the optical data transmitter and a second end coupled to the optical data receiver, the fiber core array carrying optical signals from the optical data transmitter to the optical data receiver.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.