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US 6,477,285 B1Granted
Integrated circuits with optical signal propagation
AssigneeMotorola, Inc.
InventorCharles W. Shanley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An integrated circuit is presented in which optical signal propagation replaces or supplements conventional electrical signal propagation. Optical lasers, waveguides, beam splitters, and photodetectors are fabricated on top of or below conventional electrical semiconductor circuits to propagate data, clock, and control signals. Such optical signal propagation is generally more rapid than electrical signal propagation, and can free conventional electrical semiconductor circuit area by eliminating at least some conventional data busses and global clock and control wiring. Furthermore, optical clock signal propagation substantially eliminates clock skewing problems and reduces power consumption by significantly eliminating clock signal re-buffering.
Claims32
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- a monocrystalline perovskite oxide material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- an amorphous oxide material located between the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material and the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- a monocrystalline compound semiconductor material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material;
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a waveguide operable to propagate an optical signal selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- and
- a photodetector operable to convert the optical signal to an electrical signal, said photodetector having an input coupled to said waveguide and an output coupled to an input of at least one of said plurality of electrical circuits, wherein at least a portion of at least one of said plurality of electrical circuits is formed within said monocrystalline silicon substrate.
5 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a waveguide operable to propagate an optical signal selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- and
- a photodetector operable to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal, said photodetector having an input coupled to said waveguide and an output coupled to an input of one of said electrical circuits;
- and
- a laser operable to generate an optical signal, said laser having an output coupled to said waveguide,
- wherein said laser comprises a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.
4 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a waveguide operable to propagate an optical signal selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- a photodetector operable to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal, said photodetector having an input coupled to said waveguide and an output coupled to an input of one of said electrical circuits;
- and
- a beam splitter disposed on the integrated circuit to receive an optical signal, said beam splitter operable to split said optical signal into two optical signals.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- a monocrystalline perovskite oxide material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- an amorphous oxide material located between the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material and the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- a monocrystalline compound semiconductor material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material;
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal and at least one output operable to output an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a plurality of waveguides each operable to propagate at least one of a plurality of optical signals, said waveguides disposed on top of at least a portion of said plurality of electrical circuits, each of the plurality of optical signals selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- a plurality of lasers each operable to generate at least one of the plurality of optical signals in response to receiving an electrical signal, each said laser having an input coupled to an output of one of said plurality of electrical circuits and having an output coupled to one of said plurality of waveguides;
- and
- a plurality of photodetectors each operable to convert one of the plurality of optical signals to an electrical signal, each of said plurality of photodetectors having an input coupled to one of said plurality of waveguides and having an output coupled to an input of at least one of said plurality of electrical circuits, wherein at least a portion of one of said plurality of electrical circuits is formed within the monocrystalline silicon substrate.
6 more elements
A method of signal propagation on a single integrated circuit, said method comprising:
- propagating a signal optically from a first location to a second location, both locations on the single integrated circuit, wherein the single integrated circuit comprises
- a monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- a monocrystalline perovskite oxide material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- an amorphous oxide material located between the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material and the monocrystalline silicon substrate;
- and
- a monocrystalline compound semiconductor material overlying at least a portion of the monocrystalline perovskite oxide material,
- and wherein the signal is selected from the group consisting of a data signal, a clock signal, and a control signal;
- converting the optically propagated signal to an electrical signal, said converting accomplished on the single integrated circuit;
- and
- receiving the electrical signal at an input of an electrical semiconductor circuit on the single integrated circuit, wherein at least a portion of the electrical semiconductor circuit is formed within said monocrystalline silicon substrate.
7 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal and at least one output operable to output an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a plurality of waveguides each operable to propagate an optical signal, said waveguides disposed on top of at least a portion of said electrical circuits, said optical signal selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- a plurality of vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL), each operable to generate an optical signal in response to receiving an electrical signal, each said VCSEL having an input coupled to one of said electrical circuit outputs and having an output coupled to one of said waveguides;
- and
- a plurality of photodetectors each operable to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal, each said photodetector having an input coupled to one of said waveguides and having an output coupled to one of said electrical circuit inputs.
2 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a plurality of electrical circuits each having at least one input operable to receive an electrical signal and at least one output operable to output an electrical signal, at least one of said electrical circuits comprising a transistor;
- a plurality of waveguides each operable to propagate an optical signal, said waveguides disposed on top of at least a portion of said electrical circuits, said optical signal selected from the group consisting of an optical data signal, an optical clock signal, and an optical control signal;
- a plurality of lasers each operable to generate an optical signal in response to receiving an electrical signal, each said laser having an input coupled to one of said electrical circuit outputs and having an output coupled to one of said waveguides;
- and
- a plurality of photodetectors each operable to convert an optical signal to an electrical signal, each said photodetector having an input coupled to one of said waveguides and having an output coupled to one of said electrical circuit inputs;
- and
- a beam splitter disposed on said integrated circuit to receive an optical signal, said beam splitter operable to split said optical signal into two optical signals.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.