Back-side-of-die, through-wafer guided-wave optical clock distribution networks, method of fabrication thereof, and uses thereof

A structure for unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution, comprising:

• an integrated circuit device;
• a first cladding layer disposed on the back-side of the integrated circuit device, wherein the first cladding layer includes at least one vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction grating, at least one horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction grating, and at least one horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction grating;
• a core layer disposed on the first cladding layer;
• and
• a vertical reflection absorption layer adjacent to the first cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the first cladding layer.

A structure for unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution, comprising:

• an integrated circuit device;
• a first cladding layer disposed on the back-side of the integrated circuit device;
• a core layer disposed on the first cladding layer,
• a second cladding layer disposed on the core layer, wherein the second cladding layer includes at least one vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction grating, at least one horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction grating, and at least one horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction grating, and
• a vertical reflection absorption layer adjacent to the second cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the second cladding layer.

A method for fabricating a device having unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution comprising:

• providing a substrate having a first cladding layer disposed thereon;
• disposing a core layer on the first cladding layer;
• forming vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction gratings within the core layer;
• forming horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction gratings within the core layer;
• and
• forming horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction gratings within the core layer,
• disposing a second cladding layer on the core layer;
• and
• disposing a vertical reflection absorption layer on the second cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the core layer.

A method for fabricating a device having unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution comprising:

• providing a substrate having a first cladding layer disposed thereon;
• forming vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction gratings within the first cladding layer;
• forming horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction gratings within the first cladding layer;
• forming horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction gratings within the first cladding layer;
• disposing a core layer on the first cladding layer;
• disposing a second cladding layer on the core layer;
• and
• disposing a vertical reflection absorption layer on the second cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the first cladding layer.

A method for fabricating a device having unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution comprising:

• providing a substrate having a first cladding layer disposed thereon;
• disposing a core layer on the first cladding layer;
• disposing a second cladding layer on the first cladding layer;
• forming vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction gratings within the second cladding layer;
• forming horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction gratings within the second cladding layer;
• forming horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction gratings within the second cladding layer;
• disposing a second cladding layer on the core layer;
• and
• disposing a vertical reflection absorption layer on the second cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the second cladding layer.

A system for fabricating a device having back-side-of-die, through-wafer optical clock distribution comprising:

• means for providing a substrate having a first cladding layer disposed thereon;
• means for disposing a core layer on the first cladding layer;
• means for forming vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction gratings within the core layer;
• means for forming horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction gratings within the core layer;
• means for forming horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction gratings within the core layer;
• means for disposing a second cladding layer on the core layer;
• and
• means for disposing a vertical reflection absorption layer on the second cladding layer,
• wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the core layer.

A structure for unfocused guided-wave optical clock distribution, comprising:

• an integrated circuit device;
• a first cladding layer disposed on the back-side of the integrated circuit device;
• a core layer disposed on the first cladding layer, wherein the core layer includes at least one vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction grating, at least one horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction grating, and at least one horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction grating, wherein an optical clock signal is propagated vertically through the structure substrate to the core layer, into the at least one vertical-to-horizontal input diffraction grating and is then distributed laterally through the at least one horizontal-to-horizontal diffraction grating to the at least one horizontal-to-vertical output diffraction grating, which distributes the optical clock signal vertically back through the structure substrate;
• at least one chip-level optical via;
• and
• a printed wiring board substrate connected to the integrated circuit device,
• wherein the first cladding layer is a write-wavelength vertical reflection absorption layer,
• wherein the at least one optical via is a dielectric filled through-wafer via, and wherein at least one of the diffraction gratings is configured to diffract a clock signal in a plurality of directions, such that the clock signal is uniformly distributed through the core layer.