Integrated circuit having redundant optical signal paths and method of creating same

A system to create redundancy in optical paths of silicon photonics, the system comprising,

• at least one chip;
• at least one waveguide disposed in a low refractive index layer of the at least one chip;
• an optical splitter including at least two optical paths, the optical splitter connected to each of the at least one waveguides;
• a germanium detector for detecting optical signals, the germanium detector connected to an end of each of the at least two optical paths;
• and
• an electrical disconnect member connected to each germanium detector and configured to disconnect a corresponding germanium detector in response to the corresponding germanium detector malfunctioning.

A method for creating redundancy in optical paths of an integrated circuit, the method comprising,

• forming a waveguide in a low refractive index layer of an integrated circuit, the waveguide having an optical signal therein;
• forming a splitter at an end of the waveguide, the splitter having at least a first signal path and a second signal path;
• forming a first optical signal detector at an end of the first signal path;
• forming a second optical signal detector at an end of the second signal path;
• forming a first electrical disconnect member connected to the first optical signal detector;
• forming a second electrical disconnect member connected to the second optical signal detector, such that the integrated circuit does not fail upon the first optical signal detector malfunctioning;
• disconnecting the first optical signal detector from the integrated circuit in response to the first optical signal detector malfunctioning.