Optical interconnection device and method of manufacturing the same as well as chip package thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to the field of optical interconnects, and provides an optical interconnect device, its manufacturing method, and wafer packaging. The optical interconnect device includes: at least four nodes, each node for communicating with an external device; and multiple waveguides, each waveguide connecting two of the at least four nodes. In the optical network arrangement of the optical interconnect device of this invention, waveguide crossings are avoided, and complex optical switching structures are not required.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of optical interconnection, and more particularly to an optical interconnection component, a manufacturing method thereof, and chip packaging. Prior Art

[0002] Traditionally, information interconnection within chips and within chip packaging is primarily achieved through electronic conduction via copper media. However, the rate and distance of electronic information transmission are limited by the resistance-capacitance time constant and electrical losses, resulting in a significant increase in the required copper wire diameter as the transmission rate and distance increase. Furthermore, electrical signal interconnection is subject to signal crosstalk and bandwidth limitations.

[0003] Optical signals are already used to transmit data over long and some shorter distances, including within data centers and within individual devices. An example of an optical network for data transmission within a device is the Optical Network on a Chip (ONoC). ONoC often requires complex waveguide designs to achieve optical interconnection between nodes. For example, optical interconnection may require waveguides to be arranged in multiple layers to avoid crossover. Such complex waveguide designs not only limit the device's integration density but also increase production costs. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The present invention provides an optical interconnection component, a manufacturing method thereof, and a chip package, which realize optical interconnection of multiple nodes with a simple waveguide arrangement.

[0005] In one aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides an optical interconnect comprising: At least 4 nodes, each node is used to communicate with external devices; A plurality of waveguides, each of the waveguides is used to connect two nodes among the at least four nodes.

[0006] In some embodiments, the plurality of waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path, and the virtual closed path passes through the at least four nodes, so that the plurality of waveguides are arranged so as not to intersect each other.

[0007] In some embodiments, the node includes at least one of at least one optical transmitter and at least one optical receiver. Each of the waveguides is configured to connect the optical transmitter of one of the at least four nodes to the optical receiver of another node, so as to transmit light from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver.

[0008] In some embodiments, the at least four nodes include a first node and a second node, and the plurality of waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the second node.

[0009] In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the first node is adjacent to the second node. In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the first node is separated from the second node by N nodes, where N≥1.

[0010] In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are adjacent in sequence; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the second node, a waveguide connecting the first node and the third node, and a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node.

[0011] In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are adjacent to each other in sequence; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the third node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the fourth node.

[0012] In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are adjacent in sequence; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the third node.

[0013] In some embodiments, along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, a fourth node, and a fifth node that are adjacent to each other in sequence; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the fifth node.

[0014] In some embodiments, the at least four nodes include a starting node, and the plurality of waveguides are arranged such that the starting node is connected to each of the other nodes. In some embodiments, the multiple optical transmitters of the starting node are connected to the corresponding optical receivers of each of the other nodes via different waveguides along the same direction of the virtual closed path. In some embodiments, the multiple optical transmitters of the starting node are connected to the corresponding optical receivers of each of the nodes in a portion of the virtual closed path via different waveguides along a first direction of the virtual closed path, and are connected to the corresponding optical receivers of each of the nodes in another portion of the virtual closed path via another different waveguide along a second direction of the virtual closed path opposite the first direction.

[0015] In some embodiments, the at least four nodes are arranged in an array, and the virtual closed-loop path extends along the columns or rows of the array, and the multiple waveguides are arranged along the virtual closed path.

[0016] In some embodiments, each of the at least four nodes is configured to establish a connection with its second nearest neighbor node.

[0017] In some embodiments, the node includes at least one of at least one optical transmitting unit and at least one optical receiving unit.

[0018] In some embodiments, each of the waveguides is configured to connect a light transmitting portion of one of the at least four nodes and a light receiving portion of another node to transmit light from the light transmitting portion to the light receiving portion.

[0019] In some embodiments, the optical transmitting unit includes an electro-optical conversion unit, and the optical receiving unit includes a photoelectric conversion unit.

[0020] In some embodiments, the plurality of waveguides include curved waveguides.

[0021] In some embodiments, the plurality of waveguides are configured to enable connection between any two of the at least four nodes.

[0022] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a chip package comprising: The optical interconnect according to any one of the above embodiments; and At least four chips, each of which is coupled to a node of the optical interconnect, and the at least four chips correspond one-to-one to the at least four nodes; Furthermore, the optical interconnect is configured to enable communication between two chips corresponding to the two nodes connected by each waveguide. In some embodiments, the chip includes an electronic integrated circuit chip and / or a photonic integrated circuit chip.

[0023] In some embodiments, the electronic integrated circuit chip or the photonic integrated circuit chip is arranged at all nodes of the optical interconnect; or, the electronic integrated circuit chip is arranged at a part of the nodes of the optical interconnect, and the photonic integrated circuit chip is arranged at another part of the nodes of the optical interconnect.

[0024] In another aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical interconnect, comprising: providing a substrate; On the substrate, a plurality of waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path passing through at least four nodes, so that each waveguide connects two of the at least four nodes.

[0025] In the optical network layout of the optical interconnects in the embodiments of the present invention, waveguide crossing is avoided, complex optical switching structures are unnecessary, and pairwise interconnection between nodes can be easily achieved. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the coupling between the chip and the optical interconnects can be of different types, suitable for different scenarios.

[0026] The various aspects, features, advantages, etc. of the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below in conjunction with the drawings. The above aspects, features, advantages, etc. of the present invention will become more apparent based on the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings. Simple diagram description

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs, other implementation methods can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work. FIG. 1 is a side view of a chip package according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 are top views illustrating the locations of nodes in an optical interconnect according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement of waveguides for optical connection between nodes in an optical interconnect according to the exemplary embodiment. FIG. 5 is a top view showing a waveguide arrangement for the node shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 6 shows an example structure of an optical transmitting section and an optical receiving section according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a top view showing the arrangement of waveguides for optical connection between nodes in an optical interconnect according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 shows an example of a virtual closed path for arranging a waveguide in an optical interconnect according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows an example of a virtual closed path for arranging a waveguide in an optical interconnect according to an embodiment of the present invention. Implementation Method

[0028] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention can be embodied in a variety of different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments shown herein. Instead, these embodiments are provided as examples so that this disclosure will be thorough and comprehensive and will fully convey the various aspects and features of the present invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. Therefore, processes, elements, and techniques that are not necessary for a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains to a full understanding of the various aspects and features of the present invention may not be described. Unless otherwise noted, similar figure numerals denote similar elements throughout the drawings and textual descriptions, and therefore, their descriptions may not be repeated. Furthermore, features or aspects within each exemplary embodiment should generally be considered applicable to other similar features or aspects in other exemplary embodiments.

[0029] Certain terms may be used in the following description for reference purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. For example, terms such as "top," "bottom," "upper," "lower," "above," and "below" may be used to refer to directions in the drawings to which reference is being made. Terms such as "front," "back," "rear," "side," "outside," and "inside" may be used to describe the orientation and / or position of parts of a component within a consistent but arbitrary reference frame, which orientation and / or position would be apparent by reference to the text describing the component in question and the associated drawings. Such terminology may include the words specifically mentioned above, their derivatives, and words of similar meaning. Similarly, the terms "first," "second," and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply a sequence or order unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0030] It will be understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being "on," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, it can be directly on, connected to, or coupled to the other element or feature, or one or more intervening elements or features may be present. Additionally, it will be understood that when an element or feature is referred to as being "between" two elements or features, it can be the only element or feature between the two elements or features, or one or more intervening elements or features may also be present.

[0031] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a" and "an" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprising," "including," and "having," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, wholes, steps, operations, elements, parts, and / or collections thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Expressions such as "at least one of...", when preceding a list of elements, modify the entire list of elements, rather than modifying the individual elements of that list.

[0032] As used herein, the terms "substantially," "approximately," "about," and similar terms are intended to be used as terms of approximation, not as terms of degree, and are intended to take into account variations that one of ordinary skill in the art would recognize, such as the inherent variations in measured or calculated values. Furthermore, the use of "may" when describing embodiments of the present invention refers to "one or more embodiments of the present invention." As used herein, the terms "use," "is using," and "is employed" may be considered synonymous with the terms "utilize," "is utilizing," and "is utilized," respectively.

[0033] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It should also be understood that, unless expressly defined as such herein, terms (such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and / or this specification, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense.

[0034] In an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG1 , a chip package 1000 includes an optical interconnect 100 and multiple devices. The multiple devices are optically connected via the optical interconnect, and data is transmitted via the optical connection. In some embodiments, the multiple devices may be multiple chips 200, which may be selected from one or more of an electronic integrated circuit (EIC) chip, a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip, or other electronic or photonic devices. The optical interconnect 100 includes at least four nodes 101 and multiple waveguides (not shown in FIG1 ). Each node is used to communicate with an external device, and each waveguide is used to optically connect two of the at least four nodes 101. The at least four chips 200 correspond one-to-one to the at least four nodes 101. Optionally, in some embodiments, the chip package may only include multiple EIC chips corresponding to the multiple nodes. In some embodiments, the chip package may only include multiple PIC chips corresponding to the multiple nodes.

[0035] In this exemplary embodiment, a chip package 1000 includes an optical interconnect 100, a plurality of chips 200, each of which is coupled to a node of the optical interconnect 100, and the plurality of chips correspond one-to-one to the at least four nodes. Furthermore, the optical interconnect 100 is configured such that the two chips 200 corresponding to the two nodes 101 connected by each waveguide communicate with each other. Furthermore, the term "communication" herein should be interpreted broadly to include bidirectional communication as well as, for example, unidirectional communication. The following describes an example of an optical interconnect that can be used in the chip package. By way of example, the optical interconnect is a semiconductor optical interconnect that can be implemented using a photonic integrated circuit manufactured using semiconductor processes.

[0036] In some embodiments, an optical interconnect includes at least four nodes and multiple waveguides, wherein each node is used to communicate with an external device, and each of the multiple waveguides is used to optically connect two of the at least four nodes, such that the multiple waveguides are arranged so as not to intersect with each other. In some embodiments, an EIC chip, a PIC chip, or other electronic or photonic device may be provided corresponding to the node. In some embodiments, the multiple waveguides not intersecting with each other includes the multiple waveguides not intersecting within the same layer. The waveguides not intersecting may include the waveguides being arranged in parallel, or may include the waveguides being arranged in non-parallel.

[0037] In some embodiments, a virtual closed path can be drawn that passes through the nodes of the optical interconnect, and the multiple waveguides are distributed along this virtual closed path. In other words, the multiple waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path that passes through the nodes of the optical interconnect. The multiple waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path, which includes being arranged near the virtual closed path, but does not necessarily need to overlap exactly with the virtual closed path. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the optical interconnect includes eight nodes, namely, nodes 1 to 8, and in the optical interconnect, the waveguides used for optical connections between nodes (not shown in Figures 2 and 3) are distributed along a virtual closed path (shown by the dotted line in Figure 3) that passes through the eight nodes.

[0038] Figure 4 shows an example of the arrangement of waveguides along the virtual closed path. For clarity, the virtual closed path shown in Figure 3 is expanded in Figure 4. To achieve optical communication between nodes, the nodes include at least one of at least one optical transmitter and at least one optical receiver.

[0039] In one embodiment, for multiple nodes on the virtual closed path, two consecutively adjacent nodes are connected by a waveguide. These two consecutively adjacent nodes are referred to herein as first-neighbor nodes, where there are no other nodes between them. As shown in Figure 4(a), the optical transmitter Tx of node 1 is connected to the optical receiver Rx of node 2 via a waveguide, thereby transmitting information (or data) from node 1 to node 2 via the waveguide in the form of an optical signal. The arrow drawn on the waveguide schematically indicates that the waveguide points from the transmitter of one node to the receiver of another node, and can also be understood as a propagation direction of the optical signal along the waveguide. The information may be provided by an EIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an electro-optical conversion unit that converts the electrical signal carrying the information provided by the EIC chip into an optical signal carrying the information. For example, the electro-optical conversion unit may include an electro-optical modulator. Alternatively, the information may be provided by a PIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an optical coupler for coupling the optical signal carrying the information provided by the PIC chip. The light receiving unit of node 2 may include a photoelectric conversion unit, such as a photosensor (e.g., a photodiode), for converting received optical signals into electrical signals, which are then transmitted to an EIC chip located outside node 2. Optionally, the light receiving unit of node 2 may include an optical coupler for coupling the received optical signals to the PIC chip located within node 2. In this embodiment, the waveguide configuration between nodes 2 to 8, and the configuration of the optical transmitting and receiving units of each node, are similar to those described above for nodes 1 and 2, and are not repeated here. In some embodiments, node 8 is optically connected to node 1 via a waveguide (for example, in FIG4(a), the arrow from node 8 points to node 1). Thus, the topology of the optical network formed by optically connecting nodes 1 to 8 via waveguides arranged along a virtual closed path is shown in FIG4(A). Based on the above examples, coupling between external devices and nodes can be achieved via optical or electrical signals. In some implementations, a first-type chip can couple with a node via optical signals to communicate with the node, while a second-type chip can couple with a node via electrical signals to communicate with the node. An external device can include both first-type and second-type chips. For example, an optical interconnect 100 interconnects ten chips 200, four of which are first-type chips and six of which are second-type chips. This embodiment of the present invention provides a wider range of chip-to-optical interconnect coupling types, adapting to diverse scenarios.

[0040] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to this, and different connection methods can be used between multiple nodes to form different topological structures. The following examples are given in conjunction with (b), (c), and (d) in Figure 4.

[0041] In some embodiments, for multiple nodes on the virtual closed path, second-nearest neighbor nodes are connected via a waveguide. Herein, a second-nearest neighbor node refers to two nodes separated by one node, i.e., there is one node between the two nodes. As shown in Figure 4(b), the optical transmitter Tx of node 1 is connected to the optical receiver Rx of node 3 via a waveguide, thereby transmitting information (or data) from node 1 to node 3 via the waveguide in the form of an optical signal. The information may be provided by an EIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an electro-optical conversion unit that converts the electrical signal carrying the information provided by the EIC chip into an optical signal carrying the information. For example, the electro-optical conversion unit may include an electro-optical modulator. Alternatively, the information may be provided by a PIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an optical coupler for coupling the optical signal carrying the information provided by the PIC chip. The optical receiver of node 3 may include a photoelectric conversion unit, such as a photosensor (e.g., a photodiode), that converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the EIC chip located at node 3. Optionally, the optical receiving unit of node 3 may include an optical coupler for coupling the received optical signal to a PIC chip disposed at node 3. Similarly, nodes 2 and 4, nodes 3 and 5, nodes 4 and 6, nodes 5 and 7, nodes 6 and 8, nodes 7 and 1 (the arrow from node 7 in the figure points to node 1), and nodes 8 and 2 (the arrow from node 8 in the figure points to node 2) are each connected via a different waveguide, and these waveguides do not intersect. Thus, the topology of the optical network formed by optically connecting nodes 1 to 8 via multiple waveguides arranged along a virtual closed path is shown in FIG4B. Exemplarily, each node is configured to establish a connection with its second-nearest neighbor.

[0042] In some embodiments, for multiple nodes on the virtual closed path, third-neighbor nodes are connected via a waveguide. Herein, a third-neighbor node refers to two nodes separated by two nodes, i.e., two nodes are located between the two nodes. As shown in Figure 4(c), the optical transmitter Tx of node 1 and the optical receiver Rx of node 4 are connected via a waveguide, thereby transmitting information (or data) from node 1 to node 4 via the waveguide in the form of an optical signal. The information may be provided by an EIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an electro-optical conversion unit that converts the electrical signal carrying the information provided by the EIC chip into an optical signal carrying the information. For example, the electro-optical conversion unit may include an electro-optical modulator. Alternatively, the information may be provided by a PIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may be an optical coupler that couples the optical signal carrying the information provided by the PIC chip. The optical receiver of node 4 may include a photoelectric conversion unit, such as a photosensor (e.g., a photodiode), that converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the EIC chip located at node 4. Optionally, the light receiving unit of node 4 can be an optical coupler, used to couple the received optical signal to the PIC chip located at node 4. Similarly, nodes 2 and 5, nodes 3 and 6, nodes 4 and 7, nodes 5 and 8, nodes 6 and 1 (the arrow from node 6 in the figure points to node 1), nodes 7 and 2 (the arrow from node 7 in the figure points to node 2), and nodes 8 and 3 (the arrow from node 8 in the figure points to node 3) are each connected via a different waveguide, and these waveguides do not cross. Thus, the topology of the optical network formed by optically connecting nodes 1 to 8 via multiple waveguides arranged along a virtual closed path is shown in Figure 4C.

[0043] In some embodiments, for multiple nodes on the virtual closed path, the fourth-nearest neighbor node is connected via a waveguide. Herein, the fourth-nearest neighbor node refers to two nodes separated by three nodes, i.e., there are three nodes between the two nodes. As shown in Figure 4(d), the optical transmitter Tx of node 1 is connected to the optical receiver Rx of node 5 via a waveguide, thereby transmitting information (or data) from node 1 to node 5 via the waveguide in the form of an optical signal. The information may be provided by an EIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an electro-optical conversion unit that converts the electrical signal carrying the information provided by the EIC chip into an optical signal carrying the information. For example, the electro-optical conversion unit may include an electro-optical modulator. Alternatively, the information may be provided by a PIC chip located at node 1. In this case, the optical transmitter of node 1 may include an optical coupler for coupling the optical signal carrying the information provided by the PIC chip. The optical receiver of node 5 may include a photoelectric conversion unit, such as a photoelectric sensor (e.g., a photodiode), that converts the received optical signal into an electrical signal, which is then transmitted to the EIC chip located at node 5. Optionally, the optical receiving unit of node 5 can be an optical coupler, used to couple the received optical signal to a PIC chip located at node 5. Similarly, nodes 2 and 6, nodes 3 and 7, and nodes 4 and 8 are each connected via a different waveguide, and these waveguides do not intersect. Thus, the topology of the optical network formed by optically connecting nodes 1 to 8 via multiple waveguides arranged along a virtual closed path is shown in D in Figure 4.

[0044] In one embodiment, the plurality of waveguides are configured to connect any two of the at least four nodes. For example, the structures shown in (a), (b), (c), and (d) in Figure 4 can be combined to form a topology that interconnects any two nodes, some of which can achieve bidirectional communication between the two nodes. For example, in Figure 4 (d), the transmitter of node 1 can send a signal to node 5 via a waveguide, and node 5 can send a signal to node 1 via another waveguide. However, in the overall scheme of Figure 4, that is, the combination of (a), (b), (c), and (d) in Figure 4, bidirectional communication between any two nodes is not achieved. For example, node 3 can transmit information to node 4 via a waveguide (as shown in Figure 4 (a)), but node 4 is not configured to send information to node 3. This type of communication is unidirectional. Based on Figure 4, to achieve bidirectional communication between any two nodes, another appropriate number of waveguides can be configured, such as by arranging additional waveguides along a virtual closed circuit, and configuring appropriate transmitters / receivers in the nodes.

[0045] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG6 , the optical transmitter Tx of one node includes an electro-optical modulator 501 for modulating information carried in an electrical signal transmitted via a conductive line 502 into an optical signal. The optical transmitter Tx is further configured to transmit the optical signal to a waveguide 503, which transmits the optical signal to the optical receiver Rx of another node via the waveguide 503. The optical receiver Rx then receives the information-carrying optical signal via the waveguide 503. The optical receiver Rx may include a light sensor 504 for converting the received optical signal into an electrical signal, which is then output via another conductive line 505.

[0046] Figure 5 illustrates a waveguide arrangement for the nodes shown in Figure 2, which connects a node to its second-nearest neighbor. These waveguides can be considered arranged along a virtual closed path as shown in Figure 3. For example, the waveguides in Figure 5 are curved waveguides. In some embodiments, curved waveguides can better fit the path of the virtual closed path. At least three curved waveguides can be configured, making them suitable for more complex connections. The form of the virtual closed path is not particularly limited; any waveguide arrangement that conforms to the principle of arrangement along a virtual closed path is considered to be in accordance with the present invention. The waveguide arrangement in Figure 5, when unfolded along the virtual closed path, presents the situation shown in Figure 4 (b). In this example, each of the at least four nodes is configured to connect to its second-nearest neighbor.

[0047] In some embodiments, the waveguide connecting two nodes is a single channel. For example, as shown in Figure 4, two optically connected nodes each have one optical transmitter and one optical receiver. As shown in Figure 4(d), in an optical connection configuration where eight nodes are connected via a single waveguide using the fourth nearest neighbor node, a total of four parallel waveguides are provided along the virtual path, and these four waveguides do not cross. In other embodiments, two optically connected nodes can be connected via multiple channels. For example, as shown in Figure 7, four waveguides are used to connect the four optical transmitters of node 1 and the four optical receivers of node 5, respectively, which can provide greater transmission bandwidth. Furthermore, as shown in the topology of Figure 7, eight nodes arranged along a virtual closed path are optically connected using the fourth nearest neighbor node, and a total of parallel waveguides are provided along the virtual path, and these waveguides do not cross. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3, optical connection waveguides are provided along a virtual path that is approximately an O-shaped ring that passes through the eight nodes. It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the virtual closed path may also have other forms. For example, as shown by the dashed line in FIG8 , optical connection waveguides may be arranged along the virtual closed path without crossing each other. It should also be understood that although the above description uses eight nodes as an example, the optical interconnect of the present invention is not limited to the number of nodes and may have more or less than eight nodes.

[0048] In some embodiments, an optical interconnect includes multiple nodes and multiple waveguides, wherein the multiple waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path passing through the multiple nodes, such that the multiple waveguides are arranged so as not to intersect with each other. The multiple nodes include a first node and a second node, such that the waveguide connecting the first node and the second node does not intersect with the waveguide connecting other nodes. For example, the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 3 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes (the waveguide is not shown in FIG3 ); or, the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 5 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes; or, the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 6 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes.

[0049] In some embodiments, the plurality of nodes include a first node and a second node, the first node being adjacent to the second node, and the waveguide connecting the first node and the second node does not intersect with the waveguides connecting other nodes. For the nodes arranged in FIG3 (waveguides not shown in FIG3 ), the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 2 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguides between any other nodes.

[0050] In some embodiments, the multiple nodes include a first node and a second node, with N nodes between the first node and the second node, where N ≥ 1. Furthermore, the waveguide connecting the first node and the second node does not intersect with the waveguides connecting other nodes. For example, for the nodes arranged in Figure 3 (waveguides not shown in Figure 3 ), the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 3 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes; alternatively, the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 4 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes; or alternatively, the optical connection waveguide between node 1 (as the first node) and node 5 (as the second node) does not intersect with the optical connection waveguide between any other nodes.

[0051] In some embodiments, the plurality of nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node, which are sequentially adjacent to each other; and the waveguide connecting the first node with the second node, the waveguide connecting the first node with the third node, and the waveguide connecting the first node with the fourth node do not intersect with each other. For example, for the nodes arranged in Figure 3 (waveguides not shown in Figure 3), the waveguide connecting node 1 with node 2, the waveguide connecting node 1 with node 3, and the waveguide connecting node 1 with node 4 do not intersect with each other. In some embodiments, the waveguide connecting the first node with the third node does not intersect with the waveguide connecting the second node with the fourth node. For example, the waveguide connecting node 1 with node 3 does not intersect with the waveguide connecting node 2 with node 4. In some embodiments, the waveguide connecting the first node with the fourth node does not intersect with the waveguide connecting the second node with the third node. For example, the waveguide connecting node 1 with node 4 does not intersect with the waveguide connecting node 2 with node 3.

[0052] In some embodiments, the plurality of nodes includes a first node, a second node, a third node, a fourth node, and a fifth node, which are sequentially adjacent; and the waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node does not intersect the waveguide connecting the second node and the fifth node. For example, for the nodes arranged in FIG3 (waveguides are not shown in FIG3 ), the waveguide connecting node 1 and node 4 does not intersect the waveguide connecting node 2 and node 5.

[0053] In some embodiments, an optical interconnect comprises multiple nodes and multiple waveguides, wherein the multiple waveguides are arranged along any virtual closed path passing through the multiple nodes: With one of the multiple nodes as the starting node, the waveguides connecting the starting node to each of the other nodes are different and do not intersect. For example, taking the eight nodes shown in FIG3 as an example, with node 1 as the starting node, the waveguides connecting each of nodes 2 through 8 to node 1 are different (waveguides not shown in FIG3 ) and do not intersect. In some embodiments, the multiple optical transmitters of the starting node are connected to the optical receivers corresponding to each of the other nodes via different waveguides along the same direction of the virtual closed path. For example, node 1 includes seven transmitters. To connect the seven transmitters of node 1 to the receivers of the other seven nodes, for the virtual closed path in Figure 3, starting with node 1, the seven transmitters of node 1 can be connected to one receiver of each node from node 2 to node 8 via different waveguides in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction, ensuring that these waveguides do not intersect with each other. Figure 3 only shows the locations of the nodes and does not show the optical transmitters, optical receivers, or waveguides. In some embodiments, the multiple optical transmitters of the starting node are connected to the optical receivers corresponding to each node in a portion of the nodes via different waveguides along a first direction of the virtual closed path, and are connected to the optical receivers corresponding to each node in another portion of the nodes via another different waveguide along a second direction of the virtual closed path, which is opposite to the first direction. For example, node 1 includes seven transmitters. To connect the seven transmitters of node 1 to the receivers of the other seven nodes, for the virtual closed path in Figure 3, starting with node 1, the four transmitters of node 1 can be connected to one receiver of each of nodes 2 to 5 in a clockwise direction through different waveguides. Furthermore, the three transmitters of node 1 can be connected to one receiver of each of nodes 8 to 6 in a counterclockwise direction through different waveguides. In the above embodiments, node 1 can be used as the starting node, and its multiple transmitters can be connected to a corresponding receiver of each of the other nodes, thereby enabling node 1 to send optical signals to the other nodes.

[0054] In some embodiments, an optical interconnect includes multiple nodes and multiple waveguides, the multiple nodes being arranged in an array, and the virtual closed-loop path extending along the columns or rows of the array, with the multiple waveguides arranged along the virtual closed path. As shown in FIG9 , 64 nodes are arranged in an 8×8 array, a virtual closed path (shown as a solid line in FIG9 ) extending up and down the columns of the array, and multiple waveguides for optical connection arranged along the virtual closed path.

[0055] In other embodiments of the present invention, a method for manufacturing an optical interconnect is provided, comprising: providing a substrate; On the substrate, a plurality of waveguides are arranged along a virtual closed path passing through at least a plurality of nodes, so that each waveguide optically connects two nodes among the plurality of nodes.

[0056] The present invention does not limit the order of determining the closed path, setting the nodes, and setting the waveguides.

[0057] In some embodiments, a closed path passing through the multiple nodes arranged on the substrate can be determined, and then a waveguide for optical connection can be arranged along the closed path, so that the waveguides can be arranged to not cross.

[0058] In some embodiments, the multiple nodes, the closed paths passing through the multiple nodes, and the multiple waveguides arranged along the closed paths can be pre-stored as pattern data, and in a semiconductor manufacturing process, the nodes and the multiple waveguides are integrally formed on a substrate using a semiconductor manufacturing process according to the stored pattern data.

[0059] Those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs should understand that what is disclosed above is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and certainly cannot be used to limit the scope of rights for which the present invention is requested for patent protection. Equivalent changes made based on the embodiment of the present invention still fall within the scope covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

[0060] 1000: Chip packaging 100: Optical interconnects 101: Node 200: Chip 501:Electro-optical modulator 502: conductive circuit 503: Waveguide 504: Light sensor 505: Conductive circuit Tx: Optical transmitter Rx: Light receiving unit

Claims

1. An optical interconnect, characterized in that it comprises: At least four nodes, each node being used to communicate with an external device, and each node including at least one of an optical transmitter and at least one optical receiver; and a plurality of waveguides, each waveguide being used to connect two of the at least four nodes; wherein the plurality of waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path and the virtual closed path passes through the at least four nodes, such that the plurality of waveguides are configured not to intersect each other, and each waveguide is configured to connect the optical transmitter of one of the at least four nodes to the optical receiver of another node to transmit light from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver, wherein the optical transmitter includes an electro-optical conversion unit and the optical receiver includes an opto-photoelectric conversion unit.

2. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The at least four nodes include a first node and a second node, and the multiple waveguides include waveguides that connect the first node and the second node.

3. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the first node is adjacent to the second node.

4. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the first node and the second node are separated by N nodes, where N≥1.

5. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are sequentially adjacent; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the second node, a waveguide connecting the first node and the third node, and a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node.

6. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are sequentially adjacent; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the third node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the fourth node.

7. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, and a fourth node that are sequentially adjacent; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the third node.

8. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Along the virtual closed path, the at least four nodes include a first node, a second node, a third node, a fourth node, and a fifth node that are sequentially adjacent; and the multiple waveguides include a waveguide connecting the first node and the fourth node, and a waveguide connecting the second node and the fifth node.

9. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The at least four nodes include a starting node, and the multiple waveguides are arranged such that the starting node is connected to each of the other nodes.

10. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The multiple optical transmitters of the starting node are connected to the optical receivers of each of the other nodes via different waveguides along the same direction of the virtual closed path.

11. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 9, wherein, The multiple optical transmitting units of the starting node are connected to the optical receiving units corresponding to each node in a portion of the nodes through different waveguides along the first direction of the virtual closed path, and are connected to the optical receiving units corresponding to each node in another portion of the nodes through other different waveguides along the second direction opposite to the first direction of the virtual closed path.

12. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The at least four nodes are arranged in an array, and the virtual closed-loop path extends along the columns or rows of the array, with the multiple waveguides arranged along the virtual closed path.

13. The optical interconnect as claimed in claim 1, wherein, Each of the at least four nodes is configured to establish a connection with its second nearest neighbor node.

14. The optical interconnect as described in any one of claims 1-13, wherein, The multiple waveguides include curved waveguides.

15. The optical interconnect as described in any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein, The multiple waveguides are configured such that any two of the at least four nodes are connected.

16. A chip package, characterized in that it comprises: The optical interconnect as described in any one of claims 1 to 13; And at least four chips, each of which is coupled to a node of the optical interconnect, and the at least four chips correspond one-to-one with the at least four nodes; wherein the optical interconnect is configured such that two chips corresponding to two nodes connected to each waveguide communicate.

17. The wafer package as described in claim 16, wherein, The wafer includes an electronic integrated circuit wafer and / or a photonic integrated circuit wafer; the electronic integrated circuit wafer or the photonic integrated circuit wafer is disposed at all nodes of the optical interconnect; or, the electronic integrated circuit wafer is disposed at a portion of the nodes of the optical interconnect, and the photonic integrated circuit wafer is disposed at another portion of the nodes of the optical interconnect.

18. A method for manufacturing an optical interconnect, characterized in that it comprises: Provide substrate; Furthermore, on the substrate, multiple waveguides are distributed along a virtual closed path passing through at least four nodes, such that each waveguide connects two of the at least four nodes, and the multiple waveguides are configured not to intersect each other, and each of the nodes communicates with an external device, wherein each of the nodes includes at least one of at least one optical transmitter and at least one optical receiver, each waveguide is configured to connect the optical transmitter of one of the at least four nodes and the optical receiver of another node to transmit light from the optical transmitter to the optical receiver, and wherein the optical transmitter includes an electro-optical conversion unit, and the optical receiver includes a photoelectric conversion unit.

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