Apparatus and system for integrated epic architecture

Abstract

To provide an apparatus and a system for integrated epic architecture.SOLUTION: A device includes a photonic integrated circuit, an optical demultiplexer, and an electronic integrated circuit which is mounted on the photonic integrated circuit and includes at least one photodetector optically coupled to the optical demultiplexer. The optical demultiplexer is configured to separate an incoming optical signal into a first separated optical signal and a second separated optical signal. The at least one photodetector has a first photodetector and a second photodetector. The first photodetector is configured to receive the first separated optical signal, and the second photodetector is configured to receive the second separated optical signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to packaging, and more particularly to techniques for interconnection between electronic integrated circuits (EICs) and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). [Background technology]

[0002] The semiconductor devices connect to additional devices and circuits on other substrates. Forming connections between substrates can provide increased computational power. However, forming connections between the substrates can present difficulties. Packaging describes a general method for connecting and integrating multiple computing components together in an integrated unit, which may contain multiple other types of integrated circuits on multiple substrates that can be combined into a single unit.

[0003] Packaging is also a constant challenge, with multiple computing components within a single unit being protected through the use of a variety of techniques to provide thermal, physical, and electrical protection. It should be understood that the background concepts described herein are for informational purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention. It should be noted that the background or field discussed herein is not intended to limit the invention herein to any particular use or aspect. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 10,365,447 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 11,747,563 [Patent Document 3] U.S. Patent No. 11,895,798 [Patent Document 4] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0392881 [Patent Document 5] US Patent Application Publication No. 2023 / 0204879 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems in the conventional packaging of semiconductor devices, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and system for an integrated epic architecture. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the device according to the present invention comprises an electronic integrated circuit including a photonics integrated circuit, an optical demultiplexer, and at least one optical detector mounted on the photonics integrated circuit and optically connected to the optical demultiplexer, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate a received optical signal into a first separated optical signal and a second separated optical signal, and the at least one optical detector comprises a first optical detector and a second optical detector, the first optical detector is configured to receive the first separated optical signal, and the second optical detector is configured to receive the second separated optical signal.

[0007] Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second demultiplexed optical signals by polarization. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second demultiplexed optical signals by wavelength. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second demultiplexed optical signals according to an optical fiber mode. Preferably, the photonics integrated circuit includes a plug connector configured to receive a receive optical fiber, the receive optical fiber being configured to transmit the received optical signal to the optical demultiplexer. Preferably, the photonics integrated circuit includes a plug connector configured to receive a bidirectional optical fiber, the bidirectional optical fiber configured to transmit the received optical signal to the optical demultiplexer and to transmit a transmitted optical signal from the photonics integrated circuit. The optical demultiplexer is preferably mounted on the photonics integrated circuit and configured to transmit the received optical signals to the at least one photodetector on the electronic integrated circuit using optical vias. The optical demultiplexer is preferably mounted on the electronic integrated circuit and configured to transmit the received optical signals along divergence paths to the at least one optical detector.

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the system according to the present invention comprises a substrate; a photonics integrated circuit mounted on the substrate and including at least a first portion of an optical transceiver, an optical demultiplexer, a photodetector, and an amplifier; and an electronic integrated circuit mounted on the substrate, wherein the optical transceiver is configured to transmit a transmit optical signal and receive a receive optical signal, the optical demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex the receive optical signal into a demultiplexed optical signal, the photodetector is configured to generate a first electrical signal from the demultiplexed optical signal and transmit the first electrical signal to the at least first portion of the amplifier, the at least first portion of the amplifier is configured to generate a second electrical signal, and the electronic integrated circuit is configured to receive the second electronic signal.

[0009] Preferably, the at least first portion of the amplifier includes at least one member selected from a first group comprising an input transistor and a first stage resistor, and the second electrical signal includes at least one member selected from a second group comprising a bias voltage and a signal voltage. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer includes a first nanostructure layer configured to separate the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, the first optical signal and the second optical signal being separated by at least one member selected from a third group consisting of wavelength, polarization, and fiber mode. Preferably, the at least a first portion of the amplifier is formed within a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit. Preferably, the at least a first portion of the amplifier comprises a transimpedance amplifier formed in a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit, and the second electrical signal is an amplified signal. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer separating the received optical signal into the demultiplexed optical signal comprises separating the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal, the optical detector comprises a first optical detector and a second optical detector, the first optical detector is configured to receive the first optical signal and generate a third electrical signal, the second optical detector is configured to receive the second optical signal and generate a fourth electrical signal, the at least first portion of the amplifier comprises a first part and a second part, the first part of the at least first portion of the amplifier is configured to receive the third electrical signal from the first optical detector and generate a fifth electrical signal, the second part of the at least first portion of the amplifier is configured to receive the fourth electrical signal from the second optical detector and generate a sixth electrical signal, and the electronic integrated circuit is configured to receive the fifth electrical signal and the sixth electrical signal. Preferably, the electronic integrated circuit includes a second portion of the amplifier, and the at least first portion of the amplifier and the second portion of the amplifier form a transimpedance amplifier.

[0010] Furthermore, an apparatus according to the present invention, which has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, comprises a substrate having an electronic integrated circuit and a photonics integrated circuit mounted thereon, the photonics integrated circuit including an optical demultiplexer, a photodetector, and a transimpedance amplifier, the optical demultiplexer being configured to receive an incoming optical signal and split the received optical signal into demultiplexed optical signals, the photodetector being configured to generate an electrical signal from the demultiplexed optical signal and send the electrical signal to the transimpedance amplifier, the transimpedance amplifier being configured to generate an amplified signal, and the electronic integrated circuit being configured to receive the amplified signal.

[0011] Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals by polarization. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals by wavelength. Preferably, the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals according to optical fiber mode. The transimpedance amplifier is preferably formed within a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The apparatus and system of the present invention can provide a receiver with low-noise, high-bandwidth performance by using a hybrid transceiver that integrates both EIC and PIC components. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a hybrid electronic integrated circuit and photonics integrated circuit system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a hybrid electronic integrated circuit and photonics integrated circuit system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a plan view illustrating an example of an electronic integrated circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a first monolithic hybrid transceiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a second monolithic hybrid transceiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a second optical communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a third monolithic hybrid transceiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a third optical communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a fourth monolithic hybrid transceiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, specific examples of embodiments for carrying out the device and system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art that the disclosed aspects may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the subject matter disclosed herein.

[0016] Throughout this specification, references to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment may be included in at least one embodiment disclosed herein. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" (or other phrases of similar import) in various places throughout this specification may not all necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Thus, as used herein, "exemplary" can mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment described herein, such as "by way of example," should not be construed as necessarily preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. In addition, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Similarly, hyphenated terms (e.g., "two-dimensional," "pre-determined," etc.) may be used interchangeably in some cases with their corresponding unhyphenated equivalents (e.g., "two-dimensional," "pre-determined," etc.), and capitalized items (e.g., "Integrated Chip," "First Substrate," PIC, etc.) may be used interchangeably in some cases with their corresponding non-capitalized versions (e.g., "integrated chip," "first substrate," PIC, etc.). Such interchangeable uses should not be considered to be inconsistent with one another.

[0017] Also, depending on the context described herein, singular terms may include the corresponding plural terms and plural terms may include the corresponding singular terms. It should be understood that the various figures (including the component illustrations) shown and described herein are for illustrative purposes and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements may be exaggerated relative to other elements for clarity. Further, where considered appropriate, reference numerals may be repeated among the figures to refer to corresponding and / or analogous elements.

[0018] The terminology used herein is merely for the purpose of describing some example embodiments and is not intended to limit the claimed subject matter. As used herein, the singular forms (a, an, the) are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. When used herein, the words "comprise" and / or "comprising" specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but should be understood not to exclude the presence of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. When an element or layer is referred to as being "connected to" or "coupled to" another element or layer, there may be a direct connection with the other element or layer, or there may be intervening elements or layers. Conversely, when an element or layer is referred to as being "directly connected to" or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, there may be no intervening elements or layers present. Like reference numbers may refer to like elements throughout the specification. As used herein, "and / or" may include any and all combinations of one or more of the associated and listed items.

[0019] As used herein, first, second, etc. are used as labels for the preceding noun and do not imply any type of order (e.g., spatial, temporal, logical, etc.) unless clearly defined to indicate otherwise. Furthermore, the same reference numbers may be used across two or more figures to refer to parts, components, blocks, circuits, units, or modules that have the same or similar functionality. However, such usage is for simplicity of illustration and convenience of explanation only and does not imply that the details of the construction or architecture of such components or units are identical across all embodiments or that such commonly referenced parts / modules are the only way to realize some of the example embodiments disclosed herein. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein may have the meaning commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the subject matter belongs. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be understood to have a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and should not be construed in an idealized or overly general sense unless defined herein to clearly indicate otherwise.

[0020] While this specification contains many specific implementation details, the implementation details should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the claimed subject matter, but rather as descriptions of particular features of particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented separately or in any suitable subcombination in multiple embodiments. Furthermore, although features are described above as acting in particular combinations, one or more features from a claimed combination may, in some cases, be excluded from the combination, and a claimed combination may refer to a subcombination or a variation of a subcombination.

[0021] Similarly, although operations are shown in a particular order in the figures, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in a sequential order, or that all shown operations must be performed to achieve intended results. In certain situations, multitasking or parallel processing may have advantages. It should be understood that the separation of various system components in the embodiments should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments, and that the described program components and systems may generally be integrated together in a single software product or packaged in multiple software products.

[0022] Accordingly, particular embodiments of the subject matter are described herein. Other embodiments may be within the scope of the following claims. In some cases, the actions recited in the claims can be performed in a different order and still achieve intended results. Additionally, the processes depicted in the accompanying figures may not necessarily require the particular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve intended results. In certain implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may have advantages.

[0023] Disclosed herein are a variety of devices, structures, and methods for forming optical connections between devices, including both electronic integrated circuits (EICs) and photonic integrated circuits (PICs). In one embodiment, a hybrid transceiver uses a combination of an EIC and a PIC to send and receive optical signals between devices. In one embodiment, the first hybrid transceiver communicates bi-directionally with the second hybrid transceiver using optical interconnection.

[0024] As used herein, electronic integrated circuits (or EICs) refer to a wide variety of integrated circuits that use electrical components. In one embodiment, the EIC includes a combination of various electrical components that combine to form an electronic circuit on a substrate, and the electrical components may be transistors, resistors, inductors, and capacitors, etc.

[0025] In one embodiment, the EIC may include central processing units (CPUs), logic chips, memory such as static random-access memory (SRAM), dynamic random-access memory (DRAM), application processors (APs), graphical processing units (GPUs), artificial intelligence (AI) chips (AI chips), high bandwidth memory (HBM) interfaces (HBM interfaces), and / or other application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). In one embodiment, a combination of circuits may be present on the substrate. In one embodiment, EICs are referred to by terms such as microchips, microcontrollers, silicon chips, and the like.

[0026] As used herein, photonics integrated circuit (or PIC) refers to a wide variety of integrated circuits that use photonics components. In one embodiment, the PIC may include a combination of various photonics components such as waveguides, optical filters, gratings, lenses, mirrors, and / or optical ring resonators. In one embodiment, the PIC may include electrical components such as photodiodes, light emitting diodes, and laser diodes. In one embodiment, PICs may be referred to using terms such as integrated optical circuits, planar light wave circuits, and the like.

[0027] As used herein, substrate can refer to a variety of materials and structures, which may include wafers using silicon, wafers using SOI (silicon on insulator) such as glass, wafers of other semiconductor materials such as germanium, as well as other semiconductor materials on an insulator. In one embodiment, the substrate may include an organic material. In one embodiment, the substrate may refer to a wafer, dies, chips, alone or in combination. In one embodiment, a substrate for use in a PIC may be referred to as a waveguide.

[0028] Bonding substrates may be known as die-to-die (D2D) bonding, wafer-to-wafer (W2W) bonding, or die-to-wafer (D2W) bonding, in one embodiment. In one embodiment, a packaged chip may include multiple substrates and may include a PIC substrate, an EIC substrate, or a combination of a PIC substrate and an EIC substrate. In one embodiment, the circuits may be bonded directly to each other, although in other embodiments, flip-chip bonding may be used.

[0029] In one embodiment, the interconnections may be between substrates on the front or circuit side of the substrates. In one embodiment, the interconnections may be fabricated on the backside of the substrate or on the backside of the substrate opposite the circuit structure. In one embodiment, the interconnections may include through silicon vias (TSVs) or other forms of through chip vias, which may be where one or more substrates are connected using vias that pass through an interposer, such as another substrate or chip. In one embodiment, the interconnections may be formed using connections on the surface of the substrate, such as pads, and may use additional material between the pads, such as solder, to form the interconnections.

[0030] In one embodiment, bonding between substrates may include metal-to-metal bonding or metal-to-metal bonding. In one embodiment, bonding between substrates may include bonding between dielectric materials or dielectric-to-dielectric bonding. In one embodiment, bonding between substrates, known as hybrid bonding, can include both metal-to-metal bonding and dielectric-to-dielectric bonding. Hybrid bonding techniques can be used to provide additional connections between opposite surfaces, allowing both dielectric and conductive surfaces to be bonded, and can improve the mechanical strength of the resulting structure.

[0031] As used herein, multiplexing can refer to many techniques for multiplexing optical signals. In one embodiment, multiplexing may refer to wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). In one embodiment, multiplexing may refer to polarization-based multiplexing. In one embodiment, multiplexing may refer to polarization-based optical fiber modes. In one embodiment, the multiplexing can be a combination of one or more of WDM, polarization, and fiber mode polarization.

[0032] As used herein, polarization can refer to both linear and circular polarization. Linear polarization modes may be referred to as S and P or TM (transverse-magnetic) and TE (transverse-electric) polarization. Circular polarization may be referred to as right-handed polarization (RCP) or left-handed polarization (LCP).

[0033] As used herein, a nanostructured layer may be a layer, such as a thin film layer, having one or more structures in the nanometer (nm) range, and the structures may have dimensions of about 1 nm to 1000 nm. A nanostructure layer may include a single individual structure, or may include multiple structures. The nanostructure layer can include an array of individual nanostructures, which can have one or more shapes, such as one or more rods, cylinders, circles, squares, rectangles, or any suitable shape. In one embodiment, the array of nanostructures can include a repeating pattern in which the orientation, shape, and size vary among the nanostructures. In one embodiment, the nanostructure layer may form metastructures such as metalens.

[0034] In one embodiment, the nanostructure layer may form a grating structure. In one embodiment, the nanostructure layer may be multiple layers and may include additional optical elements in conjunction with the nanostructures. The additional optical elements may include multiple thin film coatings such as Bragg filter coatings, diffractive coatings, polarization coatings, and / or anti-reflection coatings. In one embodiment, the nanostructure splits an incoming light beam into multiple light beams. In one embodiment, the nanostructure can split the same wavelength and / or other wavelengths in other locations using a grating equation, and can use the wavelength dispersive properties of the metastructure. In one embodiment, the nanostructures can split polarized light based on the size and geometry of the nanostructures. In one embodiment, a Bragg filter can be incorporated to further disperse wavelengths based on resonance conditions.

[0035] Various embodiments of systems, methods, and devices are disclosed herein that use a hybrid transceiver that integrates both EIC and PIC components. In one embodiment, the hybrid transceiver provides a low-noise, high bandwidth performance receiver. In one embodiment, the hybrid transceiver integrates a photodetector within the EIC. In one embodiment, the EIC with integrated photodetector can have a separate fiber connection from the PIC, while in other embodiments, the EIC and PIC can share a fiber connector.

[0036] In one embodiment, the grating-like metastructure is used as an optical multiplexer to multiplex optical signals, or in another embodiment, the metastructure is used as an optical demultiplexer to demultiplex light. In one embodiment, the optical multiplexer may be integrated into the EIC, while in another embodiment, the optical multiplexer may be integrated into the PIC. In one embodiment, a portion of a transimpedance amplifier (TIA) is formed within the PIC and includes components such as input transistors and resistors. In one embodiment, the entire TIA is formed on the EIC. In one embodiment, the EIC and PIC are bonded using copper-to-copper bonding, and one embodiment may include a dielectric bonding process to form a hybrid bond.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration (architecture) of a first optical communication system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first optical communication system 100 includes a transmitter EIC 110, a transmitter PIC 120, and a receiver EIC 150 that communicate via an optical signal 130. The optical signal 130 is generated by a light source, which may take the form of a laser comb source 125 . The laser comb source 125 may take the form of a four-wave-mixing based frequency comb, a Kerr frequency comb, or any other suitable technique for generating a comb signal.

[0038] As used herein, a comb signal refers to an optical signal having multiple wavelengths separated into discrete spectra. An optical signal 130 travels from the laser comb source 125 through a first optical fiber 132 to the transmitter PIC 120 . In one embodiment, a first fiber link 134 connects between the first optical fiber 132 and the transmitter PIC 120 . In one embodiment, the first fiber link 134 is in the form of a pluggable optical connector or plug connector. Within the transmitter PIC120, the optical signal 130 is modulated and conditioned by photonic elements embedded within the transmitter PIC120, which may include micro-ring resonators, phase shifts, couplers, lenses, polarizers, mirrors, delay lines, and / or a variety of other passive and active optical elements.

[0039] In the example embodiment of FIG. 1, the transmitter PIC 120 includes a modulator 127, which includes one or more micro-ring resonators 129. One or more micro-ring resonators 129 include micro-ring resonators designed to modulate a specific spectrum from laser comb source 125, and multiple micro-ring resonators may modulate some or all of the comb spectrum from laser comb source 125. Additionally, additional modulation elements may be used, for example, to apply modulation based on fiber mode or polarization.

[0040] The transmitter EIC 110 provides the driving electronics for the transmitter PIC 120, and may include heater control circuits, heater drivers, modulation drivers, and serializers to modify the optical signal 130 transmitted via the transmitter PIC 120. For example, if the transmitter PIC 120 includes one or more micro-ring resonators 129, the heater may be integrated with the one or more micro-ring resonators 129 to provide control over the resonant frequency of the one or more micro-ring resonators 129 by modifying the physical properties of the one or more micro-ring resonators 129. The heater control and regulation electronics may be located in the transmitter EIC 110 while portions of the heater are formed in the transmitter PIC 120 . Transmitter EIC 110 is described in more detail below, for example, in FIG.

[0041] The optical signal 130 is transmitted from the transmitter PIC 120 via, for example, a second optical fiber 137 . In one embodiment, a second fiber link 136 connects the transmitter PIC 120 to a second optical fiber 137, and a third fiber link 128 connects the second optical fiber 117 to a receiver EIC 150. In one embodiment, the second fiber link 136 and / or the third fiber link 128 may have the form of a pluggable fiber connector.

[0042] The optical signal 130 is received in the receiver EIC 150 by an optical demultiplexer 152 . The optical demultiplexer 152 includes at least one nanostructure layer. Optical demultiplexer 152 separates optical signal 130 into multiple demultiplexed optical signals that are sent to photodetector array 155 . At photodetector array 155, the multiple demultiplexed optical signals are spread across the array, with individual photodetectors separating and reading individual optical signals of the multiple demultiplexed optical signals. The receiver EIC 150 may include additional supporting electronics for interpreting the received signals, which may include receivers, amplifiers, comparators, analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), deserializers, and / or supporting processors. The electronic elements of receiver EIC 150 are described in more depth below, for example, in FIG.

[0043] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a pair of optical communication systems including a first optical communication system 100a and a second optical communication system 100b according to an embodiment of the present invention. The first optical communication system 100a and the second optical communication system 100b have the form of the optical communication system 100 of FIG. Accordingly, components of the first optical communication system 100a are labeled with reference numbers as shown in FIG. 1 with the addition of an "a," while components of the second optical communication system 100b are labeled with reference numbers as shown in FIG. 1 with the addition of a "b." The first optical communication system 100a is arranged to transmit signals to the second optical communication system 100b, while the second optical control system 100b is arranged to transmit signals to the first optical communication system 100a.

[0044] The first optical communication system 100a and the second optical communication system 100b each include a laser comb source (125a, 125b) that provides an optical signal (130a, 130b) to a transmitter PIC (120a, 120b) via a first optical fiber (132a, 132b). In one embodiment, the first fiber link (134a, 134b) connects between the first optical fiber (132a, 132b) and the transmitter PIC (120a, 120b). In one embodiment, the first fiber link (134a, 134b) has the form of a pluggable optical plug. In the transmitter PIC (120a, 120b), the optical signals (130a, 130b) are modulated and conditioned by optical elements embedded within the transmitter PIC (120a, 120b), which may include micro-ring resonators, phase shifters, couplers, lenses, polarizers, mirrors, delay lines, and / or a variety of other passive and active optical elements.

[0045] In the example embodiment of FIG. 2, the transmitter PICs (120a, 120b) include modulators (127a, 127b) that include one or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b). One or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b) may include micro-ring resonators designed to modulate a specific spectrum from the laser comb sources (125a, 125b), and multiple micro-ring resonators may be configured to modulate part or all of the comb spectrum from the laser comb sources (125a, 124b). Furthermore, additional modulation elements may be used, for example, to apply modulation based on fiber mode or polarization.

[0046] The transmitter EICs (110a, 110b) provide the driving electronics for the transmitter PICs (120a, 120b), and the transmitter EICs (110a, 110b) include heater control circuitry, heater drivers, modulation drivers, and serializers to modify the optical signals (130a, 130b) transmitted via the transmitter PICs (120a, 120b). For example, if the transmitter PIC (120a, 120b) includes one or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b), the heater may be integrated with the one or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b) to provide control over the resonant frequency of the one or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b) by modifying the physical properties of the one or more micro-ring resonators (129a, 129b). Portions of the heaters are formed within the transmitter PICs (120a, 120b), while the electronics that control and regulate the heaters are located within the transmitter EICs (110a, 110b).

[0047] The optical signals (130a, 130b) are transmitted from the transmitter PICs (120a, 120b) to the receiver EIC 150b, for example, via the second optical fiber 137a, and then transmitted to the receiver EIC 150a via the second optical fiber 137b. In one embodiment, a second fiber link (136a, 136b) connects the transmitter PIC (120a, 120b) to the second optical fiber (137a, 137b), and a third fiber link (138a, 138b) connects the second optical fiber (137a, 137b) to the receiver EIC (150a, 150b). In one embodiment, the second fiber link (136a, 136b) and / or the third fiber link (138a, 138b) have the form of a pluggable fiber connector.

[0048] The optical signals (130a, 130b) are received into the receiver EICs (150a, 150b) by optical demultiplexers (152a, 152b). The optical demultiplexer (152a, 152b) includes at least one nanostructure layer. The optical demultiplexers (152a, 152b) separate the optical signals (130a, 130b) into multiple demultiplexed optical signals that are sent to the photodetector arrays (155a, 155b). At the photodetector array (155a, 155b), the multiple demultiplexed optical signals are spread across the array, with individual photodetectors separating and reading individual optical signals of the multiple demultiplexed optical signals. The receiver EIC (150a, 150b) may include additional support electronic elements for interpreting the received signal, which may include receivers, amplifiers, comparators, ADCs, deserializers, and / or support processors.

[0049] FIG. 2 also shows a first host 172a in communication with the first optical communication system 100a, and a second host 172b in communication with the second optical communication system 100b. Each of the first host 172a and the second host 172b may include a switch, a GPU, a CPU, and / or other xPUs (auxiliary processing units). A first host 172a and a second host 172b are connected to receive communications from the receiver EICs (150a, 150b) and connected to transmit communications to the transmitter EICs (110a, 110b). Additionally, in one embodiment, the first host 172a and the second host 172b communicate with the laser comb sources (125a, 125b) either directly or via the transmitter EICs (110a, 110b) to control the light sources and provide other sources of modulation.

[0050] FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of the schematic configuration (architecture) of an optical receiver system 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Optical receiver system 300 includes the components of the receiver portion of first optical communication system 100 with the additional inclusion of further details of receiver EIC 150 . The multiplexed optical signal 130 is transmitted to a receiver EIC 150, for example, via optical fiber. The multiplexed optical signal 130 is received into the receiver EIC 150 by an optical demultiplexer 152 . Optical demultiplexer 152 separates multiplexed optical signal 130 into multiple optical signals and transmits the optical signals to photodetector array 155, where transmission includes transmitting a first optical signal to first photodetector 154 and a second optical signal to second photodetector 156.

[0051] At the first photodetector 154, a first electrical signal is generated and sent to a first transimpedance amplifier (TIA) 158 for amplification. In one embodiment, the first TIA 158 may include an additional amplifier. At the second photodetector 156, a second electrical signal is generated and sent to a second TIA 160 for amplification. The first TIA 158 and the second TIA 160 transmit the first and second electrical signals to a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 162 and a second ADC 164, respectively, to convert the analog signals to digital signals. In one embodiment, a comparator may be used in conjunction with or in place of the ADC. The digital signals from the first ADC 162 and the second ADC 164 are sent to a third digital processor 166 and a fourth digital processor 168, respectively. From the third digital processor 166 and the fourth digital processor 168, outgoing signals 170 are sent to additional electrical components such as a host. Transmitted signal 170 represents a data signal or other form of communication signal.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 provides a more detailed view of a first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 including an EIC 402 and a PIC 404 . In one embodiment, EIC 402 includes the functionality of both transmitter EIC 110 and receiver EIC 150 on a single EIC substrate 420, while in other embodiments, multiple EIC substrates may be used. In one embodiment, the PIC 404 includes the functionality of both the receiver PIC and the transmitter PIC 120 on a single PIC board 422, while in other embodiments, multiple PIC boards may be used.

[0053] In FIG. 4, the transmission and receipt pathways are split, with receiver fiber link 412 connected to EIC 402 and transmitter fiber link 414 connected to PIC 404. The receiver fiber link 412 and the transmitter fiber link 414 may be pluggable fiber optic connectors. As used herein, a pluggable optical fiber connector is an interface module that allows an optical fiber to be plugged directly into an optical interface. Pluggable fiber optic connectors contain attachment mechanisms that allow optical fibers to be easily connected and disconnected. A receiver fiber 416 is connected to the receiver fiber link 412 and a transmitter fiber 418 is connected to the transmitter fiber link 414 .

[0054] In one embodiment, the receiver fiber 416 and the transmitter fiber 418 may be part of a larger fiber bundle, while in other embodiments the fibers may be joined at a splitter. In one embodiment, the splitter integrates a nanostructure layer and splits light based on at least one of wavelength and polarization, while in other embodiments, band filters and polarization filters may be used. In one embodiment, each of the receiver fiber 416 and the transmitter fiber 418 may be a single mode fiber, a multi-mode fiber, a polarization dependent fiber, a polarization independent fiber, and / or a pluggable optical fiber, etc. Pluggable optical fibers include a connection mechanism on the terminal end that allows the optical fiber to be easily connected or disconnected from the fiber optic connector.

[0055] In the example embodiment of FIG. 4 , the first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 has a receiver fiber link 412 mounted on the rear surface of the EIC substrate 420, and the optical demultiplexer 152 is aligned to receive optical signals from the receiver fiber link 412. In one embodiment, the optical demultiplexer 152 causes the received optical signal to be separated into at least one wavelength and polarization to form a separated optical signal, while in other embodiments, additional separation may occur. In one embodiment, the separated optical signals diverge over the distance between optical demultiplexer 152 and photodetector array 155 . In one embodiment, photodetector array 155 is mounted with its photosensitive surface facing EIC substrate 420 .

[0056] In one embodiment, the optical demultiplexer 152 may be separated from the photodetector array 155 by additional thin film optical coating layers or may be in direct contact with the photodetector array 155 . The thin film optical coating layer may include one or more optical elements such as polarizers, gratings, anti-reflective coatings, filters, and the like. Optical demultiplexer 152 splits the incoming optical signal into multiple demultiplexed signals based on one or more of polarization, wavelength, and optical fiber mode. In one embodiment, optical demultiplexer 152 uses at least one nanostructure layer to split the received optical signal into multiple demultiplexed signals. In one embodiment, photodetector array 155 has separate photodetectors spaced apart from one another to receive distinct portions of the multiple demultiplexed signals.

[0057] For example, the optical demultiplexer 152 generates a dispersion pattern that is the same as that which causes other wavelengths, polarizations, and / or modes of light to be dispersed across the surface of the photodetector array 155 . In such a case, individual photodetectors of photodetector array 155 will therefore receive other portions of the incoming light, allowing detection of demultiplexed light. Optical demultiplexer 152 separates the separated signals into additional divisions, dividing the first separated signal into a first divided signal and a second divided signal. Division occurs during the second form of modulation, first separating the multiplexed light based on wavelength before dividing the separated signals based on, for example, polarization or fiber mode.

[0058] In one embodiment, the individual photodetectors of photodetector array 155 are shown in two dimensions (2-D) with M rows and N columns. However, the photodetector array 155 can vary in both shape and size. In one embodiment, the photodetector array 155 may be a linear array, a circular array, or the like. In one embodiment, the number of photodetectors in photodetector array 155 comprises an M×N grid with M photodetectors per column and N photodetectors per row. M can vary from 1 to 200 or more, and N can also vary from 1 to 200 or more. The shape or size of the individual photodetectors can vary, as can the type of photodetector. For example, in one embodiment, the individual photodetectors may include photodiodes, avalanche diodes, phototransistors, and / or solaristors (solar cells). In one embodiment, the photodetector is fabricated to use inline processing as part of an integrated circuit.

[0059] In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, the first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 has a transmitter fiber link 414 mounted on the PIC 404 and aligned with an internal waveguide 430 that transmits an optical transmit signal. In one embodiment, the transmitter fiber link 414 is mounted along the side of the PIC 404 , but in other embodiments, the transmitter fiber link 414 may be mounted above or below the PIC 404 . The transmitter fiber link 414 uses any suitable technique to redirect light from the PIC 404 . In one embodiment, a BOX layer (buried oxide layer) 428 is formed on a single PIC substrate 422 . In one embodiment, the BOX layer 428 is formed of SiO2 (silicon dioxide), although in other embodiments, any suitable material may be used.

[0060] In one embodiment, BOX layer 428 is a photonics device layer 427, and the photonics components of PIC 404 are formed within photonics device layer 427, although in other embodiments, BOX layer 428 may include multiple layers with PIC 404 components distributed on one or more layers. In one embodiment, the PIC 404 includes components that modulate optical signals, which may be components such as micro-ring resonators, phase shifters, couplers, lenses, polarizers, mirrors, delay lines, and / or various other passive and active photonics elements. In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, the PIC 404 includes a modulator 432 that includes one or more micro-ring resonators. The modulator 432 includes a micro-ring resonator designed to modulate a specific spectrum from the laser comb source 124, and multiple micro-ring resonators may be used to modulate the spectrum of some or all of the combs. Additionally, additional modulation elements can be used to apply modulation, for example, based on fiber mode or polarization.

[0061] In one embodiment, EIC 402 includes receiver circuits 436 and transmitter circuits 438, although in other embodiments, one or two of the circuits may be distributed across multiple substrates. In one embodiment, receiver circuitry 436 includes components of optical receiver system 300, which may include a TIA, an ADC, filters, and any other suitable elements, which are connected on photodetector array 155. In one embodiment, the transmitter circuitry 438 is the transmitter of the transmitter EIC 110 itself, and includes a heater control circuit, a heater driver, a modulation driver, and a serializer to modify the optical signal for transmission via the PIC 404. For example, the PIC 404 may include one or more micro-ring resonators within the modulator 432, and heaters may be integrated with the one or more ring resonators to provide control over the resonant frequency of the one or more micro-ring resonators by altering the physical properties of the one or more micro-ring resonators of the modulator 432.

[0062] In one embodiment, additional layers exist between the EIC substrate 420 and the single PIC substrate 422, including one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 and one or more PIC backend metallization layers 426. However, in one embodiment, the EIC substrate 420 is mounted using a flip chip design, removing at least one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 and one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426. In one embodiment, one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 and one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426 are formed in a passivation metal such as silicon oxide, although in other embodiments, any other suitable material may be used.

[0063] In one embodiment, the material of one or more of EIC interconnection layers 424 and PIC backend metallization layers 426 are formed from the same material as BOX layer 428 . In one embodiment, EIC interconnection layer 424 provides routing between components on the EIC, between EIC 402 and PIC 404, between EIC 402 and exterior circuits, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426 provide routing between PICs 404, between the EIC 402 and the PICs 404, between the PICs 404 and external circuitry, and combinations thereof.

[0064] In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, a first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 mounts an EIC 402 and a PIC 404 on a package substrate 440 . Package substrate 440, in one embodiment, comprises a die or wafer, although in other embodiments, an organic substrate, a printed circuit board (PCB), or any other suitable form of substrate may be used. Electrical signals are provided to EIC 402 and PIC 404 through package substrate 440 using one or more vias. The PIC substrate 422 is attached to the package substrate 440 using interconnections 442, which may include conductive connections such as bumps, microbumps, pillars, balls, and other forms such as controlled-collapse chip connection (C4) bumps, either alone or in combination.

[0065] As used herein, C4 bump refers to the formation of solder bumps that are placed on the pads on the top surface of a substrate before the substrate is flipped over to form a flip chip. The interconnection 442 may further include a dielectric material, such as an adhesive, resin, or elastomer, which, in addition to being a conductive connection, forms a connection between the PIC substrate 422 and the package substrate 440. In one embodiment, the dielectric material has the form of an underfill material, although in other embodiments, any suitable form may be used. In one embodiment, the combination of a conductive connection and a dielectric connection forms a hybrid bond. In one embodiment, the hybrid connection provides lower parasitic resistance between the EIC 402 and the PIC 404 than a single metal-to-metal connection.

[0066] In the example embodiment of FIG. 4, the first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 includes one or more PIC vias 444 extending between the interconnection 442 and one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426 . In one embodiment, one or more PIC vias 444 provide communications or power directly from package substrate 440 to PIC 404 , although in other embodiments, communications or power may be routed through EIC 402 . In one embodiment, one or more EIC vias 446 extend between interconnection 442 and one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 . One or more EIC vias 446 provide communication or power from the package substrate 440 to the EIC 402 and are routed to the receiver circuitry 436 and transmitter circuitry 438 using one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 .

[0067] In one embodiment, signals between the EIC 402 and the PIC 404 are routed using interconnection 434, which is formed between one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 and one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426, although in other embodiments, interconnection 434 may be formed directly between the EIC 401 and the PIC 404. In one embodiment, interconnection 434 is formed using a metal-to-metal connection, such as copper-to-copper, or any other suitable metal. In one embodiment, the material of one or more EIC interconnection layers 424 and one or more PIC back-end metallization layers 426 can include a dielectric material, such as silicon oxide or any suitable dielectric, and interconnection 434 includes a dielectric-dielectric bond. In one embodiment, interconnection 434 integrates metal-metal bonds and dielectric-dielectric bonds to form hybrid bonds.

[0068] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 of FIG. 5 differs from the first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 of FIG. 4 in that it uses a transceiver fiber link 502 that connects to a transceiver fiber 510 instead of a receiver fiber link 412 connecting the second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 to a receiver fiber 416 and a transmitter fiber link 414 connecting the second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 to a transmitter fiber 418.

[0069] The transceiver fiber link 502 is a pluggable fiber optic connector, similar to that described with reference to the receiver fiber link 412 and the transmitter fiber link 414 . In one embodiment, the transceiver fiber 510 may transmit multiplexed optical signals to the transceiver fiber link 502 using WDM or any other suitable multiplexing method. The multiplexed optical signals are then sequentially fed into an internal waveguide 430 for distribution within the PIC 404 . In one embodiment, internal waveguide 430 also provides an optical transmission signal that is transmitted outward via transmitter fiber link 502 and transmitter fiber 510 .

[0070] In the example embodiment of FIG. 5, transceiver fiber link 502 is shown mounted on the side of PIC 404 and aligned with internal waveguide 430 . However, in one embodiment, the transceiver fiber link 502 is mounted at the base of the PIC 404, underneath the PIC 404, or with or on the EIC 402, and additional redirection elements are provided to route the optical signal to the internal waveguide 430.

[0071] In one embodiment, the transceiver fiber 510 may be a single mode fiber, a multi-mode fiber, a polarization dependent fiber, a polarization independent fiber, a pluggable optical fiber, or the like. A pluggable optical fiber includes a connection mechanism on the terminal end of the optical fiber that allows the optical fiber to be easily connected or disconnected from a fiber optical connector.

[0072] In the example embodiment of FIG. 5, the second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 integrates the optical demultiplexer 152 into the PIC 404. The optical demultiplexer 152 separates the received multiplexed optical signal into separate optical signals. In one embodiment, optical demultiplexer 152 separates the received multiplexed optical signals by diverging the signals by wavelength, polarization, mode, or other suitable method. In one embodiment, the separated optical signals then proceed to the photodetector array 155 via optical via 504, while in other embodiments, additional redirection elements, filters, modulators, or other optical elements are positioned between the optical demultiplexer 152 and the photodetector array 155. Optical vias 504 provide a suitable distance to allow the demultiplexed optical signals from optical demultiplexer 152 to diverge before arriving at photodetector array 155 .

[0073] FIG. 6 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a second optical communication system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The second optical communication system 600 differs from the first optical communication system 100 of FIG. 1 in that it includes a PIC receiver 604 that incorporates the photodetector array 155 and a first portion 602 of a TIA. The first portion 602 of the TIA includes portions of the TIA, such as input transistors, resistors, in an initial stage formed as part of a PIC receiver 604 .

[0074] In one embodiment, the first portion 602 of the TIA is formed using a suitable process, such as SOI or any other suitable process, to produce the PIC receiver 604 . In one embodiment, the second portion 606 of the TIA is formed on the receiver EIC 150, but in other embodiments, the second portion 606 may be formed as part of a unitary EIC or across multiple EICs. In one embodiment, the first portion 602 of the TIA provides signals to the second portion 606 of the TIA, which may include bias signals, sense signals, or any other suitable signals for the TIA input. In one embodiment, the signal may be in the form of a voltage, such as a bias voltage, a sense voltage, or any other suitable voltage.

[0075] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic configuration of a third monolithic hybrid transceiver 700 for use in the second optical communication system 600 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The third monolithic hybrid transceiver 700 differs from the first monolithic hybrid transceiver 400 of FIG. 4 and the second monolithic hybrid transceiver 500 of FIG. 5 in that the PIC receiver 604 is integrated within the PIC 404, which includes the photodetector array 155 and the first portion 602 of the TIA. In the example embodiment of FIG. 7, the third monolithic hybrid transceiver 700, like the second hybrid monolithic transceiver 500 of FIG. 5, couples both the transmission optical signal and the received optical signal using only the transceiver fiber link 502.

[0076] However, the third monolithic hybrid transceiver 700 places the photodetector array 155 within the PIC 404 . In one embodiment, the photodetector array 155 is located remotely from the optical demultiplexer 152, however, in other embodiments, one or more other techniques may be used to diverge the optical signal between the optical demultiplexer 152 and the photodetector array 155. In one embodiment, the photodetector array 155 may include one or more photodetectors sequentially connected with one or more TIAs, as described with reference to the optical receiver system 300 .

[0077] Thus, in one embodiment, the first portion of the TIA 602 and the second portion of the TIA 606 can refer to one or more TIA portions, and each of the second portions of the TIA 606 and each of the first portions of the TIA 602 combine to form one or more corresponding TIAs for the photodetectors of the photodetector array 155. The signal from the first portion 602 of the TIA in the PIC 404 is routed to the second portion 606 of the TIA in the EIC 402, and the remaining portions 438 of the receiver circuit 436 receive the amplified signal from the second portion 606 of the TIA. In one embodiment, the presence of the first portion 602 of the TIA within the PIC 404 can reduce the losses occurring across the amplifier and therefore reduce the noise generated by the second optical communication system 600. In one embodiment, the use of metal-to-metal coupling, such as Cu-Cu coupling, or any other suitable metal, can further reduce the noise generated by the circuit.

[0078] FIG. 8 is a plan view showing an example of a schematic configuration of a third optical communication system 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The third optical communication system 800 differs from the first optical communication system 100 of FIG. 1 and the second optical communication system 600 of FIG. 2 by integrating the PIC TIA 802 entirely on the PIC receiver 604 . Thus, in the example embodiment of FIG. 8, the third optical communication system 800 has only the remaining portions of receiver circuits 608 that receive the amplified signal from a photonics integrated circuit transimpedance amplifier (PIC TIA) 802.

[0079] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a fourth monolithic hybrid transceiver 900 used in the third optical communication system 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fourth monolithic hybrid transceiver 900 differs from the third monolithic hybrid transceiver 700 in that it has a PIC TIA 802 that receives signals from the photodetector array 155, and the signals are transmitted from the PIC 404 to the remainder of the receiver circuitry 608 within the EIC 402. In one embodiment, the presence of the PIC TIA 802 within the PIC 404 can reduce losses caused by the distance between the PIC 404 and the EIC 402. Therefore, the noise generated by the third optical communication system 800 can be reduced. In one embodiment, the use of metal-to-metal coupling, such as Cu-Cu coupling, or any other suitable metal, can further reduce the noise generated by the circuit.

[0080] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 100, 100a First optical communication system 100b Second optical communication system 110, 110a, 110b Transmitter EIC 120, 120a, 120b transmitter PIC 125, 125a, 125b Laser Comb Source 127, 127a, 127b modulators 129, 129a, 129b Microring resonators 130, 130a, 130b optical signal 132, 132a, 132b First optical fiber 134, 134a, 134b First fiber link 136, 136a, 136b Second fiber link 137, 137a, 137b Second optical fiber 138a, 138b Third fiber link 150, 150a, 150b receiver EIC 152, 152a, 152b Optical demultiplexer 154, 156 (first and second) photodetectors 155, 155a, 155b photodetector array 158, 160 (1st, 2nd) TIA 162, 164 (1st, 2nd) ADC 166, 168 (3rd and 4th) Digital Processors 170 Transmitted Signal 172a, 172b (first and second) hosts 300 Optical Receiver System 400 First Monolithic Hybrid Transceiver 402 EIC 404 PIC 412 Receiver Fiber Link 414 Transmitter Fiber Link 416 Receiver Fiber 418 Transmitter Fiber 420 EIC board 422 PIC board 424 EIC Interconnection Layer 426 PIC Backend Metallization Layers 427 Photonics Device Layer 428 BOX Layer 430 Internal Waveguide 432 Modulator 434, 442 Interconnection 436 Receiver Circuit 438 Transmitter Circuit 440 package substrate 444 PIC vias 446 EIC Via 500 Second Monolithic Hybrid Transceiver 502 Transceiver Fiber Link 504 Optical Via 510 Transceiver Fiber 600 Second Optical Communication System 700 Third Monolithic Hybrid Transceiver 800 Third Optical Communication System 900 4th Monolithic Hybrid Transceiver

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus comprising: a photonics integrated circuit; an optical demultiplexer; an electronic integrated circuit including at least one photodetector mounted on the photonics integrated circuit and optically connected to the optical demultiplexer; the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate a received optical signal into a first separated optical signal and a second separated optical signal; the at least one photodetector comprises a first photodetector and a second photodetector; the first optical detector configured to receive the first separated optical signal; The apparatus, wherein the second optical detector is configured to receive the second separated optical signal.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second separated optical signals by polarization.

3. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second demultiplexed optical signals by wavelength.

4. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to separate the first and second separated optical signals according to an optical fiber mode.

5. the photonics integrated circuit includes a plug connector configured to receive a receive optical fiber; 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the receive optical fiber is configured to transmit the received optical signal to the optical demultiplexer.

6. the photonics integrated circuit includes a plug connector configured to receive a bidirectional optical fiber; 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional optical fiber is configured to transmit the received optical signal to the optical demultiplexer and to transmit the transmitted optical signal from the photonics integrated circuit.

7. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer is mounted on the photonics integrated circuit and configured to transmit the received optical signal to the at least one photodetector on the electronic integrated circuit using an optical via.

8. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical demultiplexer is mounted on the electronic integrated circuit and configured to transmit the received optical signal along divergence paths to the at least one photodetector.

9. 1. A system comprising: A substrate; a photonics integrated circuit mounted on the substrate and including at least a first portion of an optical transceiver, an optical demultiplexer, an optical detector, and an amplifier; an electronic integrated circuit mounted on the substrate; the optical transceiver is configured to transmit an outgoing optical signal and to receive an incoming optical signal; the optical demultiplexer is configured to demultiplex the received optical signal into a demultiplexed optical signal; the optical detector is configured to generate a first electrical signal from the demultiplexed optical signal and transmit the first electrical signal to the at least first portion of the amplifier; the at least a first portion of the amplifier is configured to generate a second electrical signal; The system, wherein the electronic integrated circuit is configured to receive the second electronic signal.

10. the at least a first portion of the amplifier includes at least one member selected from a first group comprising an input transistor and a first stage resistor; 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second electrical signal comprises at least one member selected from a second group consisting of a bias voltage and a signal voltage.

11. the optical demultiplexer includes a first nanostructure layer; the first nanostructure layer is configured to separate the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal; 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first optical signal and the second optical signal are separated by at least one member selected from a third group consisting of wavelength, polarization, and fiber mode.

12. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least a first portion of the amplifier is formed in a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit.

13. the at least a first portion of the amplifier includes a transimpedance amplifier formed in a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit; 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second electrical signal is an amplified signal.

14. the optical demultiplexer separating the received optical signal into the demultiplexed optical signal includes separating the received optical signal into a first optical signal and a second optical signal; the photodetector includes a first photodetector and a second photodetector; the first optical detector configured to receive the first optical signal and generate a third electrical signal; the second optical detector is configured to receive the second optical signal and generate a fourth electrical signal; the at least first portion of the amplifier includes a first part and a second part; the first part of the at least first portion of the amplifier is configured to receive the third electrical signal from the first photodetector and generate a fifth electrical signal; the second part of the at least first portion of the amplifier is configured to receive the fourth electrical signal from the second photodetector and generate a sixth electrical signal; 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the electronic integrated circuit is configured to receive the fifth electrical signal and the sixth electrical signal.

15. the electronic integrated circuit includes a second portion of the amplifier; 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least first portion of the amplifier and the second portion of the amplifier form a transimpedance amplifier.

16. 1. An apparatus comprising: a substrate having electronic and photonic integrated circuits mounted thereon; the photonics integrated circuit includes an optical demultiplexer, a photodetector, and a transimpedance amplifier; the optical demultiplexer is configured to receive a received optical signal and split the received optical signal into demultiplexed optical signals; the photodetector is configured to generate an electrical signal from the demultiplexed optical signal and transmit the electrical signal to the transimpedance amplifier; the transimpedance amplifier is configured to generate an amplified signal; The apparatus, wherein the electronic integrated circuit is configured to receive the amplified signal.

17. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals by polarization.

18. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals by wavelength.

19. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical demultiplexer is configured to split the demultiplexed optical signals according to optical fiber mode.

20. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the transimpedance amplifier is formed in a photonics device layer of the photonics integrated circuit.

Images