Photonic Glass Layer Waveguides for Co-Packaged Optical Interconnects
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in semiconductor industry is to improve interconnect speeds and reduce metal wiring in high-speed device communication systems while integrating optical devices with electronic circuits, as traditional metal interconnects face issues of density, timing, and resistive heating, and existing solutions for co-packaging optical and electrical devices are limited by different materials and fabrication processes.
Innovation Solution
The development of photonic integrated interconnect substrates with optical structures that facilitate the co-packaging of optical and electrical devices, including a substrate with a chip mounting region and fiber connector region, and a plurality of optical structures for light transmission between photonic transceiver chips and fiber connectors, using methods such as depositing patterned layers and ion implantation to form waveguides with varying refractive indices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If metal interconnects are used for data transmission, then electrical signals can be transmitted between devices, but density is limited, timing performance degrades, and resistive heating increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces metal electrical interconnects with optical waveguides for data transmission. Optical photons transmit data without the resistive heating and timing degradation that plague metal interconnects at high speeds and densities. The optical structures guide light between photonic transceiver chips without the electron-transport limitations of copper wiring.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the transmission medium from electrical (metal) to optical (photonic). By using light instead of electrons for data transmission, the system achieves higher density interconnects with superior timing performance and dramatically reduced resistive heating, as photons do not experience resistance in the same way electrons do in metals.
2Productivity
If optical devices are integrated with electronic circuits, then data transmission efficiency improves, but different materials and fabrication processes complicate manufacturing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges photonic and electronic manufacturing processes into a unified fabrication workflow. Optical waveguides are formed within the same substrate structure that will eventually house electronic circuits, allowing both photonic and electronic components to be manufactured together in an integrated manner rather than as separate assemblies.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides mechanical support, guides optical waves, and will eventually host electronic circuits. This multi-functional substrate reduces manufacturing complexity by eliminating the need for separate handling and assembly of photonic and electronic components.
3Adaptability or versatility
If optical structures are formed in substrate, then light transmission between photonic chips and fiber connectors is enabled, but additional fabrication steps increase manufacturing complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Optical waveguides are formed in the substrate before the photonic transceiver chips are mounted. This preliminary formation of optical pathways ensures that the optical infrastructure is ready in advance, allowing chips to be directly coupled to pre-formed waveguides without requiring complex post-assembly optical alignment or additional routing structures.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical waveguides are embedded within the substrate structure itself, with the substrate serving as the container and transmission medium. This nesting of optical pathways within the substrate reduces overall device complexity by eliminating separate optical routing layers or external waveguide assemblies.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach enables high-volume manufacturing of scalable optical silicon photonic devices with improved interconnect density and lower power consumption, allowing for efficient data transmission between chips and external networks.
Implementation Method 1
a photonic glass layer substrate with a plurality of optical structures formed therein for transmitting light
Implementation Method 2
using methods such as depositing patterned layers and ion implantation to form waveguides with varying refractive indices
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments described herein relate to electronic and photonic integrated circuits and methods for fabricating integrated interconnect between electrical, opto-electrical and photonic devices. One or more optical silicon photonic devices described herein may be used in connection with one or more opto-electrical integrated circuits (opto-electrical chip) on a single package substrate to from a co-packaged optical and electrical device. The methods described herein enable high volume manufacturing of electrical, opto-electrical and the optical silicon photonic devices having a plurality of optical structures, such as waveguides, formed on or integral with a photonic glass layer substrate.