Hybrid Chip Package Optical Interface Interposer Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing interconnection technologies face challenges in providing high bandwidth, low power, reliability, and low cost, particularly in scaling photonic components for future chip input/output interfaces, where optical communication is difficult to integrate with conventional integrated circuits in existing chip packages.
Innovation Solution
A hybrid-integrated chip package is developed, featuring an integrated circuit with a driver or receiver circuit for an optical source or receiver, coupled with an interposer that electrically and optically connects the integrated circuit to an optical integrated circuit, which is positioned with an optical-fiber assembly to enable high-speed optical communication through very-short electrical traces, allowing for multi-terabit per second data transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If photonic components are scaled to meet bandwidth requirements, then data transfer capacity is improved, but power consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from electrical interconnects operating in the electrical domain to optical interconnects operating in the optical domain. This dimensional change allows data transmission to occur via light instead of electrical signals, enabling higher bandwidth capacity while reducing power consumption and signal interference, directly resolving the contradiction between data transfer capacity and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the electrical interconnect system with an optical interconnect system using silicon photonic devices. This substitution eliminates the limitations of electrical signals (resistance, heat, interference) and uses optical signals for data transmission, achieving high bandwidth with lower power consumption and enabling multi-terabit per second data transfer rates
2Productivity
If optical integrated circuits are integrated with conventional integrated circuits, then communication bandwidth is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an interposer as an intermediary component between the conventional integrated circuit and the optical integrated circuit. This interposer provides standardized electrical and optical interfaces, simplifying the integration process and reducing manufacturing complexity while enabling high-bandwidth communication between the two different types of circuits
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the system into separate functional modules: a conventional integrated circuit for processing, an interposer for interface and signal conversion, and an optical integrated circuit for high-speed transmission. This segmentation allows each component to be manufactured and optimized independently using existing fabrication processes, reducing overall manufacturing complexity while achieving high communication bandwidth
3Speed
If electrical interconnects are used for high-bandwidth communication, then data transfer speed is improved, but power consumption and signal interference increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical interconnects with optical interconnects, substituting electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission. This substitution eliminates the fundamental limitations of electrical signals including resistive losses, electromagnetic interference, and heat generation, while enabling high-speed data transfer with significantly reduced power consumption
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 solution facilitates high-bandwidth communication while reducing power consumption and improving energy efficiency, addressing the limitations of existing electrical interconnects by integrating silicon photonic devices with VLSI circuits using a low-parasitic flip-chip-assembly technique, enabling scalable and efficient optical communication.
Implementation Method 1
an optical source that, during operation, outputs an optical signal based on the electrical signal
Implementation Method 2
an optical receiver that, during operation, receives a second optical signal and outputs the second electrical signal
Implementation Method 3
a second interposer connector pad electrically coupled to the first interposer connector pad by a via through the interposer
Data Source
AI summary
A chip package includes an integrated circuit and an optical integrated circuit (such as a hybrid integrated circuit) with an optical source and/or an optical receiver. The integrated circuit and the optical integrated circuit may be proximate to each other on opposite sides of an interposer in the chip package. Moreover, the integrated circuit may include a driver circuit of electrical signals for the optical source and/or a receiver circuit of electrical signals from the optical receiver. Furthermore, the optical integrated circuit may be positioned in a hole or an etch pit in a substrate, and an alignment feature may mechanically couple the substrate to an optical-fiber assembly, so that the optical-fiber assembly is positioned relative to the interposer and the optical integrated circuit. In particular, the optical-fiber assembly may partially overlap the interposer, so that optical signals are provided and/or received from the optical integrated circuit through the interposer.