SOI Optical Interconnection Device for High-Speed Data Transmission
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-speed data transmission between semiconductor devices is hindered by increasing contact resistance, signal interference, and signal delays due to metal interconnections, necessitating the conversion of electrical signals to optical signals for efficient data transfer.
Innovation Solution
A high-speed optical interconnection device utilizing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate with a light emitter and optical detector, including a III-V compound semiconductor layer and silicon-germanium layers to minimize lattice defects and parasitic effects, enabling efficient optical signal transmission between semiconductor chips.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If metal interconnections are used for data transmission between semiconductor devices, then electrical signals can be transmitted, but contact resistance, signal interference, and signal delays increase exponentially with integration degree and chip size
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces metal interconnections with optical waveguides, substituting electrical signal transmission with optical signal transmission. This fundamental substitution eliminates the problems of contact resistance, signal interference, and signal delays that plague metal interconnections at high integration degrees and large chip sizes, thereby maintaining high reliability while achieving high productivity in data transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical waveguides as an intermediary medium between semiconductor devices to transmit data. Instead of direct electrical contact through metal interconnections, the optical waveguide serves as a mediator that carries optical signals, avoiding the harmful effects of electrical resistance and interference while enabling high-speed data transmission.
2Productivity
If optical interconnection is used instead of metal interconnection, then bandwidth, interconnection density, and data transmission speed improve, but device complexity increases due to additional optical components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the optical transmission functionality directly into the semiconductor device structure by integrating optical waveguides with the semiconductor chips. This integration combines the advantages of optical high bandwidth with semiconductor fabrication capabilities, achieving high productivity while minimizing the increase in device complexity through unified structure design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs the optical waveguide structure to serve multiple functions: data transmission, signal routing, and potential switching capabilities. This multi-functionality allows a single optical interconnection structure to replace what would otherwise require multiple separate components, thereby achieving high bandwidth without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Loss of time
If optical waveguide structure is integrated with semiconductor chip, then transmission time delay is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase due to alignment tolerances
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary alignment actions during the fabrication process, where optical waveguides are pre-aligned with semiconductor device interfaces before final assembly. This preliminary positioning ensures that when the device is assembled, the alignment tolerances are already satisfied, reducing transmission time delay while managing manufacturing precision requirements through proactive alignment during fabrication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs self-alignment mechanisms where the optical waveguide structure is designed to automatically align with semiconductor device interfaces through geometric constraints or reference features built into the fabrication process. This self-service alignment reduces the need for high-precision manual alignment, thereby reducing transmission time delay without excessively increasing manufacturing precision requirements.
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
The solution provides high-speed, low-power, and low-noise optical interconnections with reduced signal delays and distortion, achieving improved data transmission rates and interconnection density without the need for additional serialization or modulation components.
Implementation Method 1
a light emitter on the SOI substrate, the light emitter receiving electrical signal from the first semiconductor chip to output optical signal
Implementation Method 2
an optical detector on the SOI substrate, the optical detector detecting the optical signal to convert the optical signal into the electrical signal
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a high-speed optical interconnection device. The high-speed optical interconnection device includes a first semiconductor chip, light emitters, optical detectors, and a second semiconductor chip, which are disposed on a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The light emitters receive electrical signals from the first semiconductor chip to output optical signals. The optical detectors detect the optical signals to convert the optical signals into electrical signals. The second semiconductor chip receives the electrical signals converted by the optical detectors.