Initial Results of Prototyping a 3-D Integrated Intra-Chip Free-Space Optical Interconnect (original) (raw)

An intra-chip free-space optical interconnect

ACM SIGARCH Computer Architecture News, 2010

Continued device scaling enables microprocessors and other systems-on-chip (SoCs) to increase their performance, functionality, and hence, complexity. Simultaneously, relentless scaling, if uncompensated, degrades the performance and signal integrity of on-chip metal interconnects. These systems have therefore become increasingly communications-limited. The communications-centric nature of future high performance computing devices demands a fundamental change in intra- and inter-chip interconnect technologies. Optical interconnect

Demonstration of a Monolithic Micro-Optical Bridge for Free-Space Intrachip Interconnects

Diffractive Optics and Micro-optics, 1998

Summary Future advances in the application of photonic interconnects will involve the insertion of parallel-channel links into Multi-Chip Modules (MCMs)[1]. These will make use of new device-level components such as arrays of Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL's)[2] or arrays of Micro Cavity Light-Emitting Diodes (MCLED's)[3] and low power photoreceiver circuits [4]. One of the challenges associated with the development of free-space intra-and inter-MCM optoelectronic interconnects is the fabrication of ...