Free-Space Micro-Optical Interconnection Modules: The Missing Link for Photonics in Computing.

Abstract

We report on the design, the fabrication, the characterization and the demonstration of scalable multi-channel free-space interconnection components with the potential for Tb/s.cm 2 aggregate bit rate capacity over inter-chip interconnection distances. The demonstrator components are fabricated in a high quality optical plastic, PMMA, using an ion-based rapid prototyping technology that we call deep proton lithography. With the presently achieved Gigabit/s data rates for each of the individual 16 channels with a BER smaller than 10 –13 and with inter-channel cross-talk lower than –22dB the module aims at optically interconnecting 2-D opto-electronic VCSEL and receiver arrays, flip-chip mounted on CMOS circuitry. Keywords: Micro-Opto-Mechanical-Systems, optical interconnects, VCSELs 1