Abstract

In advanced microelectronic systems in which system performance is limited by interconnections between integrated circuits, optical interconnects can potentially improve system performance. An optical interconnect consisting of an electrical-to-optical transmitter, optical waveguide, and optical-to-electrical receiver can operate with lower power than an electrical interconnect in systems with high clock rates and long interconnects. Optical interconnects can also offer lower noise, lower crosstalk, higher interconnect density, and reduced impedance mismatch, in comparison with electrical interconnects. For optical interconnect networks to be attractive to electronic system manufacturers, the network should mass-produced with low cost and high reliability, and should be compatible with standard microelectronic manufacturing processes. A network of integrated optic switches and routing channels integrated into a multichip module substrate can be compatible with these requirements.¹ We describe here the demonstration of an elementary optical interconnect system which is compatible with CMOS electronic logic, and in which a poled polymer integrated optic switch on a silicon substrate serves as the transmitter.

© 1992 Optical Society of America