Abstract

Free-space optoelectronic systems continue to progress towards higher density interconnects (thousands of links) operating at high speeds (Gbit/sec) in small feature-size CMOS technology (0.5 μm and less). The interconnection density in a free-space system is limited by the power dissipation of the interconnects. This limit occurs when the system reaches the maximum power dissipation per unit area dictated by the cooling technology. Minimizing the power dissipation in the interconnects enables a system designer to maximize the interconnect density at a given bit-rate, or similarly, to maximize the bit-rate for a given interconnect density. Since the interconnect density is related to the system operating bit-rate through the power dissipation, a useful figure of merit is their product - the aggregate bandwidth (AGBW) per unit area. By minimizing the power per link over a range of bit-rates, the conditions which maximize the AGBW per unit area can be ascertained.

© 1997 Optical Society of America