A 10-Gb/s laser/modulator driver IC with a dual-mode actively matched output buffer

A laser/modulator driver IC for 10-Gb/s-SONET OC-192-fiber optic transmitters is described. Depending on the user application, the IC is capable of driving more than 100 mA of current into a laser diode or over 50 mA into an electro-absorption or Mach-Zehnder modulator. Rise and fall times below 20...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE journal of solid-state circuits 2001-09, Vol.36 (9), p.1314-1320
Main Authors: Ransijn, H., Salvador, G., Daugherty, D.D., Gaynor, K.D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Application specific integrated circuits
Bias
Buffers
Diode lasers
Drivers
Gallium arsenide
Gallium arsenides
Impedance matching
Integrated circuits
Lasers
Modulators
Optical buffering
Optical modulation
Optical transmitters
Photonic integrated circuits
Product introduction
Termination of employment
Threshold current
Threshold voltage
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Description
Summary:A laser/modulator driver IC for 10-Gb/s-SONET OC-192-fiber optic transmitters is described. Depending on the user application, the IC is capable of driving more than 100 mA of current into a laser diode or over 50 mA into an electro-absorption or Mach-Zehnder modulator. Rise and fall times below 20 pS are achieved. The driver employs a novel dual-mode actively matched output buffer that provides a dc-coupled back termination of either 25 or 50 /spl Omega/. Compared to an output buffer with a resistive termination, this buffer dissipates only half as much power. In addition, the buffer has the the ability to reject external bias and will therefore not load bias sources used to set laser threshold currents and modulator offset voltages. The low power consumption makes the IC most suitable for co-packaging with uncooled lasers and electro-absorption modulators. The driver is fabricated in a 0.25-/spl mu/m gate length production GaAs PHEMT process with substrate thru vias, thin-film resistors, and MIM capacitors.
ISSN:0018-9200
1558-173X
DOI:10.1109/4.944657