Optoelectronic Systems Based on InGaAs- Complementary-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Smart-Pixel Arrays and Free-Space Optical Interconnects

• Published in: Applied optics (2004) 1998-05, Vol.37 (14), p.2822-2830
• Main Authors: Walker, A C, Yang, T Y, Gourlay, J, Dines, J A, Forbes, M G, Prince, S M, Baillie, D A, Neilson, D T, Williams, R, Wilkinson, L C, Smith, G R, Desmulliez, M P, Buller, G S, Taghizadeh, M R, Waddie, A, Underwood, I, Stanley, C R, Pottier, F, Vögele, B, Sibbett, W
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1559-128X
• DOI: 10.1364/AO.37.002822

Free-space optical interconnects have been identified as a potentially important technology for future massively parallel-computing systems. The development of optoelectronic smart pixels based on InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well modulators and detectors flip-chip solder-bump bonded onto complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits and the design and construction of an experimental processor in which the devices are linked by free-space optical interconnects are described. For demonstrating the capabilities of the technology, a parallel data-sorting system has been identified as an effective demonstrator. By use of Batcher's bitonic sorting algorithm and exploitation of a perfect-shuffle optical interconnection, the system has the potential to perform a full sort on 1024, 16-bit words in less than 16 mus. We describe the design, testing, and characterization of the smart-pixel devices and free-space optical components. InGaAs-CMOS smart-pixel, chip-to-chip communication has been demonstrated at 50 Mbits/s. It is shown that the initial system specifications can be met by the component technologies.