For the past few years we have been working on the development of an optically interconnected multichip module (MCM). The MCM is composed of a planar transparent substrate, containing thin film electrical connections. GaAs laser array chips and silicon CMOS VLSI chips with integrated photodetectors are flip-chip bonded to one side of the substrate, while computer generated holograms (CGHs) are fabricated on the other side of the substrate. The purpose of this work is to develop the technology to enable high speed and high density connections between chips, MCMs, and PC boards. We believe that the basic approach we use, based on flip-chip and CGH technology, will provide 1-2 orders of magnitude increase in connection performance when compared with conventional electrical connectors.
The development of an optical interconnected multichip module (MCM) is underway at UNC- Charlotte. The approach is to use optical interconnects within a digital multichip module for connections that are longer than a certain length (break even line length). For these connections the optical link dissipates less power than the corresponding electrical link. One of the main goals of this project is to develop a technology for optical interconnects that can be implemented with minimal modification to current devices. We are currently in the process of developing a series of MCM systems. System 1 will be a testbed that enables testing of hologram encoding techniques, alignment tolerances, optical link efficiency, and thermal properties. System 2 will use the knowledge gained in the development of system 1 to build a small functional system to demonstrate the technology.
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