A multi-channel free-space micro-optical module for dense MCM-level optical interconnections has been designed and fabricated. Extensive modeling proves that the module is scalable with a potential for multi-Tb/s.cm 2 aggregate bit rate capacity while alignment and fabrication tolerances are compatible with present-day mass replication techniques. The micro-optical module is an assembly of refractive lensletarrays and a high-quality micro-prism. Both components are prototyped using deep lithography with protons and are monolithically integrated using vacuum casting replication technique. The resulting 16-channel high optical-grade plastic module shows optical transfer efficiencies of 46% and interchannel cross talks as low as-22 dB, sufficient to establish workable multi-channel MCM-level interconnections. This micro-optical module was used in a feasibility demonstrator to establish intra-chip optical interconnections on a 0.6µm CMOS opto-electronic field programmable gate array. This opto-electronic chip combines fully functional digital logic, driver and receiver circuitry and flip-chipped VCSEL and detector arrays. With this test-vehicle multi-channel on-chip data-communication has been achieved for the first time to our knowledge. The bit rate per channel was limited to 10Mb/s because of the limited speed of the chip tester.

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We design and realize a scalable multi-channel free-space interconnection prototype with the potential for Tb/s.cm2 aggregate bit rate capacity over inter-and intra-MCM interconnection distances. The component is prototyped in a high quality optical plastic, PMMA, using deep lithography with protons. At present data communication is achieved at 622 Mb/s per channel with a BER smaller than 10 13 for the 16 channels with inter-channel cross-talks as low as -22dB. We perform a sensitivity analysis for misalignments and study the impact of fabrication errors on the performance of the interconnection module in case injection moulding would be the preferred mass-fabrication technique. We provide evidence that these modules can be mass-fabricated with the required precision in optical plastics suited for heterogeneous integration with semiconductor materials.

In this letter, we report on the demonstration of a 2.48-Gb/s multichannel optical data-link for intramultichip module interconnects. The optical module was fabricated in Poly MethylMethAcrylate (PMMA) by deep proton lithography and monolithically integrates micromirrors and cylindrical lenses. With the same technology, we have also fabricated a singlechannel optical bridge and used this component to demonstrate a proof-of-principle optical intrachip interconnect by establishing a digital data-link between optoelectronic transceivers integrated on the same chip.

We simulate and compare optical transmission efficiencies, throughputs and interconnection lengths of free-space and POF-based guided-wave multi-chip-module optical interconnection demonstrators for different types of microcavity emitters.

We report on the design, the fabrication, the characterization and the demonstration of scalable multi-channel free-space interconnection components with the potential for Tb/s.cm 2 aggregate bit rate capacity over inter-chip interconnection distances. The demonstrator components are fabricated in a high quality optical plastic, PMMA, using an ion-based rapid prototyping technology that we call deep proton lithography. With the presently achieved Gigabit/s data rates for each of the individual 16 channels with a BER smaller than 10 -13 and with inter-channel cross-talk lower than -22dB the module aims at optically interconnecting 2-D opto-electronic VCSEL and receiver arrays, flip-chip mounted on CMOS circuitry. Furthermore, using ray-tracing software and radiometric simulation tools, we perform a sensitivity analysis for misalignment and fabrication errors on these plastic micro-optical modules and we study industrial fabrication and material issues related to the mass-replication of these components through injection-molding techniques. Finally we provide evidence that these components can be mass-fabricated in dedicated, highly-advanced optical plastics at low cost and with the required precision.

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