Design and process issues affecting performance of optical interconnects on ICs

Abstract

With the exponential increase in device densities and operating speeds, further improvements in chip performance are more difficult to achieve due to the physical limitations of conventional interconnects. Optical interconnects provide one of the solutions to continue improving performance of future technologies. Unlike other optical systems, the proposed approach requires minimal changes in conventional fabrication processes. Other major barriers to industry-wide acceptance are perceived limitations in performance. In this research, models have been developed to show that the performance of optical interconnects is a strong function of technology and layout.