VCSEL enabled silicon photonic interconnect technology (C10)

• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2012 to 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 43659573

This study will study novel optical I/O techniques for high performance integrated circuit technologies such as SiGe:C BiCMOS. In the frame of this study we intend to investigate a silicon photonic I/O "engine" using directly modulated high-speed VCSELs emitting around 1300nm that are being developed inside the research cluster. This work will also be supported by other projects. The combination of direct modulation and silicon photonics is a novel approach to highly power efficient optical I/O. We shall investigate both hybrid integration aspects as well as circuit design for VCSEL driving on photonic BiCMOS ICs. Novel coupling and VCSEL structures will be studied to arrive at optimal coupling to the silicon photonics platform. Circuit design techniques will be used to optimize system performance for I/O applications.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 787: Semiconductor Nanophotonics: Materials, Models, Devices
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität Berlin
• Project Heads: Professor Klaus Petermann, Ph.D., until 12/2015; Professor Dr. Bernd Tillack; Professor Dr.-Ing. Lars Zimmermann, since 1/2016