MULTI-WAVELENGTH OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20060013595A1
• Filed: 12/14/2000
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Altera Corporation (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Williams, Richard J., Sundaram, Mani, Trezza, John A.
• Granted Patent: US 7,020,400 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/164
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12107 Grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4214 the intermediate optical element having redirecting reflective means, e.g. mirrors, prisms for deflecting the radiation from horizontal to down- or upward direction toward a device G02B6/4246 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4246 Bidirectionally operating package structures
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers

Abstract

A multi-wavelength optical communication system includes a number of emitters each of which emits radiation at a different wavelength; a plurality of the detectors each of which senses radiation at a different wavelength corresponding to the radiation from one of the emitters and a shared waveguide including a scattering medium to transmit emitted radiation to the detectors.

Claims

1. An intra chip or intra multi-chip module on a shared substrate multi-wavelength optical communication system comprising:

a number of emitters each of which emits radiation at a different wavelength;

a plurality of detectors each of which senses radiation at a different wavelength corresponding to the radiation from one of said emitters; and

a shared waveguide including a scattering medium configured with dispersive particles for transmitting emitted radiation to said detectors;

wherein each emitter includes a scattering grating for redirecting the emitted radiation laterally through said shared waveguide.

2. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said emitter includes a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

4. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which a said detector includes a filter for selectively passing one of said wavelengths from said emitters.

5. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 4 in which said filter includes a Bragg grating.

6. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said shared waveguide scatters the lateral leakage radiation from said emitters.

7. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said emitter includes an LED.

8. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said emitter includes an edge emitting laser.

10. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said emitters and detectors are disposed in a generally planar array.

11. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 10 in which said shared waveguide is generally planar.

12. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said emitters and detectors are disposed on a chip.

13. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 12 in which said chip is gallium arsenide.

14. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said chip is flip-chip bonded to a silicon chip.

15. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said shared waveguide is disposed on an integrated circuit chip to provide intrachip communications.

16. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said shared waveguide is disposed part on one integrated circuit chip and part on another integrated circuit chip to provide interchip communication.

19. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 in which said shared waveguide is disposed part on a plurality of chips mounted on a common substrate to provide interchip communication.

20. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 1 further including an opaque barrier for absorbing the radiation.

3. (canceled)

9. An intra chip or intra multi-chip module on a shared substrate multi-wavelength optical communication system comprising:

a number of emitters each of which emits radiation at a different wavelength;

a plurality of detectors each of which senses radiation at a different wavelength corresponding to the radiation from one of said emitters; and

a shared waveguide including a scattering medium configured with dispersive particles for transmitting emitted radiation to said detectors;

wherein each emitter includes a reflector for redirecting the emitted radiation laterally through said shared waveguide.

17. An intra chip or intra multi-chip module on a shared substrate multi-wavelength optical communication system comprising:

a number of emitters each of which emits radiation at a different wavelength a plurality of detectors each of which senses radiation at a different wavelength corresponding to the radiation from one of said emitters; and

a shared waveguide including a scattering medium configured with dispersive particles for transmitting emitted radiation to said detectors shared waveguide includes and a reflective medium for containing the scattering radiation.

18. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 17 in which a reflective medium is a lower index of refraction from the waveguide.

22. The multi-wavelength optical communication system of claim 17 wherein the shared waveguide is disposed part on one substrate and part on another substrate, thereby allowing communication between circuitry on the substrates.

21. (canceled)