OPTICAL I/O SYSTEM USING PLANAR LIGHT-WAVE INTEGRATED CIRCUIT

• US 20170131469A1
• Filed: 11/15/2016
• Published: 05/11/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Kobrinsky, Mauro J., Braunisch, Henning, Liff, Shawna M., Chang, Peter L., Block, Bruce A., Swan, Johanna M.
• Granted Patent: US 10,054,737 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12061 Silicon
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12121 Laser
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12123 Diode
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12 of the integrated circuit kind electric integrated circuits H01L27/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/30 for use between fibre and thin-film device
• 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 6/4257 having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate G02B6/3648 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/428 containing printed circuit boards [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/563 Encapsulation of active face of flip-chip device, e.g. underfilling or underencapsulation of flip-chip, encapsulation preform on chip or mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13025 the bump connector being disposed on a via connection of the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13082 Two-layer arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/131 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/13147 Copper [Cu] as principal constituent
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16145 the bodies being stacked
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16146 the bump connector connecting to a via connection in the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/17181 On opposite sides of the body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81011 Chemical cleaning, e.g. etching, flux
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81024 : Applying flux to the bonding area
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81191 : wherein the bump connectors are disposed only on the semiconductor or solid-state body
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81203 : Thermocompression bonding, e.g. diffusion bonding, pressure joining, thermocompression welding or solid-state welding
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/81815 : Reflow soldering
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83048 : Thermal treatments, e.g. annealing, controlled pre-heating or pre-cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83102 : using surface energy, e.g. capillary forces
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/83986 : Specific sequence of steps, e.g. repetition of manufacturing steps, time sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/92125 : the second connecting process involving a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49827 : Via connections through the substrates, e.g. pins going through the substrate, coaxial cables H01L23/49822, H01L23/49833, H01L23/4985, H01L23/49861 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/49838 : Geometry or layout
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/13 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/16 : of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/17 : of a plurality of bump connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/81 : using a bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/83 : using a layer connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/92 : Specific sequence of method steps
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 : comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 : the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/014 : Solder alloys
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12042 : LASER
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/12043 : Photo diode
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1431 : Logic devices
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1432 : Central processing unit [CPU]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 : being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15312 : being a pin array, e.g. PGA
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 : Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 : Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 : using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections

Abstract

Photonic components are placed on the processor package to bring the optical signal close to the processor die. The processor package includes a substrate to which the processor die is coupled, and which allows the processor die to connect to a printed circuit board. The processor package also includes transceiver logic, electrical-optical conversion circuits, and an optical coupler. The electrical-optical conversion circuits can include laser(s), modulator(s), and photodetector(s) to transmit and receive and optical signal. The coupler interfaces to a fiber that extends off the processor package. Multiple fibers can be brought to the processor package allowing for a scalable high-speed, high-bandwidth interconnection to the processor.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor package substrate, the substrate having electrical connections to interface with a printed circuit board;

a processor die coupled to the package substrate;

transceiver logic coupled to the processor die on the package substrate, the transceiver logic to provide electrical signal exchange between electrical-optical circuits and the processor die;

the electrical-optical circuits coupled using through silicon vias (TSVs) to the transceiver logic, the electrical-optical circuits to convert between the electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal;

an optical coupler coupled to the package substrate and coupled to the electrical-optical circuits to transfer the optical signal between the electrical-optical circuits and an optical fiber connector for an optical fiber that extends off of the processor package; and

an interface including a mirror to redirect the optical signal from the package substrate to the optical coupler.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a planar light-wave circuit (PLC) coupled to the processor die, the PLC including the electrical-optical circuits.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor die is coupled to the package substrate with through-silicon vias (TSVs).

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor die is coupled to the package substrate through a planar light-wave chip (PLC) with through-silicon vias (TSVs).

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver logic is integrated onto the processor die.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include at least one laser and at least one photodetector.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the electrical-optical circuits further include at least one modulator.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include a planar light-wave chip (PLC).

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include waveguide elements integrated into the package substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the PLC further includes one or more of a chip including the transceiver logic, a laser chip, or the optical coupler disposed on the PLC, connected to the substrate with through-silicon vias (TSVs).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical coupler comprises a two-dimensional lens array.

12. A processor comprising:

a package substrate;

a processor die coupled to the package substrate; and

a planar light-wave circuit (PLC) coupled to the processor die, the PLC including

electrical-optical circuits coupled through the PLC using through-silicon vias (TSVs) to transceiver logic, the electrical-optical circuits to convert between an electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include a laser to produce light and a modulator to generate the optical signal using the light, and

an optical coupler coupled through the PLC using through-silicon vias (TSVs) to the package substrate and coupled to the electrical-optical circuits to transfer the optical signal between the electrical-optical circuits and an optical fiber connector for an optical fiber that extends off of the processor,

wherein the optical coupler is integrated to the PLC and includes a mirror to redirect the optical signal from the PLC to the optical coupler.

13. The processor of claim 12, wherein at least part of the PLC is integrated into the package substrate.

14. The processor of claim 12, wherein the transceiver logic includes a transceiver logic chip disposed on the PLC.

15. The processor of claim 12, wherein the processor die includes transceiver logic integrated onto the processor die.

16. The processor of claim 12, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include waveguide elements integrated into the PLC.

17. The processor of claim 12, wherein the optical coupler comprises a two-dimensional lens array.

18. The processor of claim 12, wherein a first wave guide extends from the transceiver to the interface along the PLC and provides the optical signal to the mirror which reflects the optical signal away from the PLC and into the optical coupler.

19. A computing system, comprising:

a processor including

a processor package substrate, the substrate having electrical connections to interface with a printed circuit board;

a processor die coupled to the package substrate;

transceiver logic coupled to the processor die on the package substrate, the transceiver logic to provide electrical signal exchange between electrical-optical circuits and the processor die;

the electrical-optical circuits coupled using through silicon vias (TSVs) to the transceiver logic, the electrical-optical circuits to convert between the electrical signal and a corresponding optical signal; and

an optical coupler coupled to the package substrate and coupled to the electrical-optical circuits to transfer the optical signal between the electrical-optical circuits and an optical fiber connector for an optical fiber that extends off of the processor package;

an interface including a mirror to redirect the optical signal from the package substrate to the optical coupler; and

a fiber connector including a single-mode fiber to couple to the optical coupler.

20. The computing system of claim 19, further comprising a planar light-wave circuit (PLC) coupled to the processor die, the PLC including the electrical-optical circuits.

21. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the processor die is coupled to the package substrate with through-silicon vias (TSVs).

22. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the processor die is coupled to the package substrate through a planar light-wave chip (PLC) with through-silicon vias (TSVs).

23. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the transceiver logic is integrated onto the processor die.

24. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the electrical-optical circuits include waveguide elements integrated into the package substrate.

25. The computing system of claim 19, wherein the optical coupler comprises a two-dimensional lens array.