SEMICONDUCTOR PACKAGES HAVING PHOTON INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (PIC) CHIPS

• US 20200132946A1
• Filed: 10/26/2018
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Bchir, Omar J.
• Granted Patent: US 11,024,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/12004 Combinations of two or more optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/1225 comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/421 the intermediate optical component consisting of a short length of fibre, e.g. fibre stub
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4274 Electrical aspects G02B6/4263 and G02B6/4265 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/43 Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/29099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49175 Parallel arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/52 Arrangements for conducting electric current within the device in operation from one component to another , i.e. interconnections, e.g. wires, lead frames optical interconnections G02B6/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/09 of a plurality of bonding areas
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 25/167 comprising optoelectronic devices, e.g. LED, photodiodes
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1443 with at least one potential jump or surface barrier
• 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

Abstract

Memory devices having optical I/O interfaces are described herein. In one embodiment, a memory device includes a plurality of memories coupled to a substrate, each memory including one or more photon integrated (PIC) chips for converting electrical signals to/from optical signals. The memory device can further include a plurality of optical fibers, wherein individual ones of the memories are optically coupled to at least one of the optical fibers. The memories can receive/transmit the optical signals over the optical fibers and can be electrically coupled to a power supply/ground via the substrate.

Claims

1. A semiconductor package, comprising:

a substrate;

a semiconductor die coupled to the substrate;

a first photon integrated circuit (PIC) chip coupled to the substrate and electrically coupled to the semiconductor die;

a light source electrically coupled to the semiconductor die; and

a second PIC chip coupled to the substrate and optically coupled to the light source;

a first optical fiber optically coupled to the first PIC chip; and

a second optical fiber optically coupled to the second PIC chip.

2. The semiconductor package of claim 1, further comprising analog driver circuitry, wherein the analog driver circuitry is electrically coupled to the light source, and wherein the analog driver circuitry is configured to drive the light source to modulate light signals generated by the light source for transmission on the second optical fiber.

3. The semiconductor package of claim 2 wherein the semiconductor die includes the analog driver circuitry.

4. The semiconductor package of claim 2 wherein the semiconductor die is a first semiconductor die, and further comprising a second semiconductor die coupled to the substrate and electrically coupled to the first semiconductor die and the light source, wherein the second semiconductor die includes the analog driver circuitry.

5. The semiconductor package of claim 2 wherein the second PIC chip includes a multiplexer configured to multiplex the modulated light signals for transmission on the second optical fiber.

6. The semiconductor package of claim 1 wherein the first PIC chip and the light source are electrically coupled to the semiconductor die via wirebonds.

7. The semiconductor package of claim 1 wherein the light source is integrally formed with the second PIC chip.

8. The semiconductor package of claim 1 wherein the light source is a attached to the second PIC chip.

9. The semiconductor package of claim 1 wherein the first PIC chip is configured to—

receive optical signals over the first optical fiber;

convert the optical signals into electrical signals; and

transmit the electrical signals to the semiconductor die.

10. The semiconductor package of claim 9 wherein the optical signals are multiplexed optical signals, and wherein the first PIC chip includes a demultiplexer configured to demultiplex the multiplexed optical signals.

11. A memory package, comprising:

a substrate;

a plurality of memories coupled to the substrate; and

a plurality of optical fibers, wherein at least one optical fiber is optically coupled to individual ones of the memories, and wherein the memories are configured to (a) receive optical signals via the optical fibers, (b) transmit optical signals via the optical fibers, or (c) both receive and transmit optical signals via the optical fibers.

12. The memory package of claim 11, further comprising an optical connector coupled to at least a portion of the optical fibers.

13. The memory package of claim 12 wherein the optical connector is a multi-fiber push on (MPO) connector.

14. The memory package of claim 11 wherein the plurality of optical fibers includes first optical fibers and second optical fibers, wherein individual ones of the memories are optically coupled to at least one first optical fiber and at least one second optical fiber, and wherein the memories are configured to (a) receive optical signals via the first optical fibers and (b) transmit optical signals via the second optical fibers.

15. The memory package of claim 14 wherein individual memories include (a) a first photon integrated circuit (PIC) chip optically coupled to the first optical fiber and (b) a second PIC chip optically coupled to the second optical fiber.

16. The memory package of claim 11 wherein the optical fibers are at least partially affixed to the substrate.

17. The memory package of claim 11 wherein the optical fibers are affixed to the substrate via an epoxy.

18. The memory package of claim 11 wherein the substrate includes an edge connector having a plurality of electrical contacts electrically coupled to the memories, and wherein the memories are configured to receive (a) power via the electrical contacts and (b) data signals via the optical fibers.

19. The memory package of claim 18 wherein the memories are not configured to receive data signals via the electrical contacts.

20. A semiconductor package, comprising:

a substrate;

a stack of semiconductor dies coupled to the substrate;

a plurality of first photon integrated circuit (PIC) chips coupled to the substrate, wherein individual ones of the semiconductor dies are electrically coupled to at least one first PIC chip, and wherein the first PIC chips are configured to (a) receive first optical signals from outside the semiconductor package, (b) convert the first optical signals into first electrical signals, and (c) transmit the first electrical signals to the semiconductor dies; and

a plurality of second PIC chips coupled to the substrate, wherein individual ones of the semiconductor dies are electrically coupled to at least one second PIC chip, and wherein the second PIC chips are configured to (a) receive second electrical signals from the semiconductor dies and (b) convert the second electrical signals into second optical signals for transmission from the semiconductor package.

21. The semiconductor package of claim 20 wherein individual ones of the second PIC chips include a light source, wherein individual ones of the semiconductor dies include driver circuitry configured to generate the second electrical signals, and wherein the second electrical signals drive the light sources to produce the second optical signals.

22. The semiconductor package of claim 20 wherein the second electrical signals are analog electrical signals.