Electrooptical integrated circuit communication

• US 4,274,104 A
• Filed: 05/21/1979
• Issued: 06/16/1981
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fang, Frank F., Hung, Roland Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Edlow, Martin H.
• Application Number:
  US06/041,115
• Time in Patent Office: 757 Days
• Field of Search: 357/19, 357/40, 357/17, 357/18, 357/41, 357/30, 350/96.2, 250/227, 250/211 J
• US Class Current: 372/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/15 including semiconductor components having potential barriers, specially adapted for light emission
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/153 formed in, or on, a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/29 Repeaters

Abstract

The overall performance of integrated circuit systems is enhanced by the use of optical drivers and receivers to send and receive information between the devices on the chip and between individual chips in a system. A single substrate of gallium arsenide employs both the high carrier mobility properties and the electrooptical signal conversion properties on a single substrate to provide both high performance electrical properties and high density and high performance communication properties.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit structure comprising in combination:

a semiconductor member of a material having at least in selected areas the semiconductor properties of both high carrier mobility and high electrooptical conversion;

at least one optical signal output member operable to communicate information signals from said semiconductor member;

an electrical-to-light electrooptical conversion means employing said material of said semiconductor member positioned in a discrete area of said semiconductor member adjacent to and in optical coupling relationship with each said optical signal output member;

at least one optical signal input member operable to communicate information signals to said semiconductor member;

an optical-to-electrical electrooptical conversion means employing the material of said semiconductor member positioned in a discrete area of said semiconductor member adjacent to and in optical coupling with each said optical signal input member; and

at least one active semiconductor in a discrete area of said semiconductor member employing said material of said semiconductor member and operable to process signals between said at least one input and said at least one output.

2. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor member is gallium arsenide.

3. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 wherein said semiconductor member is gallium arsenide that is semi-insulating containing discrete regions therein that are semiconductive.

4. The integrated circuit structure of claim 1 including at least one combination of optical-to-electrical and electrical-to-optical electrooptical conversion means employing said material of said semiconductor linked by an optical signal transport member and operable to provide information signal transfer between discrete areas of said semiconductor member.

5. The integrated circuit structure of claim 4 wherein said semiconductor member is gallium arsenide.

6. The integrated circuit structure of claim 5 wherein said semiconductor member is gallium arsenide that is semi-insulating containing discrete regions therein that are semiconductive.