It seems that silicon photonics - has the ability of semiconductor chips simultaneously handle electrical and optical signals - will soon become a reality. Intel, recall was almost ready to begin commercial deployment of elements of silicon photonics to the end or the beginning of last year. According to rumors, due to some problem production has been postponed until 2016.
By the conference Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics 2015, which started on May 10 in San Jose, IBM produced the first ready-to-commercialization CMOS chips capable multiplex four 25-Gbit / s optical line and create a 100-Gbit / s stream. These units can be manufactured separately or integrated in the processor or other electronics for processing the optical signals. For developers, IBM has introduced the appropriate set of tools. For example, it is possible to build in smart optics between the receiver and antenna.
The above example is not typical for the actual practical implementation of silicon photonics, but it perfectly illustrates the thesis of its intended purpose - optic lines could be cheaper up to the benefits of optical connections separate chip on the motherboard. Modern implementations of optical interfaces - with their complex and expensive connectors (conjugation) - suitable only for trunk or connections between chips. Silicon photonics optics make commonplace.
Presented IBM optical multiplexer configured to SOI-substrate using a process technology below 100 nm. According to the company, these solutions can be connected end to end, even without the use of connectors. However, while in the solutions are not part of semiconductor lasers. Integration of lasers in the SoC will be the next stage using semiconductors from group III-V of the periodic elements system . Currently, IBM has confirmed experimentally developed multiplexers work at a distance of 2 km. Related Products :
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