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IBM Develops Optical PCB and Module
March 26, 2007 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
ANAHEIM, Calif. and YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, N.Y. IBM researchers will introduce an optical chipset prototype for supercomputing applications that incorporates optical and CMOS components in one system-in-package (SiP), or optical module, at the 2007 Optical Fiber Conference, March 2529 in Anaheim. The optical SiP can be incorporated with an optical PCB, or traditional electrical PCB, to enhance data transfer in supercomputers.
Researchers use photodiode array and laser array flip chips with driver and receiver ICs to reduce the bulk of an optics module for the prototype transceiver. Conventional methods of wafer fabrication, packaging, and pick-and-place assembly make the chipset economically viable, said Marc Taubenblatt, senior manager, and Clint Schow, research staff member, from IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights. The packaged module measures 3.25 × 5.25 mm. Integration allows the chipset to transfer data at 160 Gbits speeds, while connection density and a high number of channels enhance chip performance, noted Taubenblatt and Schow.
Post-assembly, the SiP can be tested with probe techniques; channels are readily accessible, according to the researchers. This technology could be integrated with PCBs allowing use with an electrical or optical system. An optical PCB, with densely spaced polymer waveguide channels, is another option for volume production and usage. IBM is developing the technology with a focus on ease of assembly when interconnecting components to the waveguide polymers. Turning mirrors and other such techniques promise proper alignment to allow light pulses to transfer from component to board and back.
"The challenge lies in developing an optical-PCB mindset within the industry," Schow said. IBM has an infrastructure for supply and fabrication, and is developing these packaging techniques to bring costs into a comparable range with electrical components. Standard pick-and-place of optical components to an optical PCB, standard CMOS manufacturing, and established packaging techniques such as flip chip allow optical components to compete with electrical counterparts, researchers explained, and optical offers a potential increase in computing performance and power savings over conventional electrical methods.
A report, "160 Gb/s, 16-channel Full-duplex, Single-chip CMOS Optical Transceiver," describes the prototype, and was published by Schow, F.E. Doany, O. Liboiron-Ladouceur, C. Baks, D.M. Kuchta, L. Schares, R. John, and J.A. Kash; all from the T.J. Watson Research Center. The defense advanced research project agency (DARPA), through a chip-to-chip optical interconnect (C2OI) program, partially funded IBM's R&D for the optical transceiver. "DARPA put out a request for chip-to-chip interconnect techniques in optical, and we were able to develop this module," said Taubenblatt. The company expects to expand the concept into a "technological ecosystem" with optical PCBs and further packaging integration.