Chip-to-chip interconnect with embedded electro-optical bridge structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017168235-A1
Application number	US-201514964426-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques and mechanisms for providing a bridge between integrated circuit (IC) chips. In an embodiment, the bridge device comprises a semiconductor substrate having disposed thereon contacts to couple the bridge device to two IC chips. Circuit structures and photonic structures of a bridge link are integrated with the substrate. The structures include an optical waveguide coupled between an electrical-to-optical signal conversion mechanism and an optical-to-electrical conversion mechanism. The bridge device converts signaling from an electrical domain to an optical domain and back to an electrical domain. In another embodiment, optical signals received via different respective contacts of an IC chip are converted by the bridge device, where the optical signals are multiplexed with each other and variously propagated with the same optical waveguide.

First claim

1 . A device comprising:
a semiconductor substrate; a first contact and a second contact to couple the semiconductor substrate, respectively, to a first integrated circuit (IC) chip and to a second IC chip; and a bridge link integrated with the semiconductor substrate and coupled between the first contact and the second contact, the bridge link including:
a first trace formed in or on the semiconductor substrate, the first trace coupled to receive a first electrical signal via the first contact;
a first electro-optical converter formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first electro-optical converter coupled to receive the first signal and to generate a first optical signal based on the first electrical signal;
a first waveguide formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first waveguide coupled to receive and propagate the first optical signal;
a first photodetector formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first photodetector coupled to receive the first optical signal from the first waveguide and to generate a second electrical signal based on the first optical signal; and
a second trace formed in or on the semiconductor substrate, the second trace coupled to communicate the second electrical signal between the first photodetector and the second contact.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 10 centimeters (cm).

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 5 cm.

4 . The device of claim 3 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 3 cm.

5 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third contact and a fourth contact to couple the semiconductor substrate, respectively, to the second IC chip and to the first IC chip; and another bridge link integrated with the semiconductor substrate and coupled between the third contact and the fourth contact, the other bridge link including:
a third trace to receive a third electrical signal via the third contact;
a second electro-optical converter coupled to receive the third signal and to generate a second optical signal based on the third electrical signal;
a second waveguide coupled to receive and propagate the second optical signal;
a second photodetector coupled to receive the second optical signal from the second waveguide and to generate a fourth electrical signal based on the second optical signal; and
a fourth trace to exchange the fourth electrical signal between the second photodetector and the fourth contact.

6 . The device of claim 1 , further comprising a third contact and a fourth contact to couple the semiconductor substrate, respectively, to the first IC chip and to the second IC chip, wherein the bridge link further comprises:
a third trace to receive a third electrical signal via the third contact; a second electro-optical converter coupled to receive the third signal and to generate a second optical signal based on the third electrical signal, wherein the first waveguide to further propagate the second optical signal; a second photodetector coupled to receive the second optical signal from the first waveguide and to generate a fourth electrical signal based on the second optical signal; and a fourth trace to exchange the fourth electrical signal between the second photodetector and the fourth contact.

7 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the first contact and the second contact are each disposed on a first side of the semiconductor substrate.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein a multi-chip package includes the device, the first IC chip and the second IC chip.

9 . A system comprising:
a first integrated circuit (IC) chip; a second IC chip; and a bridge device including:
a semiconductor substrate;
a first contact and a second contact disposed on the semiconductor substrate, the first contact and the second contact coupled, respectively, to the first IC chip and to the second IC chip; and
a bridge link integrated with the semiconductor substrate and coupled between the first contact and the second contact, the bridge link including:
a first trace formed in or on the semiconductor substrate, the first trace coupled to receive a first electrical signal via the first contact;
a first electro-optical converter formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first electro-optical converter coupled to receive the first signal and to generate a first optical signal based on the first electrical signal;
a first waveguide formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first waveguide coupled to receive and propagate the first optical signal;
a first photodetector formed in the semiconductor substrate, the first photodetector coupled to receive the first optical signal from the first waveguide and to generate a second electrical signal based on the first optical signal; and
a second trace formed in or on the semiconductor substrate, the second trace coupled to communicate the second electrical signal between the first photodetector and the second contact.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 10 centimeters (cm).

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 5 cm.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein a length of the waveguide is equal to or less than 3 cm.

13 . The system of claim 9 , the bridge device further comprising:
a third contact and a fourth contact to couple the semiconductor substrate, respectively, to the second IC chip and to the first IC chip; and another bridge link integrated with the semiconductor substrate and coupled between the third contact and the fourth contact, the other bridge link including:
a third trace to receive a third electrical signal via the third contact;
a second electro-optical converter coupled to receive the third signal and to generate a second optical signal based on the third electrical signal;
a second waveguide coupled to receive and propagate the second optical signal;
a second photodetector coupled to receive the second optical signal from the second waveguide and to generate a fourth electrical signal based on the second optical signal; and
a fourth trace to exchange the fourth electrical signal between the second photodetector and the fourth contact.

14 . The system of claim 9 , the bridge device further comprising a third contact and a fourth contact to couple the semiconductor substrate, respectively, to the first IC chip and to the second IC chip, wherein the bridge link further comprises:
a third trace to receive a third electrical signal via the third contact; a second electro-optical converter coupled to receive the third signal and to generate a second optical signal based on the third electrical signal, wherein the first waveguide to further propagate the second optical signal; a second photodetector coupled to receive the second optical signal from the first waveguide and to generate a fourth electrical signal based on the second optical signal; and a fourth trace to exchange the fourth electrical signal between the second photodetector and the fourth contact.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein a multi-chip package includes the device, the first IC chip and the second IC chip.

16 - 19 . (canceled)

20 . A method comprising
receiving at a bridge link a first signal from a first (IC) chip coupled to a semiconductor substrate, the bridge link including a first electro-optical converter, a first waveguide, a first photodetector and each formed in the semiconductor substrate; communicating the first elect

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Zhang Zhichao
• Aygun Kemal
• Sankman Robert L

Classifications

• G02B6/43

  Arrangements comprising a plurality of opto-electronic elements and associated optical interconnections · CPC title

• G02B6/12004 Primary

  Combinations of two or more optical elements · CPC title

• G02B2006/12147

  Coupler · CPC title

• G02B2006/12142

  Modulator · CPC title

• G02B6/4257

  having a supporting carrier or a mounting substrate or a mounting plate (G02B6/3648 takes precedence) · CPC title