Electro-optical transceiver device to enable chip-to-chip interconnection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9325420-B2
Application number	US-201414280270-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 16, 2014
Priority date	May 16, 2014
Publication date	Apr 26, 2016
Grant date	Apr 26, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus includes a substrate and a waveguide coupled to a surface of the substrate. The surface forms a cladding layer of the waveguide. The apparatus includes a photodetector optically coupled to an end of the waveguide. The photodetector is configured to output an electrical signal responsive to receiving a light signal from a core of the waveguide. The apparatus also includes an amplifier device coupled to the substrate. The amplifier device is electrically coupled to the photodetector to amplify the electrical signal to produce an amplified electrical signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a substrate;
a waveguide coupled to a surface of the substrate, wherein the surface forms a cladding layer of the waveguide; and
a photodetector configured to optically couple to an end of the waveguide, the photodetector configured to output an electrical signal responsive to receiving a light signal from a core of the waveguide.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the substrate and the waveguide are connected to the circuit board, and wherein the photodetector and the amplifier device are connected to the substrate.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an optical routing device coupled to the substrate and configured to optically couple to the waveguide, wherein the optical routing device is configured to transmit the light signal through the core of the waveguide to the photodetector.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a transparent material, and wherein the substrate is configured to provide the light signal from the core to a photoreceptor of the photodetector.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the substrate includes a lens configured to focus the light signal and to provide the light signal to the photoreceptor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an amplifier device coupled to the substrate, wherein the amplifier device is electrically coupled to the photodetector to amplify the electrical signal to produce an amplified electrical signal, and wherein the substrate includes one or more traces configured to electrically couple the photodetector to the amplifier device.

7. A method comprising:
applying a waveguide to a surface of a substrate of an electro-optical transceiver device, wherein the surface forms a cladding layer of the waveguide; and
optically coupling a light source to an end of the waveguide.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising electrically coupling a logic driver to a circuit board to enable the logic driver to receive data, power, or both via the circuit board.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
optically coupling a photodetector to a core at a second end of the waveguide, the photodetector configured to receive a light signal from the light source via the core and to produce an electrical signal corresponding to the light signal;
coupling an amplifier device to the substrate; and
electrically coupling the amplifier device to the photodetector, the amplifier device configured to receive and process the electrical signal.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
coupling a logic driver to the substrate; and
electrically coupling the logic driver to the light source, the logic driver configured to control transmission of a light signal generated by the light source.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the logic driver is included in a system-on-chip.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising coupling an optical routing device to the substrate and to a second end of the waveguide.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the optical routing device is configured to receive a light signal from the light source via a core of the waveguide.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the logic driver is coupled to the surface of the substrate.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein logic driver is coupled to a second surface of the substrate opposite the surface, and wherein the logic driver is configured to electrically couple to the light source by a conductive via through the substrate.

16. The method of claim 7 , wherein waveguide is a polymer waveguide, and wherein applying the waveguide and optically coupling the light source to the end of the waveguide are initiated or controlled by a processor executing instructions during an assembly process.

17. An apparatus comprising:
means for enabling electro-optical communications;
means for guiding light, wherein the means for guiding light is connected to a surface of the means for enabling electro-optical communications, and wherein the surface forms a cladding layer of the means for guiding light;
means for applying a light signal to the means for guiding light; and
means for controlling the means for applying the light signal, wherein the means for controlling electrically coupled to the means for applying the light signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the means for enabling electro-optical communications includes a substrate, and further comprising means for optical routing coupled to the substrate, wherein the means for optical routing is configured to direct the light signal to a destination device.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising means for signal processing, wherein the means for signal processing is electrically coupled to a means for light signal detection, the means for the lights signal detection configured to receive a second light signal via the means for guiding light and to generate an electrical signal corresponding to the second light signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising:
means for signal processing coupled to the means for enabling electro-optical communications; and
means for light signal detection electrically coupled to the means for signal processing and optically coupled to the means for guiding light, wherein the means for light signal detection is configured to receive the light signal via the means for guiding light and to send an electrical signal corresponding to the light signal to the means for signal processing.

21. The apparatus of claim 17 , further comprising a circuit board, wherein the circuit board is coupled to the means for enabling electro-optical communications.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 , further comprising a device selected from a server, a mobile phone, a communications device, a tablet, a navigation device, a personal digital assistant, a set top box, a music player, a video player, an entertainment unit, a fixed location data unit, and a computer, into which the circuit board is coupled.

23. A system comprising:
a substrate;
a light source array coupled to a surface of the substrate, the light source array configured to direct light signals via multiple pathways through the substrate to transmit cores of a waveguide;
a via between a pair of adjacent pathways to reduce crosstalk of light signals between the pair of adjacent pathways; and
a logic driver configured to control the light source array, the logic driver coupled to the substrate and configured to electrically couple to the light source array.

24. The system of claim 23 , wherein the substrate includes a lens array and wherein a subset of lenses of the lens array is configured to focus light signals from the light source array.

25. The system of claim 24 , wherein a second subset of the lenses of the lens array is configured to focus second light signals from at least one reception core of the waveguide on at least one photodetector coupled to the substrate.

26. The system of claim 23 , wherein the waveguide is coupled to a circuit board, and wherein the logic driver is coupled to the circuit board by one or more vias through the substrate.

27. The system of claim 23 , wherein the waveguide is coupled to a second surface of the substrate.

28. The system of claim 27 , further comprising an optical routing device coupled to the substrate and configured to

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Lai Kwan-Yu
• Shenoy Ravindra Vaman
• Kim Jitae
• Lasiter Jon Bradley
• Kidwell Jr Donald William
• Gousev Evgeni Petrovich

Classifications

• H04B10/501

  Structural aspects · CPC title

• G02B6/00

  Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings · CPC title

• G02B6/43 Primary

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

• G02B6/428

  containing printed circuit boards [PCB] · CPC title

• G01J1/0407

  Optical elements not provided otherwise, e.g. manifolds, windows, holograms, gratings · CPC title