IBM integrates 10-Gbps photodetector on CMOS - (Optical interconnects)

EE Times ^ | June 11, 2003 (9:04 a.m. ET) | David Lammers

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

KYOTO, Japan — IBM researchers have integrated a 10-Gbps silicon photodetector using a 130-nm 1.5V CMOS process, opening the way to chip-to-chip and board-to-board optical interconnects.

Eventually, optical photodetectors may be used for chip-level interconnects as well. By 2010, when processors exceed clock frequencies of 11.5 GHz, optical interconnects may be needed to avoid chip-to-chip and on-chip bottlenecks.

In a presentation here Wednesday (June 11th) at the 2003 Symposium on VLSI Technology, Min Yang, a research staff member at the IBM Watson Research Center at Yorktown Heights, N.Y., described a monolithically integrated photodetector that achieves a much higher data detection rate, 10-Gbps, than previously discussed silicon photodetectors.

Also, the IBM detector operates at 1.5 V, a fraction of the operating voltage of previously reported silicon photodetectors, Yang said.

A dozen or more of the photodetectors, which measure 16-by-15 square microns, could be created on a single device for parallel data links. The detectors initially could be used for high-speed data communications between servers, either at the cabinet-to-cabinet or board-to-board levels.

Because the detectors are fabbed in a conventional silicon CMOS process, the potential for cost reduction compared with gallium arsenide-based detectors is significant, she said. Today, optical detectors made on compound semiconductor substrates are bonded with silicon die for a multi-chip solution that is relatively costly, she said.

Key to the approach are deep lateral trenches, similar to the high-aspect-ratio trenches used in IBM's embedded DRAM technology. In fact, the cost of integrating the trenches could be reduced if customers also required on-chip embedded DRAM so that the cost of the trench-creation mask layers could be shared, Yang said.

Two mask layers were required for the lateral trench detector and one additional mask for the polysilicon resistors. Filling the trenches with a highly doped polysilicon is “not trivial,” she added.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Seems important!

OFFICIAL BUMP(TOPIC)LIST

[A CA Guy]

Computers have come a long way since I played with them in college and inputted information with punch cards.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

I remember those days!

[RLK]

The proportion of error is = 1/sqer of samples. This thing will increase resolution of sattelite imagery.

[TaxRelief]

More Innovation, American-style.

[harpseal]

KYOTO, Japan — IBM researchers

More Innovation, American-style.

It all depends on where the innovation was discovered and the R&D done. The announcement is from Kyoto Japan. Where was the R&D done and what national controls if any will the nation where the R&D was done put on the use of the research. If Japam there is no problem if China it may not reach American applications if China decides it has a military application. Just observations.

[clamper1797]

Good ol' COBOL ... common business lanquage.

I remember paper tape .... actually used it when I worked for the DoD. I still have a couple of 12' reel to reel mag tapes in my garage from those days too.

[ErnBatavia]

...and you needed a temperature controlled "computer room".

[TaxRelief]

I used to read paper tape. LOL.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

"More Innovation, American-style."

For now, but for how much longer?
The R&D on this must have begun years ago.
Any U.S. firm (on our soil w/ our citizens) still engaged in Yankee Ingenuity today? Tomorrow?
So long as the DOD is still actively engaged in R&D and outpacing any offshore development, I have decided not to worry about the possibility of the U.S. losing it's technological lead in the world.
Commercial technology has always lagged government, either by force or just because they can't afford the R&D like DOD. I know of specific instances of this (a color printer not allowed for use by commercial for one year, a hardware chip for several years, etc.). Now, whether by someone's grand design or not, commercial technology will be lagging behind DOD unless foreign offshore development can outrun DOD. If that happens, we won't have the same control over whatever is developed (e.g. forcing the firm and it's engineers not to use this or that encryption, etc.), because they are "over there" and "non-citizens" now have the knowledge and expertize. Potential problem. Perhaps just more faithful, capable watch dogs needed.
Considering how much of our technology was stolen from under our noses (thanks to Slick Willie) and sold to the Chinese (who now claim they invented it), this is an ongoing problem on our own soil that offshoring high-tech is just going to multiply.

Back to the article, this is really cool. This and Fast IP together will definitely cut down on my downtime.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Yes, it was good,cool place in the summer!

[clamper1797]

Commercial technology has always lagged government, either by force or just because they can't afford the R&D like DOD

As a former SDI engineer with ten years in DoD R&D .... I would re-think this statement ....

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Perhaps it depends upon which decade, under which administration, or which DOD subcontractor, as to whether commercial lags behind DOD. I'm sure there are examples to support both points of view. And, I pointed-out that we probably need more watch dogs.
I will revert my thinking back to being very concerned if DOD starts funding to subcontractors who then offshore the work. Right now, job ads for say, Northrup Grumman all insist on U.S. citizenship and special clearances.
In fact, DOD is probably a good place for all of us who are currently unemployed by the private sector to be sending our resumes. Not that DOD will be able to accomodate everyone who is unemployed.