A biosequence processor based on free-space optical interconnect

Biological sequence analysis requires a large amount of computing capabilities, some of which goes well beyond current electronic-based information processing systems. A novel parallel processing biological sequence processor based on free-space optical interconnects (FSOI) has been developed to verify the feasibility of such FSOI systems. Silicon photodetectors were designed into the standard CMOS integrated circuit as optical input. The processor has been fabricated with AMI 0.5 μm CMOS technology via MOSIS service. Electronic and optical testings have been conducted. The system is shown to operate reliably with laser power as low as a few miniwatts.