Si diode under avalanche breakdown as a light emitting source for VLSI optical interconnect

Light-emission properties of a reverse-biased silicon diode under avalanche breakdown are investigated for optical interconnections for VLSI systems. Silicon, being an indirect bandgap semiconductor, is a poor material for light emission from forward biased diodes. The optical emission at reverse breakdown is weak but is coupled to an optical fiber and detected by a photodiode, indicating its potential for VLSI interconnect. Both theory and experimental results are presented.<
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