Packaging for a 1 Gb/s OEIC fiber-optic data link

The package for a 1-Gb/s optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) fiber-optic data link is described. The link utilizes a four-channel AlGaAs laser diode array operating at 0.85- mu m wavelength, multimode optical fibers, and two GaAs OEICs, which include photodetectors, amplifiers, laser drivers, and clock recovery and serializer/deserializer circuitry. The approach described meets a majority of the functional requirements for packaging OEICs and optical fibers. It provides high-speed electrical interconnects for gigabit/second data rates, thermal management, and accurate alignment for optical fibers. However, it does not address issues relating to reliability and manufacturability. Although optoelectronic packaging is similar to conventional IC packaging, it is noted that further developments in manufacturing and reliability of the optical portions of the package will be necessary to bring optical interconnects into more widespread use in computer mainframe applications.<>