Optical interconnections

The ever-increasing complexity and performance of components enables greater integration of electronic functions on a single "chip". With the recent development of digital signal processing techniques, the calculation capacities of components have been considerably increased. This greater computing power implies ever-increasing communication rates between processors, with display screens and towards "sensors". The intrinsic advantages of optics (attenuation, coherence, parallelism, integration, etc.) and its massive use in long-distance communications networks make it an ideal candidate.

This article introduces optical interconnect technologies, their advantages and disadvantages compared with traditional interconnects. After a brief review of the concepts of guided propagation, the reader will be introduced to components suitable for optical interconnects and notions of optoelectronic interface design, so that he or she is able to grasp the different technologies implemented within optoelectronic modules. This article describes the impact of optical interconnections on the physical and software architecture of processing and communication systems. The various passive and active technologies are detailed, leading to the production of integrated modules and their environmental characterization.

In conclusion, the new lines of research will be introduced. Combined with the very strong growth in microelectronics, they should enable optical interconnections to make their mark in the field of communications between boards, between components and eventually within a component itself.