A 36-channel parallel optical interconnect module based on optoelectronics-on-VLSI technology

We describe the packaging and testing of a two-dimensional array parallel-optics module with 36 channels with each channel operating up to 3.3 Gb/s. This represents the first commercial module based on direct integration of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) onto silicon very large scale integration (VLSI) circuits using a hybrid optoelectronic-VLSI technology. The module eliminates wire bonds between the driver/receiver chips and the corresponding VCSELs thereby reducing crosstalk and power dissipation, simplifying packaging and alignment, and simultaneously improving bandwidth and total link jitter performance.