Development of Wavelength Detector ICs for Integrated Optical Multiplex Computing

本项目研制了用于多波长光电集成电路(多波OEIC)的紧凑型波长探测器。对所提出的器件进行了性能评估，以分析波长复用对降低并行计算体系结构中通信子系统复杂性的影响。设计并制作了一种基于硅pn光电二极管上的介质多层薄膜(DMF)滤光片的紧凑型波长探测器。利用蒸发铝膜作为剥离模板，采用剥离技术在硅衬底上成功地确定了DMF滤光片的面积。最后，实现了一个单芯片波长探测器阵列，成功地识别了635-830 nm范围内的四个波长分量。随着波长数目的增加，所提出的器件结构的制造将变得越来越困难。针对这一问题，提出了一种采用单DMF滤光片的新型波长探测器阵列，并通过计算机仿真对其性能进行了评估。对可用于多波OEIC的波长组件数量的物理限制进行了检验。例如，假设波导的宽度为20微米，DMF滤光片的厚度为8微米，激光器的总增益带宽为100 nm，则估计系统中有8个波长分量可用。这一数字提供了将基于超立方体的互连网络的面积复杂性平均降低1/的潜力。这表明了波长复用对降低未来计算机通信子系统复杂性的影响。

In this project, compact wavelength detectors for multiwavelength opto-electronic integrated circuits (multiwave OEICs) were developed. Performances of the proposed devices were evaluated to analyze the impact of wavelenght multiplexing for reducing communication subsystem complexity in parallel computing architectures.1. A compact wavelength detector using a dielectric multilayr thin-film (DMF) filter deposited on a silicon pn photodiode was designed and fabricated. DMF filter areas were successfully defined on a silicon substrate by employing lift-off technique using an evaporated Al film as a lift-off stencil. Finally, a one-chip wavelength detector array was implemented, demonstrating successful discrimination of four wavelength components within 635-830nm range.2. Fabrication of the proposed device structures will become increasingly difficult as the number of wavelengths in creases. To solve this problem, a new type of wavelength detector array employing a single DMF filter was proposed, and its performance was evaluated through computer simulation.3. The physical limit on the number of wavelength components that can be used in multiwave OEICs was examined. For example, assuming the width of waveguides, the thickness of DMF filters and the total gain bandwidth of lasers to be 20mum, 8mum and 100nm, respectively, it is estimated that eight wavelength components are available in the system. This number offers the potential for reducing area complexity of hypercube-based interconnection networks by the factor of 1/64 on an average. This demonstrates the impact of wavelength multiplexing for reducing communication subsystem complexity in future computers.