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Characterization of SiN Integrated Optical Phased Arrays on a Wafer-Scale Test Station
Published on: April 1, 2020
Si3N4 waveguide-based parallel optical interconnect incorporating an interface comprising arrayed grating couplers
Vivek Raj Shrestha1, Hak-Soon Lee, Sang-Shin Lee
1Department of Electronic Engineering, Kwangwoon University, Seoul, South Korea.
Applied Optics
|December 25, 2012
Summary
This study presents a silicon nitride parallel optical interconnect with eight channels using grating couplers. It demonstrates efficient delivery of 8x10 Gbps signals with specific alignment tolerances for practical applications.
Area of Science:
- Photonics and Optical Engineering
- Materials Science for Integrated Optics
- High-Speed Data Communication
Background:
- Parallel optical interconnects are crucial for high-bandwidth data transmission.
- Silicon nitride (Si3N4) waveguides offer a promising platform for integrated photonic devices.
- Efficient fiber-to-chip coupling is a key challenge in optical interconnects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To realize and characterize a high-speed parallel optical interconnect (POI) using Si3N4 waveguides.
- To investigate the alignment tolerances of grating couplers (GCs) for single-mode fiber (SMF) input.
- To confirm the performance of the POI for high-speed digital signal transmission.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of an eight-channel Si3N4 waveguide-based POI with integrated GCs.
- Characterization of optical throughput and coupling loss using SMF.
- Analysis of positional and angular tolerances of the SMF with respect to the GCs.
- Testing the transmission of 8x10 Gbps digital signals.
Main Results:
- Measured coupling loss of 5.2 dB for a typical GC at 1590 nm wavelength.
- Positional tolerances of ±3 μm (lateral) and ±45 μm (inclined) for a 1 dB loss penalty.
- Angular tolerance of ±1 degree for the SMF.
- Successful delivery of 8x10 Gbps high-speed digital signals.
Conclusions:
- The developed Si3N4 POI demonstrates efficient high-speed signal transmission.
- The quantified alignment tolerances provide critical parameters for practical implementation and integration.
- The study validates the feasibility of Si3N4 GCs for robust optical interconnects.
