Demonstration of a Digital CMOS Driver Codesigned and Integrated With a Broadband Silicon Photonic Switch

• Published in: Journal of lightwave technology Vol. 29; no. 8; pp. 1136 - 1142
• Main Authors: Lee, B G, Schow, C L, Rylyakov, A V, Van Campenhout, J V, Green, W M J, Assefa, S, Doany, F E, Min Yang, John, R A, Jahnes, C V, Kash, J A, Vlasov, Y A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 15.04.2011; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Circuit properties; CMOS digital integrated circuits; CMOS integrated circuits; Driver circuits; Electric, optical and optoelectronic circuits; electro-optic switches; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; integrated optics; Integrated optics. Optical fibers and wave guides; Optical and optoelectronic circuits; Optical switches; Optoelectronic devices; photonic switching systems; Photonics; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Services and terminals of telecommunications; Silicon; Switching circuits; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Telemetry. Remote supervision. Telewarning. Remote control; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); Performance evaluation; Integrated optics; Hybrid integrated circuit; Crosstalk; Mach Zehnder interferometer; Information rate; Driver; Power supply; CMOS digital integrated circuits; Implementation; Interoperability; Optimization; Wide band; Complementary MOS technology; photonic switching systems; Electric power consumption; Optical switch; High rate transmission; Range finding; Codesign; Eye diagram; Power electronics; Information transmission; electro-optic switches; Compatibility; Low-power electronics
• ISSN: 0733-8724; 1558-2213
• DOI: 10.1109/JLT.2011.2119393

A custom 90-nm bulk digital CMOS switch driver is codesigned and integrated with a silicon photonic switch. A photonic device model is created within the electronic design environment, facilitating driver optimization and performance evaluation prior to fabrication. The fabricated drivers implemented in two variations produce transition times as low as 50 ps and generate open eye diagrams using supply voltages ranging from 0.8 to 5 V. The driver is hybrid integrated with a broadband low-power silicon photonic 2 × 2 switch, based on a modified Mach-Zehnder interferometer. The switch has demonstrated operation over 100 nm of spectral bandwidth with less than -17-dB crosstalk, greater than 25 °C tolerance to temperature variations, and compatibility with 1-V driving signals. The integration demonstrates the interoperability of the switch and driver, which together achieve transition times below 4 ns and average power consumption of 2 mW. Finally, throughput bandwidth of 160 Gb/s is demonstrated for all switch configurations via eye diagrams and bit error rate curves.