Showing papers by "Mario J. Paniccia published in 2000"

Method and apparatus for switching an optical beam in an integrated circuit die

Abstract: A device for confining an optical beam in an optical switch In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed between an optical input port and an optical output port in a semiconductor substrate layer of an integrated circuit die The semiconductor substrate layer is disposed between a plurality of optical confinement layers such that an optical beam is confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layer until exiting through the optical output port In one embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor substrate layers are included in the optical switch Each of the semiconductor substrate layers is disposed between optical confinement layers such that optical beams passing through the semiconductor substrate layers are confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layers until exiting through respective optical output ports In one embodiment, at least one optical switching device is disposed in each of the plurality of semiconductor substrate layers In one embodiment, integrated circuitry such as driver circuitry, controller circuitry, logic circuitry, coder-decoder circuitry, microprocessor circuitry or the like is included in at least one of the semiconductor substrate layers

Method and apparatus for confining an optical beam in an optical switch

Abstract: A device for confining an optical beam in an optical switch. In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed between an optical input port and an optical output port in a semiconductor substrate layer disposed between a plurality of optical confinement layers such that an optical beam is confined to remain within the layers. In one embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor substrate layers are included in the optical switch. Each of the semiconductor substrate layers is disposed between optical confinement layers such that optical beams passing through the semiconductor substrate layers are confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layers until exiting through respective optical output ports. In one embodiment, integrated circuitry such as driver circuitry, controller circuitry, logic circuitry, coder-decoder circuitry, microprocessor circuitry or the like is included in at least one of the semiconductor substrate layers.

Method and apparatus for switching an optical beam using a phase array disposed in a higher doped well region

Abstract: A device for switching an optical beam in an optical switch. In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed in a well region in a semiconductor substrate layer. In one embodiment, the well region has a higher doping concentration than the semiconductor substrate layer in which the well region is disposed. The optical switching device is optically coupled to an optical input port and an optical output port of the integrated circuit die.

Method and apparatus for optically modulating an optical beam with a multi-pass wave-guided optical modulator

Abstract: An optical modulator (101) that modulates light through the semiconductor substrate (103) through the back side of an integrated circuit die (103). In one embodiment, an optical modulator is disposed within a flip chip packaged integrated circuit die (103). The optical modulator includes a modulation region (115) through which an optical beam is passed a plurality of times. In one embodiment, the optical beam (111) enters through the back side of the semiconductor substrate at a first location (123) and the modulated optical beam (127) is deflected out through a second location (125) on the back side of the semiconductor substrate (103). The interaction length of the optical modulator is increased by internally deflecting and passing the optical beam through the modulation region a plurality of times. In one embodiment, total internal reflection is used to deflect the optical beam. In another embodiment, reflective materials (233) are used to internally deflect the optical beam. In one embodiment, the modulation region is provided with a charged region formed with a p-n junction (115, 215). In another embodiment, the charged region is provided using metal-oxide-semiconductor type structures (315, 415).

Bus configuration for optically interconnecting a plurality of calculation units

Abstract: A device for optically interconnecting a plurality of devices. The disclosed optical interconnecting device includes a plurality of optical ports (403, 405, 407) bidirectionally coupled to each other. In one embodiment, these optical elements include one or more beamsplitters (413, 415, 417) and reflectors (419, 421, 423). Each of the optical ports of the presently described optical interconnection device is configured to be optically coupled to another device, such as for example an integrated circuit chip, computer system or the like, through an optical link (427, 433, 439), for example through optical fibers. In one embodiment, the optical ports accommodate a plurality of N optical beams providing an N-bit wide multi-load optical bus.

Method and apparatus for switching an optical beam by modulating the phase of a portion of the optical beam in a semiconductor substrate

Abstract: A device for switching an optical beam in an optical switch. In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed in a semiconductor substrate. The optical switch also includes a first optical path through the semiconductor substrate such that the first optical path includes the optical switching device. A second optical path through the semiconductor substrate is included such that the second optical path not including the optical switching device. A first optical confinement layer is disposed between the first and second optical paths.

Method and apparatus for self-testing and maintaining alignment of an optical beam in an optical switch

Abstract: An optical processing element such as an optical switch for which continuous or periodic self-testing and/or alignment is provided. In one embodiment, an optical sensor is disposed in a semiconductor substrate layer within a region surrounding an optical path of an optical output port of the optical processing element. In one embodiment, an optical fiber optically coupled to the optical output port is disposed in a V-groove in which the optical sensor is disposed. In one embodiment, circuitry is coupled to the optical sensor to adjust continuously or periodically over time the alignment of an optical beam directed to the optical output port.

Method and apparatus for switching a plurality of optical beams in an optical switch

Abstract: A device for confining an optical beam in an optical switch. In one embodiment, the disclosed optical switch includes an optical switching device disposed between an optical input port and an optical output port in a semiconductor substrate layer disposed between a plurality of optical confinement layers such that an optical beam is confined to remain within the layers. In one embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor substrate layers are included in the optical switch. Each of the semiconductor substrate layers is disposed between optical confinement layers such that optical beams passing through the semiconductor substrate layers are confined to remain within the semiconductor substrate layers until exiting through respective optical output ports. In one embodiment, integrated circuitry such as driver circuitry, controller circuitry, logic circuitry, coder-decoder circuitry, microprocessor circuitry or the like is included in at least one of the semiconductor substrate layers.

Laser Voltage Probe (LVP): A Novel Optical Probing Technology for Flip-Chip Packaged Microprocessors

Abstract: A novel optical probing technique to measure voltage waveforms from flip-chip packaged CMOS integrated circuits (IC) is described. This IR laser based technique allows signal waveform acquisition and high frequency timing measurements directly from active P-N junctions through the silicon backside substrate on ICs mounted in flip-chip stand-alone or multi-chip module packages as well as wire-bond packages on which the chip backside is accessible. The technique significantly improves silicon debug and failure analysis (FA) throughput time (TPT) as compared to backside electron-beam (e-beam) probing because of the elimination of backside trenching and probe hole generation operations.

Method and apparatus for cooling semiconductor die

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for cooling a semiconductor die In one embodiment, a C4 packaged semiconductor die is thermally coupled to a cooling plate having an opening The opening of the cooling plate is disposed over a back side surface of the semiconductor die such that direct unobstructed access to the exposed back side surface of the semiconductor die is provided A conformable thermal conductor, such as indium, is disposed between the semiconductor die and the cooling plate to improve the thermal coupling between the semiconductor and cooling plate In one embodiment, the semiconductor die is mounted on a circuit board and a cooling block is disposed on the opposite side of the circuit board The cooling plate is thermally coupled to the cooling block with heat transfer conduits, such as thermal screws, that extend through the circuit board to transfer the heat from the semiconductor die through the cooling plate through the heat transfer conduits to the cooling block located on the opposite side of the circuit board In one embodiment, coolant is circulated through the cooling block to remove heat from the cooling block