Abstract
Silicon photonic has provided an opportunity to enhance future processor speed by replacing copper interconnects with an on chip optical network. Although photonics are supposed to be efficient in terms of power consumption, speed, and bandwidth, the existing silicon photonic technologies involve problems limiting their efficiency. Examples of limitations to efficiency are transmission loss, coupling loss, modulation speed limited by electro-optical effect, large amount of energy required for thermal control of devices, and the bandwidth limit of existing optical routers. The objective of this dissertation is to investigate novel materials and methods to enhance the efficiency of silicon photonic devices. The first part of this dissertation covers the background, theory and design of on chip optical interconnects, specifically silicon photonic interconnects. The second part describes the work done to build a 300mm silicon photonic library, including its process flow, comprised of basic elements like electro-optical modulators, germanium detectors, Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) interconnects, and a high efficiency grating coupler. The third part shows the works done to increase the efficiency of silicon photonic modulators, unitizing the χ(3) nonlinear effect of silicon nanocrystals to make DC Kerr effect electro-optical modulator, combining silicon with lithium niobate to make χ(2) electro-optical modulators on silicon, and increasing the efficiency of thermal control by incorporating micro-oven structures in electro-optical modulators. The fourth part introduces work done on dynamic optical interconnects including a broadband optical router, single photon level adiabatic wavelength conversion, and optical signal delay. The final part summarizes the work and talks about future development.
Library of Congress Subject Headings
Networks on a chip--Design and construction; Optical data processing; Photonics--Materials; Silicon--Optical properties
Publication Date
3-7-2014
Document Type
Dissertation
Student Type
Graduate
Degree Name
Microsystems Engineering (Ph.D.)
Department, Program, or Center
Microsystems Engineering (KGCOE)
Advisor
Stefan F. Preble
Recommended Citation
Cao, Liang, "High Efficiency Silicon Photonic Interconnects" (2014). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from
https://repository.rit.edu/theses/7670
Campus
RIT – Main Campus
Plan Codes
MCSE-PHD
Comments
Physical copy available from RIT's Wallace Library at TK5015.546 .C36 2014