SILICON BIPOLAR LASER DRIVING IC FOR 5 GB S AND 45-MA MODULATION CURRENT AND ITS APPLICATION IN A DEMONSTRATOR SYSTEM/

We report on the design and implementation of a 5-Gb/s silicon bipolar laser driver IC for direct modulation of a laser diode. The adjustabl e modulation current range is 15-45 mA. The IC can drive 25-OMEGA lase r modules via a 25-OMEGA transmission line. Typical power dissipation is 930 mW for a modulation current of 45 mA. Though the IC has been fa bricated on a production line instead of using a lab technology, it is one of the fastest laser driver IC's in silicon. In contrast to previ ous works in this field, not only the capability to drive an ohmic loa d is shown, but also the performance in the case of driving a real las er module. Furthermore, the circuit has been successfully operated in a demonstrator system for digital optical-fiber transmission.