OPTOELECTRONIC SYSTEMS BASED ON INGAAS-COMPLEMENTARY-METAL-OXIDE-SEMICONDUCTOR SMART-PIXEL ARRAYS AND FREE-SPACE OPTICAL INTERCONNECTS

Free-space optical interconnects have been identified as a potentially important technology for future massively parallel-computing systems. The development of optoelectronic smart pixels based on InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple-quantum-well modulators and detectors flip-chip solder-bump bonded onto complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) circuits an d the design and construction of an experimental processor in which th e devices are linked by free-space optical interconnects are described . For demonstrating the capabilities of the technology, a parallel dat a-sorting system has been identified as an effective demonstrator. By use of Batcher's bitonic sorting algorithm and exploitation of a perfe ct-shuffle optical interconnection, the system has the potential to pe rform a full sort on 1024, 16-bit welds in less than 16 mu s. We descr ibe the design, testing, and characterization of the smart-pixel devic es and free-space optical components. InGaAs-CMOS smart-pixel, chip-to -chip communication has been demonstrated at 50 Mbits/s. It is shown t hat the initial system specifications can be met by the component tech nologies. (C) 1998 Optical Society of America.