Short-wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser applications: fromhigh-throughput multimode fiber links to two-dimensional interchip interconnections

An overview is given of recent experiments employing 850 or 980 nm emission wavelength vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diodes (VCSELs) for high -throughput very short reach optical data transmission. For future high-spe ed building backbones, we demonstrate the first transport of 40 Gbit/s data rates over 300 rn of a new generation multimode fiber by means of a four-c hannel coarse wavelength-division multiplexing system. As an attractive rou te to overcoming high-speed electrical signaling problems on printed circui t boards, we show 10 Gbit/s per channel data transmission for densely space d integrated polymer waveguides. Error-free VCSEL operation at 2.5 Gbit/s w ith a temperature range from -20 to +100 degreesC indicates compatibility w ith most industrial requirements. Finally, we demonstrate 850-nm bottom-emi tting VCSEL arrays for direct flip-chip bonding, which might prove useful f or two-dimensional future silicon chip-to-chip interconnect solutions. (C) 2001 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.