<title>Techniques for optoelectronic packaging</title>

Abstract

Digital electronics has become so low-cost that practically all electronic systems of any kind have digital chips at their heart--that is, information is shuttled from subsystem to subsystem in digital format as its flow is controlled by digital control signals generated by digital subsystems. In general, analog or optical subsystems are used for signal transmission between digital subsystems. As 'packaging' refers to the elements of a system that are used to interconnect bare dies to bare dies, one can think of analog and optical systems as packaging and refer to insertion of analog and optical components into a digital system as an alternative form of packaging. In this paper we will discuss optoelectronic packaging reserach as research associated with inserting optics in electronic systems. Optoelectronics has proven to be the technology of choice for long-haul communications as well as compact disc player redout. In order for the applications of optoelectronics to become widespread, much will have to be done to solve problems associated with the generation and reception of the optical signals and problems associated with the compatibility of digital and analog electronics with optoelectronic components. These problems include laser-to-waveguide alignment, electrical modulation of optical signals, and receiver complexity. These research issues will be discussed in the following manuscript.