Intel Labs announces new progress in integrated photonics research

The figure shows eight microring modulators and optical waveguides . Each microring modulator is tuned to a specific wavelength or light “ Color ”. By using multiple wavelengths , Each microring can modulate light independently to realize independent communication . This method of using multiple wavelengths is called wavelength division multiplexing .

（ picture source ： Intel corporation ）

lately , Intel Labs announced significant progress in Integrated Optoelectronics Research .

In the field of Integrated Optoelectronics , Improving the communication bandwidth between data centers and cross network computing chips is an important cutting-edge direction , Intel has made industry-leading progress in the field of multi wavelength integrated optics , They demonstrated eight wavelength distributed feedback that is fully integrated on silicon wafers （DFB） Laser array , Its output power uniformity reaches +/- 0.25 Decibel , The uniformity of wavelength interval reaches ±6.5%, Are superior to industry standards .

Intel Express , This new study shows that , Uniform and dense wavelength and well adapted output power can be achieved at the same time , Use the existing production and process control technology of Intel Wafer Factory , Next generation optoelectronic co packaging and optical interconnection devices are expected to achieve mass production .

This progress will enable the light source produced to meet the performance required for mass applications in the future , Such as Can be used to process AI Optoelectronic co packaging and optical interconnection devices for emerging network intensive workloads such as machine learning .

Intel mentioned , Expect to 2025 year , exceed 20% The high bandwidth channel of the data center will use silicon photon technology , And in the 2020 This proportion is less than 5%, In the future, the total market size will reach 26 Billion dollars . With low power consumption 、 The demand for high bandwidth and fast data transmission is growing , The demand for silicon photonic technology will also grow synchronously , So as to support data center and other applications .

review 20 century 80 years , Scientists have confirmed that the inherent high bandwidth optical transmission performance of optical fibers is better than the electric pulse transmission through metal cables , Optical connection began to replace metal cables . From then on , Component size reduction and cost reduction , The efficiency of optical fiber technology is also improved , It has contributed to the breakthrough of optical interconnection network solutions in the past few years . These technological advances are in switches 、 Common in data centers and other high-performance computing environments .

Now? , As the electrical interconnection performance gradually approaches the actual limit , Integrate silicon circuits and optical devices side by side in the same package , It is expected to increase input in the future / Output （I/O） Energy efficiency of the interface , Extend its coverage .

The latest optoelectronic co packaging solution adopts dense wavelength division multiplexing （DWDM） technology , The prospect of significantly reducing the size of photonic chips while increasing bandwidth . However , Up to now , It is very difficult to manufacture dense wavelength division multiplexing light sources with uniform wavelength spacing and power .

Intel has achieved wavelength spacing consistency of light sources 、 Uniformity of output power , It meets the requirements of optical computing interconnection and DWDM The need for communication . Based on Intel commercial 300mm Hybrid silicon photonic platform , Eight wavelengths designed and manufactured by Intel DFB array , Use advanced lithography technology , stay III-V The configuration of waveguide grating in silicon wafer is completed before the family wafer bonding process . And in 3 Inches or 4 Inch III-V Compared with ordinary semiconductor lasers manufactured by family Fabs , This technology improves wavelength uniformity . Besides , Due to the high-density integration of lasers , The array can also keep the channel spacing stable when the ambient temperature changes .

This innovation means complementary metal oxide semiconductors （CMOS） The manufacturing capacity of wafer mass production has achieved a leap .

For large-scale manufacturing and deployment of optical interconnection cores , The integrated laser array is reduced in size 、 The key to reducing costs . At present , Intel's silicon photonic products department has applied the eight wavelength integrated laser array manufacturing technology to create the future optical interconnection core , In the CPU、GPU And memory and other computing resources to achieve low power consumption 、 High performance 、 Terabits per second （multi-terabits per second） Interconnection of .

Link to the original text ：

https://www.hpcwire.com/off-the-wire/intel-labs-announces-integrated-photonics-research-advancement/

writing ： Intel

compile ： Li every

edit ： Mu Yi

notes ： Ben Translated from “HPC Wire”, Do not represent Quantum outpost view .