US4917450A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Dynamic optical interconnection device for integrated circuits
Assignee: Thales SA
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Filing: 1988-10-31
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Granted: 1990-04-17
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Expires: 2008-10-31
Abstract
Abstract An embodiment of the disclosed device includes: two coupled laser diodes, emitting a light wave which is modulated in frequency and amplitude by electrical signals which control the selection of one among several interconnections and represent a sequence of binary data also included is an optical guide embedded in the surface of a semiconductor substrate and a diffraction grating etched on the surface of the guide and substrate, coupled to the guide to diffract the light in several directions depending on the wavelength as well as photodiodes respectively located in one of the directions where the light can be diffracted, to give an electrical signal representing the binary data transmitted in the direction corresponding to the photodiode. In other embodiments, the photodiodes are coupled to laser diodes by means of a holographic grating.
Inventors
- 👤 Jean P. Pocholle
- 👤 Bourbin Yannic
- 👤 Michel Papuchon
- 👤 Pierre J. Huignard
- 👤 Claude Puech
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 15:10
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04B; H04B10/00; H04B10/80; H04B10/801; G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/34; G02B6/42
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
153 words
A dynamic optical interconnection device for integrated circuits, comprising: at least one device for emitting coherent light, frequency modulated by a first electrical signal selecting one of several interconnections and amplitude modulated by a second electrical signal representing a sequence of data; at least one optical guide coupled to the emitting device; at least one diffraction grafting coupled to the guide to diffract the light emitted by the emitting device in a direction depending on the frequency of this light; each emitting device, each optical guide and each diffraction grating being integrated in one and the same integrated circuit semiconductor substrate; and comprising: a plurality of photoelectrical receivers coupled to the diffraction grating so as to receive the light diffracted respectively in several pre-defined directions correspond to several interconnections, each receiver given an electrical signal indication according to the amplitude of the light diffracted in the corresponding direction, when this interconnection is selected.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
153 words
A dynamic optical interconnection device for integrated circuits, comprising: at least one device for emitting coherent light, frequency modulated by a first electrical signal selecting one of several interconnections and amplitude modulated by a second electrical signal representing a sequence of data; at least one optical guide coupled to the emitting device; at least one diffraction grafting coupled to the guide to diffract the light emitted by the emitting device in a direction depending on the frequency of this light; each emitting device, each optical guide and each diffraction grating being integrated in one and the same integrated circuit semiconductor substrate; and comprising: a plurality of photoelectrical receivers coupled to the diffraction grating so as to receive the light diffracted respectively in several pre-defined directions correspond to several interconnections, each receiver given an electrical signal indication according to the amplitude of the light diffracted in the corresponding direction, when this interconnection is selected.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
17 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the emitting device consists of two coupled semiconductor laser diodes.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
55 words
A device according to claim 2, wherein the two laser diodes are respectively controlled by the intensity of a first current and a second current which may assume a large number of values corresponding to a large number of possible interconnections, the intensity of the second current being, furthermore, modulated in amplitude by the data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
23 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein several diffraction gratings are coupled to one and the same guide and respectively have different pitches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 1 wherein several optical guides are coupled to one and the same emitting device and wherein at least one diffraction grating is coupled to each guide.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein several guides are respectively coupled to several emitting devices and are coupled to one and the same diffraction grating.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A device according to claim 1, comprising several emitting devices coupled to several guides, and wherein the guides are coupled to each other by means of a directional coupler.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
18 words
A device according to claim 7, wherein the directional coupler is a coupler with its direction controlled electrically.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
34 words
A device according to claim 7, wherein the directional coupler is a coupler with spectral filtering, its direction being controlled by a change in the wavelength of the light emitted by the emitting devices.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1993-04-16 | 1993-10-16 | 1994-04-17 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1997-04-16 | 1997-10-16 | 1998-04-17 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2001-04-16 | 2001-10-16 | 2002-04-17 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |