Chip-level waveguide-mirror-pillar optical interconnect structure

Abstract

Waveguides, mirrors, and polymer pillars can be integrated together to provide optical interconnects to the chip level. Total internal reflection in the polymer pillar provides a high level of spatial confinement of the light. The metallized mirror terminating the waveguide may be at 45 or at a nearby angle such as 54.74 (anisotropically etched silicon) and produce nearly equal coupling efficiencies. For a polymer waveguide, a gold mirror, and a polymer pillar of the dimensions fabricated, the simulated coupling efficiencies are 80.7% or 0.93 dB (45 mirror) and 82.5% or 0.84 dB (54.74 mirror), respectively. These simulations together with the fabrication and testing of a 54.74 mirror configuration demonstrates the viability of the waveguide-mirror-pillar structure, its insensitivity to mirror angle, and its compatibility with current substrate fabrication technologies.