Scaling Optical Communication for On-Chip Interconnect

In the high-density integrated circuits of the future, electrical wires may reach their performance limits for intrachip device connections. One possible solution to this problem is a transition to on-chip optic communication. Optic technologies present many benefits for on-chip interconnection systems, but they also bring challenges in their implementation. In this paper, research of on-chip optical communication is reviewed as a means of meeting the growing demands of IC interconnects. Optical systems and devices are evaluated as they scale down to global and intermediate level chip interconnections.