Realization of holographic optical interconnects for a multichip module on silicon

The design, assembly and packaging of a multichip module on silicon with a holographic-optical 1 to 4 interconnect is presented. The potential of the system containing commercially available components is demonstrated. Holographic optical elements in dichromated gelatine as well as computer-generated holograms are used to distribute and focus a clock signal generated by a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser diode onto silicon photodiodes. The two different kinds of holograms are compared with respect to their efficiency, fabrication effort and compatibility with the demands of a microelectronic system. Alignment issues, thermal behavior and the total optical link efficiency are discussed.